EVANSTON,
ILLINOIS April 28, 2004
Mission
The mission of the
Citizens’ Lighthouse Community Land
Trust is to provide affordable housing
opportunities to low-moderate income
families and individuals through the
creation of a “community land trust”
that will ensure permanent affordability.
The Citizens’ Lighthouse
Community Land Trust (CLCLT) is a not-for-profit
membership organization that was organized
to create a real affordable housing
market for low to moderate income people
throughout the City of Evanston. The
primary goal of CLCLT is to provide
permanently affordable housing opportunities
through the creation of a community
land trust with which to subsidize purchase
and rental by income-qualified households
in Evanston.
CLCLT is incorporated
in the State of Illinois. While the
organization does not yet have an office,
mail is received c/o Betty Ester (President),
P.O. Box 1303, Evanston, IL 60204.
CLCLT will serve households
that earn at or below 80% of the area
median income (AMI). CLCLT plans also
include service to families and individuals
above 80% of the AMI and up to 120%
of the AMI. CLCLT policy will always
be to serve low-moderate income persons
both through affordable rental and through
helping income-qualified people to obtain
mortgages for the purchase of houses.
The goal will be to design rental or
mortgage opportunities so that no more
than 30% of a household’s income is
devoted to housing expense.
Meeting these goals
will depend on adequate funding for
CLCLT. Today, CLCLT has identified 15
foundations that provide funding to
acquire housing or to support the operational
expenses of organizations working toward
creating affordable housing. Initially
and importantly, CLCLT will apply for
public funds (HOME dollars, CDBG, State
dollars, tax credits and housing trust
funds) at each level of the government
in order to begin operations.
CLCLT will use its membership
dues to cover some of its operational
expenses, which would allow most of
the public and foundation funds to be
spent on acquiring property. CLCLT has
set its dues at a reasonable level so
that any resident in the City of Evanston
can join, with business memberships
at a higher rate.
The Board of the Evanston
Housing Coalition (represented by George
Gauthier) has agreed in principle to
be development partner for CLCLT, and
to provide property evaluation and other
related services. A memorandum of understanding
is pending.
CLCLT follows principles and procedures
of the
Institute for Community Economics,
a Massachusetts organization providing
guidelines for community land trusts
throughout the country. Technical assistance
through
Burlington Associates of Burlington,
Vermont, has been funded through HUD
with approval of the City of Evanston.
|
|
Officers
President
Betty Sue Ester
Secretary
Sue Carlson
Treasurer
Carol C. Balkcom
Board Members
Arthur Berlin
Nancy H. Brown
Sara Diggs
Jill Graham
Julia McEvoy
Emory Williams
Contact:
The Citizens Lighthouse community Land Trust can be
reached at:
clclt@evanstonhousing.com
or
CLCLT
P.O. Box 1303, Evanston, IL 60204
Founding Members
Sandra Banks
Shirley Doby
Betty Sue Ester
Dorothy Frazier-Brown
Tina Galbreath
Loretha Henry
Joseph Kent
|
