When the Land Trust was created in 2001, it was envisioned that the organization would grow to a point to where it would be able to hire part-time staff to assist the volunteer Board. Seven years of growth with our land trust, and the experience of other land trusts throughout the state, have taught us that the economies of scale for a land trust to have even part-time staff is much larger than first envisioned. In order to find a way to provide a higher level of service to the Cannon River Community Land Trust home owners, the Cannon River Community Land Trust Board of Directors has initiated a dialog with First Homes, a housing organization which is part of the Rochester Area Foundation. First Homes is a non-profit organization that was created to build affordable housing in the Rochester Area and throughout Southeastern Minnesota. The organization builds and manages different types of affordable housing including a community land trust. The Board pursuing discussions with First Homes assume ownership of the land owned by the Cannon River Community Land Trust, and the leases that it maintains with each of the homeowners. The following are the main items why the Board is considering this action:
1. Full-time staff support in the First Homes organization
2. The organization owning the property and managing the lease may change, but the terms of the lease would remain in effect
3. The homes and property would continue in a community land trust program
4. The availability of other housing resources to CLT homeowners
5. This transfer of the property and the assignment of the lease from the Cannon River Community Land Trust can only occur with the consent of the CLT homeowners. So in order to more fully explain the process and answer any questions you may have, an information meeting will be held shortly to answer questions.
