Here to Stay
Community Land Trust

Housing is for living, not for flipping!

¡Un hogar es un patrimonio y para vivir, no un negocio!

Our community has been greatly impacted by displacement caused by gentrification. We found a way to keep nuestra gente en el barrio!  Here to Stay is a homeownership model for moderate-income, long time Logan Square/Avondale/Hermosa residents who want to stay in their community. It is an anti-displacement effort created by neighbors. Your purchase price is more affordable because the land trust is deeply discounting the sales price of the property. 

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“Here to Stay” Community Land Trust Awarded $5 M Allocation from State ARPA Funds

Thanks to the powerful advocacy of affordable housing supporters, community leaders, and legislators, the Here to Stay Community Land Trust has been allocated $5 million in the Illinois state budget.

[Pictured: Here to Stay’s founding partners with State Representative Will Guzzardi, State Senators Cristina Pacione-Zayas and Omar Aquino, 1st Ward Alderman Daniel La Spata, State Representative Lilian Jimenez, and Congresswoman Delia Ramirez, pictured in front of a home donated to the land trust that will be rehabbed and sold in summer 2023.]

 Founded by four community organizations – Palenque LSNA, Center for Changing Lives, LUCHA, and Spanish Coalition for Housing –  Here to Stay is an anti-displacement effort and affordable homeownership model that buys properties through a land trust and sells the homes to moderate-income buyers from the community at a discounted rate, ensuring long-term affordability in Hermosa and West Logan Square. The $5 million will be used for the acquisition and rehabilitation of new properties, as well as operational expenses to grow the land trust’s capacity.


“These funds will help us build a model for the city, state, and nation,” said Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-39), who helped secure the allocation in Springfield. “With this infusion of capital, the Here to Stay Community Land Trust will show that community ownership can help fight displacement, support families, and create truly equitable and inclusive neighborhood growth.”


Here to Stay sold its first property in July of 2022 and acquired its second property in November of 2022, a workers cottage style home generously donated by a longtime resident. Workers cottages are historically significant to the City of Chicago and play an important role in naturally occurring affordable housing stock. However, these homes are often torn down during the build of newer, luxury single-family homes that further isolate moderate-income residents from their goals of homeownership and exacerbate the exponentially rising costs of living on the Northwest side. In partnership with the City of Chicago’s Department of Housing and Old National Bank, Here to Stay is utilizing the Illinois Affordable Housing Tax Credit program to fund a portion of the construction, which will ensure that the end purchase price is affordable to buyers at or below 80% of the Area Median Income. Renovations will be completed in summer 2023. In addition, in January 2023, Here to Stay closed on its third property, a four-bedroom, two-bath home in Hermosa, and is accepting applications from potential buyers now. 


Here to Stay and its partners and supporters celebrated this undeniably historic victory with a press conference on Monday, February 13, at the site of the second land trust property. Speakers included State Representative Will Guzzardi (D-39); State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-20); State Senator Omar Aquino (D-2); State Representative Lilian Jimenez (D-4); 1st Ward Alderman Daniel La Spata; United States Congresswoman Delia Ramirez (D-IL3), Gary Jimenez, Palenque LSNA; and Emilio Carrasquillo, Here to Stay Board of Directors.

Image of a hand holding a pen.

Homebuyer Education Classes

Homebuyer education and mortgage readiness are two of the first steps in becoming a homeowner in Here to Stay. Each of our partners offers pre- and post- purchase counseling and homebuyer education classes required for certain down payment assistance programs. Whatever your schedule, you can find a class here! Programs are offered through these HTS partners.

 

The Here to Stay Community Land Trust (CLT) provides single family and two flats that are affordable to owner-occupant buyers at 60% - 120% Area Median Income (AMI), or incomes between $62,520 - $125,040 for a family of four. In a two flat, two families may consider both household incomes to reach the AMI needed.

The purchase price is well below market price for this area because the homeowner is only buying the house, not the land, made possible by the fact that Here to Stay deeply subsidizes the first purchase of the home by the first homebuyer. The homeowners lease the land from the community land trust in a long-term, 99-year, renewable lease.

The homeowners agree to sell the home at a restricted price to keep it affordable in perpetuity, but they build equity through market appreciation and paying down their mortgage and pay reduced property taxes on the affordable sale price,.


Here to Stay CLT preserves naturally occurring affordable housing by closing the affordability gap so that low- to moderate-income households can remain in high opportunity, rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods, ensuring the families can remain and thrive as economic opportunity continues to grow.

 

Our founding organizations bring a combined 175 years of experience!

Center for Changing Lives
LUCHA
Spanish Coalition for Housing