Homes & Hands

Homes & Hands: Community Lands Trusts in Action

An inspiring documentary about three communities where low-income residents have found an empowering way to realize the American dream... owning a home.

A practical model of affordable home ownership for low income residents

Homes & Hands is an inspiring documentary about three communities in North Carolina, New Mexico and Vermont where low-income residents have found an empowering new way to make housing permanently affordable to people who are usually left out of the American dream. In a model that is spreading quickly to communities around the country, buyers purchase homes on land owned by a community land trust (CLT). In return, they agree to a limited profit should they decide to sell. Buyers build equity and enjoy tax benefits in real-estate markets that would otherwise be out of reach. The result is revitalization without gentrification.

As a practical, useable model for implementing community land trusts, Homes & Hands has been used by housing advocacy groups around the country as an example of ways to provide low-income residents with realistic and innovative home ownership options. The film has also been acquired by university courses in economics, urban planning and public policy.

Produced in cooperation with the Institute for Community Economics (now the National Community Land Trust Network), Homes & Hands is one of many client projects that GroundSpark has produced for public-interest organizations.

A discussion guide for Homes & Hands accompanies the film.

Recommended for use by:

University courses in economics, urban planning and public policy
Housing advocacy groups

Running Time: 36 minutes
Format: VHS and DVD

DVD includes Spanish and English subtitles and a 2008 epilogue featuring the status of the CLTs 10 years later

Price:

Individuals $69
Community Groups & Public Libraries $69
Colleges & Universities $125