ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Community land trust

A community land trust is like sharing your toys with your friends. Imagine you own a toy that your friends really like to play with, but you don't want to give it away forever. So, you agree to share the toy with your friends and let them play with it for a while, but you still get to keep it for yourself.

Similarly, a community land trust is when a group of people, like a neighborhood or community, agree to share some land together. This land could be a park, garden, or even a whole building. The people who share this land don't own it individually, but instead, they all work together to take care of it and make sure it's used in a way that benefits everyone.

In a community land trust, the land is owned by a nonprofit organization, which means it's not owned by one person or company. Instead, the community members form a board to govern the land trust and make decisions about how the land will be used.

For example, if the community land trust owns a garden, people from the community can come together to plant vegetables or flowers. Then, they can share in the harvest and enjoy the fresh produce. Or, if the community land trust owns a building, they can rent out the space inside to businesses and organizations. The money earned from the rent can go back into the community to help fund more projects.

In summary, a community land trust is a way for a group of people to share land together and use it for the benefit of everyone. It's like sharing toys with your friends, but with a bigger and more grown-up purpose!