Transformative Real Estate

The Problem

Corporate ownership of land and housing is rising fast — especially in BIPOC communities.
This means more people locked out of homeownership, stuck in overpriced rentals, and watching wealth drain out of our neighborhoods into corporate hands.

This isn’t new — it’s rooted in a long history of land theft, redlining, and disinvestment in Black and Brown communities.

Our Response

Richmond LAND flips the script.
We reclaim the real estate process — and put it back in community hands.

We work with residents to collectively own and steward land for community good — not profit.
We take homes and properties out of the speculative market and place them in trust, so they stay affordable, accessible, and community-controlled — forever.

And we invest in local leadership — building resident power to plan, develop, and protect what’s ours.

Because land is power — and it’s time we held it.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

In August 2021, Richmond LAND was contacted by an Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) organizer in Contra Costa to ask whether Richmond LAND would be interested in working with two families concerned about being forced out of their homes by a new landlord. After sitting down with the residents and hearing their situation, our suspicion that large private equity groups were purchasing local real estate in the wake of the pandemic was confirmed. A small landlord and owner-occupant on the Southside of Richmond, retired City of Richmond employee, had lost his property to foreclosure during the pandemic. Not only had he lost the property his mother built and that he maintained for years through providing below market rate rent, he was also being served an eviction notice by the new owner.

The residents had dozens of documents recounting their experience with people arriving at the home offering cash for keys, alleged property managers and real estate agents claiming to represent banks, and even a mysterious LLC buyer. The residents were shaken by the uncertainty of the situation. They had no idea what to expect from the new owner. They decided to partner with Richmond LAND to save the building on the condition that “we stay together!”

In February 2022, Richmond LAND succeeded in securing the financing to purchase the S. 24th St. building and stabilize the residents. They no longer have to fear eviction, and the property is permanently safe from real estate speculation. This effort also paved the way for critical advocacy in 2022 in support of AB 1837 (Bonta), also known as, the Homes in Community Hands Act, after learning that the former owner improperly used SB 1079 - foreclosure law that allows community land trusts and tenants living in foreclosed properties the right of first refusal at auctions- to purchase the triplex.

Preservation Strategy

Richmond LAND’s preservation strategy is a cost effective way of immediately preventing displacement and protecting community. We purchase properties with short-term financing, operate it as a short-term rental to stabilize tenants and build their capacity to co-steward the property, gradually convert to long-term co-ownership with education, training, coaching, and other forms of assistance, then we takeout with permanent financing from mortgages and subsidy to support longterm homeownership.

When funds are used to finance the initial purchase or final takeout, those scarce subsidies are preserved in those units forever. Richmond LAND locks these subsidies in place (subsidy retention) for permanent affordability.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

We are building out plans for a North Richmond Eco Village which includes 18-22 high-quality, sustainably constructed, cottage units. The project concept was developed by Princess Robinson and Fonze Leon, Urban Tilth fellows in our Building Power Fellowship. The project seeks to revitalize vacant public housing land to create innovative housing opportunities for current residents and stewards of North Richmond. These will be high quality micro cottages built on permanent foundations, located on a property that will be held in trust to remain permanently affordable by Richmond LAND. The land will be maintained permanently affordable in the community land trust through a 99 year ground lease restriction. The project will combine the best practices of sustainable design and supportive housing principles by including programming to support village residents in financial literacy, education, and the growth of collective land stewardship.

The North Richmond Eco Village is an example of how Richmond LAND is committed to a community-driven future for Richmond. This project emerged from one of our Community Co-Design efforts.

Join our membership to stay tuned and support this and other projects in our growing pipeline.