ABOUT US
The Community Land Trust of Palm Beach County, Inc. (CLT of PBC) is a countywide housing non-profit organization created for the purpose of  providing permanently affordable housing opportunities for residents of Palm Beach County.  

The CLT of PBC acquires land and makes it available in perpetuity for affordable housing.  The CLT separates ownership of the land from ownership of the housing unit.  The housing units are sold to income eligible households at an affordable price.  The land is made available to homeowners through a 99 year land lease. 

HISTORY
The CLT of PBC was formed in early 2006 to help address the need for affordable housing in Palm Beach County. 

The effort to create the organization was initially spearheaded by Palm Beach County as part of their "affordable housing toolbox," but quickly became a community driven endeavor. 

The founding members of the CLT of PBC represented  a wide range of organizations including Gold Coast Builders Association, Palm Beach County League of Cities, Business Development Board, Business Forum of Palm Beach County, Florida Rural Legal Services, Community Financing Consortium, Adopt-A-Family of the Palm Beaches, inc., South Florida LISC, We Help Community Development, Inc., Fair Housing Center of the Greater Palm Beaches, Urban League of Palm Beach County, Housing Partnership, North Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce, and the School District of Palm Beach County.

The CLT of PBC was incorporated in 2006 and received a 501(c)(3) tax exempt designation in March of 2007.

 OUR MISSION

• Increase the permanent supply of affordable housing in Palm Beach County by undertaking the following activities:
  • land acquisition
  • housing development
  • preservation
• Create a permanent supply of both rental and homeownership opportunities.
• Develop the community land trust model as an effective tool in meeting the long term affordable housing needs of Palm Beach County residents.
• Create vibrant mixed-income communities.
• Undertake a client focused approach to community development.
• Create sustainable communities.
• Collaborate. 

  

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Community Land Trust of Palm Beach County, Inc. sells first home under the Lease with an Option to Purchase Program!

West Palm Beach, Florida- On November 9, 2009, first-time homebuyer Janneth L. Suarez, a single mother of two, purchased the home she was leasing from the Community Land Trust of Palm Beach County, Inc (CLT of PBC), under their Lease with an Option to Purchase Program. This program allows prospective homebuyers time to clean up their credit and save for a down payment while leasing the home they intend to purchase. The down payment and a portion of all on-time lease payments are given to the homebuyer at closing to be used towards the purchase.                           

Janneth is working full time and going to school part time in order to provide a better life for herself and her family.  She is originally from Columbia and has not been residing in this country very long. One of her goals was to become a homeowner and the CLT of PBC was able to help her reach that accomplishment.

Janneth had previously started the homeownership process with another organization hoping to participate in the SHIP down payment assistance program.  However, there were no longer any SHIP funds available.  Luckily, Janneth discovered the CLT of PBC online and immediately contacted them.   

The CLT of PBC was able to offer Janneth a Lease with an Option to Purchase allowing her time to tackle any barriers she had that prevented her from purchasing a home. She was able to lease the home while saving up for down payment.  Within a matter of months, Janneth was able to purchase the first Lease with an Option to Purchase unit being offered by the CLT of PBC.

The CLT of PBC is a non-profit housing provider founded by Palm Beach County in 2006.  The Community Land Trust sells the home only to homebuyers and retains ownership of the underlying land.  This model of homeownership creates a bridge for families to reach their goal of becoming a homeowner by removing the cost of the land from the purchase price of the house.  A share of the appreciation also stays with the home if resold thereby ensuring it remains affordable to the next homebuyer. 

For additional information about the Community Land Trust of Palm Beach County, Inc., please contact Lisa Delhomme, Homebuyer Coordinator at (561) 233-3683 or via E-mail at LDelhomme@pbcgov.com.