If you’ve been following this year’s budget process, by now you’ve probably heard of the three biggest requests being echoed by community groups at weekly meetings.
Less than $5 million is being requested for three programs that advocates say will help protect the most vulnerable residents. Thousands of people have signed letters pushing for these demands, and supporters have been urging the City at every budget hearing.
Two main issues — undeniably interconnected — are at the forefront of discussions: immigration and housing. For immigration protections, local orgs are pushing for $2.2 million in structural funding for the Long Beach Justice Fund, which the Signal Tribune has covered extensively.
The other two requests focus on long term, affordable housing and the fight to keep vulnerable communities from being evicted from their homes. LiBRE (Long Beach Residents Empowered), a nonprofit that fights for housing justice and tenant protection, are spearheading these requests.
The Signal Tribune spoke to LiBRE about their budget requests: $2 million in eviction defense and $400,000 for a Community Land Trust. This article dives into the latter.
What is a Community Land Trust?
A Community Land Trust is a nonprofit that essentially functions as a developer and landlord; one that prioritizes affordable housing and community needs over profit. This guarantees that the housing — either newly developed or repurposed — will remain affordable and under community ownership in perpetuity, not at the whim of a landlord or developer.
It’s the kind of stability many Long Beach residents envision, as rents continue to increase and the fear of eviction threatens longtime residents.
The nonprofit will acquire a piece of land, slate it for affordable housing and then lease it for a renewable term of 99 years back to residents. Community Land Trusts have been popping up all over the country, with more than 50 in California alone, and around 225 nationwide, according to Grounded Solutions.
The first-ever community land trust dates back to 1969 in Georgia, which was created to house and support Black farmers who had lost their homes and jobs for registering to vote. These trusts consist of whatever a community needs, whether its apartment buildings rented at a low rate or multi-family housing slated for ownership.
Community Land Trusts also often have community-serving components for the residents and surrounding neighborhood, such as gallery space, a low-cost clinic or a grocery store. This is also decided by members of the land trust.
It’s a drastic difference from the way affordable housing is typically made available in Long Beach, where developers are required to follow inclusionary housing mandates. This results in small chunks of affordable units at a time where demand is extremely high. The mandate currently requires 6-10% of units in a development be rented to low-income residents, while the rest are market rate.
A Community Land Trust however, prioritizes people over profit, and is preserved for future generations. In Irvine, it’s resulted in almost 500 affordable housing units; in Oakland, a combination of traditional homes and mixed-use developments have been built for vulnerable populations.
In Long Beach, it has the power to correct decades of racist exclusionary housing policies, make a considerable dent in the homelessness crisis and protect immigrant families from displacement.
In 2023, Long Beach awarded LiBRE with a two-year, $800,000 grant to create the city’s first Community Land Trust. When the Signal Tribune spoke to LiBRE then, they were forming the framework for the Housing For All Long Beach Community Land Trust.
What is the $400,000 for?
With the seed funding used over the last year and a half, the Housing For All Long Beach Community Land Trust now has a permanent board and over 100 members who meet once a month. They’ve been focused on teaching residents what a Community Land Trust is, and hearing feedback on what people want it to look like in Long Beach.
They’ve also developed a business plan and feasibility analysis that will operate as a guide for the Community Land Trust for the next 10 years.
But there’s still some resources needed for when they acquire land, said Community Land Trust Director Nazir Abuyounes, and funding from the City is crucial for the next steps toward community ownership.
So far, Long Beach has allocated $200,000 for the 2026 budget to continue the Community Land Trust. The nonprofit is asking for double that, saying that the allocated amount is only enough to carry on with the work already being done.
“We’re ready and set to acquire our first property, to take next steps to enter into some acquisition processes, and these extra funds will allow us to build up the resources and programming that really make that possible,” Abuyounes said.
The nonprofit is currently waiting on Measure A funds they hope will become available later this year so they can begin land acquisition. These funds need to be released by the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency, and are one of the “the most important funding sources for acquiring and developing housing in Long Beach,” Abuyounes said.
The Community Land Trust is prepared and has the programs and capacity in place to access the Measure A funds once they become available, Abuyounes said. They hope the support from additional funding will further prepare Long Beach residents to then access any ownership opportunities.
As residents voice their desires on what type of land best suits the city’s needs, they also need the knowledge of how ownership in this model will work. The Community Land Trust aims to further prepare residents through a Community Land Trust home ownership education program.
One thing the roughly 100 members have been clear about, Abuyounes said, is that they want the safety and stability that comes with collectively owning the land.
“Decision-making over the spaces that we live in is really important to our well-being,” Abuyounes said. “Being able to have a meaningful role in that process, being able to feel the safety and security that comes with that decision making and also with being connected closely to our neighbors and our community.”
The extra $200,000 from the City would help provide additional education so residents are ready to step into homeownership with a Community Land Trust once the land is available.
Through monthly meetings, members are deciding what type of housing they want created, what communities they want to focus on and any additional services they want to be incorporated. Anyone has the knowledge and experience to participate in these meetings simply by showing up, Abuyounes said.
What Can You Do?
Attend a Meeting: Anyone living in Long Beach is encouraged to join the monthly Community Land Trust meetings, which take place both in-person or via Zoom from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Food, childcare and interpretation services are provided at all meetings. Check @wearelbre on Instagram for updates on meetings.
Push for the $400,000: To advocate for LiBRE’s request of $400,000, participate in Long Beach’s budget process either at Budget Oversight Committee meetings at 1 p.m. or City Council meetings at 5 p.m., both on Tuesdays. Both meetings can be attended and participated in virtually and in-person.
You can also email or call your councilmember, or submit a digital comment card and tell the City where you think public funding should be spent in the 2026 budget here.
