Formation of a community land trust was recommended as a strategy for repairing existing housing and repurposing vacant and underutilized parcels to support development of new affordable housing.
The purpose of the plan was to revitalize the neighborhood, clean up contamination, enhance quality of life, create jobs, and increase affordable housing, without displacing existing residents of the predominantly Hispanic, lower-income neighborhood. Planning: T he CLT was formed as the result of a community-driven planning process to create a redevelopment plan for the Sawmill-Wells Park neighborhood, which was designated as a “blighted area” as a result of pollution and contamination, and slated for redevelopment in the 1990s. The CLT focuses on providing housing to low- and moderate- income households earning less than 80% of AMI and developing projects that “preserve natural attributes and cultural history of the community,” and that support “ecological renewal and energy conservation.” Sawmill CLT has supported the development of permanently affordable housing and other community amenities in Albuquerque. In the Sawmill-Wells Park neighborhood, for example, residents saw an increase in home values of 31 percent between 2000 to 2004. 2 Additionally, more than 37,000 households report living in substandard (lacking adequate kitchen or plumping facilities) or overcrowded housing, with Black and Asian households experiencing disproportionate housing challenges. More than 68 percent of low- and moderate-income households in Albuquerque (earning less than 80 percent Area Median Income (AMI)) are housing cost burdened (paying more than 30 percent of their income on housing) and 40 percent of this group is severely housing cost burdened (paying more than 50 percent of their income on housing). 1Īt the same time, many Albuquerque residents are precariously housed and experience housing cost burdens, which makes them more vulnerable to climate impacts and increasing costs of energy and water. In addition to more heat waves, the region is also experiencing increasing water shortages due to drought and increasing demand on water supplies. In 2012, the city experienced the hottest year on record with 85 days above 90☏.
and has seen an annual increase in average temperature of 2.7☏ since 1970. New Mexico is the “sixth-fastest warming state” in the U.S. The changing climate poses threats to Albuquerque’s most at-risk communities. The CLT is helping to address both resilience and affordable housing challenges in the Albuquerque metropolitan region. It was originally formed to support redevelopment efforts in the Sawmill-Wells Park neighborhood of Albuquerque, but has since extended its service area to include the entire City of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County. The Sawmill Community Land Trust (Sawmill CLT) in Albuquerque, New Mexico was founded in 1996 with the mission of acquiring and holding land in trust for the purpose of providing affordable housing. This case study provides an example of a city-CLT partnership that helped advance environmental justice, sustainability, and intergenerational equity goals through the development of affordable housing projects that address pollution, improve public health, and build bonds between neighbors.
Its developments also incorporate other community assets, including parks, community gardens and centers, and an orchard that contribute to community resilience in the neighborhood by building social cohesion, and improving public health and food security. The CLT stewards over 200 affordable housing units that incorporate green design features and has several more projects in development. The CLT’s first project, called Arbolera de Vida (Orchard of Life), was developed on a 27-acre formerly contaminated industrial property that it acquired from the city and facilitated clean up and redevelopment to include permanently affordable housing and other community amenities.
The neighborhood had become blighted due to underinvestment and pollution from industrial facilities. The Sawmill CLT was formed out of a community-driven planning process to redevelop the Sawmill-Wells Park neighborhood (between Old Town and downtown Albuquerque). The Sawmill Community Land Trust (Sawmill CLT) in Albuquerque, NM provides an example of how CLTs can support community redevelopment and reduce displacement of existing residents. Case Study: Sawmill Community Land Trust - Albuquerque, New Mexico
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