Know all those spiffy Victorians with the tasteful paint jobs? The Brattleboro Area Community Land Trust did those, and a whole lot more. Although it started out in 1987 as an organization devoted to preserving affordable housing, somewhere along the line, it ended up being one of the biggest landlords in Brattleboro. Over 180 households pay rent to the Brattleboro Area Land Trust every month, and if the Land Trust has its way, there will be many more.
Who is this Brattleboro Area Community Land Trust and what do they do? Well, basically, they buy rundown houses and tenements, in the more neglected parts of town, and fix them up. Falling down rooming houses become clean, private, secure SROs or Single Room Occupancy units. Dilapidated apartment buildings become pleasant friendly apartment buildings, fully deleaded, handicapped accessible, with new kitchens, immaculate floors, luscious paint jobs and -- below market rates. Yes, you can get a two bedroom through the Land Trust for under $500 a month.
The Land Trust has done a lot of redevelopment close to home, from their Canal Street (and once Estey Organ Co. owned) offices. The Land Trust has purchased nearly a dozen buildings in this immediate area, extending eastward toward Main St. They own a pastel pink apartment house with a marvelous view of the river and Wantastiquet up on South Main. Further into town, the Land Trust also owns houses on Elliot, Spring and Green Streets. And of course they now own the Wilder Building. As the tax question is one that comes up a lot around here, the Land Trust is quick to point out that while they don't have to, they do pay all property taxes on their properties.
To rent a Land Trust apartment, there is a waiting list. Six months to a year is not an uncommon wait time for many people seeking rental units, although it can vary significantly either way. To qualify, you are required to have some form of income whether it's from a job, pension or government check. And they check your rental history back through three former landlords. But, if you stick it out and pass the background check, you can have an apartment that someone on a fixed or low income can afford. Tenants range from older singles and couples to families with children (one 12 unit townhouse row houses 40 kids). In addition, the Land Trust has a full time staffer devoted to tenant services, so those tenants with special needs can get the help they need. Unlike many landlords, the Land Trust aims to keep you in your apartment.
In addition to rental housing, the Land Trust also has a program whereby qualified home buyers who have been through the full day training class can purchase homes with up to $20,000 in grant money toward the down payment. This program is available to buyers seeking homes in roughly the $80,000 to $150,000 range. There is a slight catch. For one thing, the Brattleboro Area Land Trust retains ownership of the land under your house. And there is a cap on how much capital gain you're allowed to make if you sell your house, currently 25% of appreciation. This is so the house will remain affordable even after you sell the property. For someone who really wants to buy a house and doesn't have the financial means to do so without help, the program provides a lot of assistance, while assuring that affordable housing will be available for generations to come. Funding for this arm of the Land Trust comes from the HOMELAND program administered by the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board. The Land Trust plans to expand their home-ownership program in the near future through the creation of a Home Ownership Center to educate home buyers and get low income buyers into homes of their own.
The Brattleboro Area Land Trust has operated largely in the town of Brattleboro, but they are branching out. They own the land under and manage the Putney Cares shared elderly housing facility in Putney, as well as a seven-unit apartment building in Wilmington. There are even plans for a planned community in West Dover which would include independant living units for seniors, town houses for rent and some for-sale condo units, with a community center to boot.
Clearly, the Land Trust is busy these days. Not only are they rehabilitating and preserving older buildings in town, but they are making them habitable and affordable to people who really need safe, affordable housing -- in many cases, the very poorest among us. For more information about the Brattleboro Area Community Land Trust, do check out their web site at http://www.baclt.org for a complete overview, current projects, rental listings and houses for sale.