Taking Land Off the Market to Keep Brussels Housing Affordable

Established in 2012, CLTB buys land and holds it in trust forever, then sells only the buildings on top to low-income households at prices tied to their income rather than market value, keeping homes affordable for every future resident. More than four in five buyers have a migrant background, and residents receive training in home maintenance and joint decision-making before moving in. The model, which won a 2021 World Habitat and UN-Habitat gold medal for introducing community land trusts to continental Europe, has since spread to other Belgian and European cities.