As you all know, HomeKeeper is a program of Grounded Solutions Network, a national nonprofit membership organization of community land trusts, local governments, nonprofit organizations, national networks, community development finance organizations, health advocacy organizations, and more. Our mission is to cultivate communities — equitable, inclusive, and rich in opportunity — by advancing affordable housing solutions that last for generations. We promote housing solutions that will stay affordable for generations so communities can stabilize and strengthen their foundation for the future. We connect national and local expertise, bringing together the networks, knowledge, and support needed to build inclusive communities. Grounded Solutions Network champions evidence-based policies and strategies that work. We help our members, partners, and elected officials use them to establish inclusive communities that have diverse housing options for a variety of incomes, offering choice and opportunity for all residents – both today and for future generations.

Are you inspired by the breadth and scope of the change that Grounded Solutions Network members are creating but have yet to join our membership? Now is the time! By joining Grounded Solutions as a member, you are joining more than 150 organizations and individuals who are committed to increasing our collective affordable housing impact. While our membership is diverse, what unites all is a shared vision of equitable communities organized around the values of inclusion, stewardship, and self-determination. Learn more about our 2024 membership benefits and join here!

Our members have hit many milestones throughout 2023!  Here is a small sample of wins we have celebrated over the past year:

• Champlain Housing Trust received a $20 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.
• Houston Community Land Trust also announced a gift from MacKenzie Scott of $5 million. According to the executive director, Ashley Allen, this funding will allow Houston Community Land Trust to explore other affordable housing options like tiny houses.
• GSN’s champion member, Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King & Kittitas Counties, has built their first five-story condo​. They used a Covenant and Resale Agreement with all the same elements as the ground lease. This build is part of a larger overall strategy for Habitat SKKC to serve 200 families a year. This will more than triple their previous production of new homes, rehabs, and repair projects, and so far, they are on track to reach this goal.

• ecoTHRIVE Housing closed on 1.8 acres of land in north Burien, WA. This land will forge a path forward, allowing them to build 27 environmentally friendly cottage units in a resilient community.
• Community Frameworks received $3.5 million in Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP) funds. Community Frameworks has earmarked $760,000 in SHOP funds for CLTs and has already provided roughly $400,000 to CLTs.
• North Missoula Community Development Corporation added the first limited-equity housing cooperative into their Community Land Trust. This model is new to Montana.
• Urban Land Conservancy supported the preservation and conversion of 4 dorms into 154 rental homes.
• Door County Land Trust just acquired ten new lots and was named volunteer group of the year for Door County, WI.

• City of Bridges CLT secured an $8 million New Markets Tax Credit allocation for 15 homes.
• Elevation Community Land Trust received a grant from the Denver City Council that will go towards the purchase, renovation, and sale of at least 62 homes with lasting affordability.

Are you a member with a story to share with the Grounded Solutions Network? Fill out this form so that we can help spread your news!