The mission of Kulshan Community Land Trust (Kulshan CLT) is to provide secure affordable access to land and housing, for residents of Whatcom County, Washington.
Kulshan CLT promotes ecologically sound land-use practices to ensure stable housing, land prices, and community preservation. Land trusts avoid letting properties remain abandoned when markets drive prices out of the reach of would-be owners. The trust helps people buy houses now and preserves opportunities for future generations to purchase affordable homes.
The recent economic downturn forced Kulshan CLT to rethink how it could deliver its services more efficiently. It also provided an opportunity to promote land trusts, an idea that is experiencing a rebirth in the new economic climate.
A donation of Microsoft Office software helped Kulshan CLT create an easy-to-understand PowerPoint presentation that visually explains the concept of community land trusts. The presentation was used at local companies to help employees locate affordable housing.