| History The
New Columbia Community Land Trust (NCCLT) is a community-based community development
organization working in the central city neighborhoods of Washington, DC. Our work is
guided by the social, political, economic, and cultural interests of low and moderate
income people. NCCLT was incorporated in October 1990 as a nonprofit organization in
the District of Columbia. We achieved 501 (c)(3) IRS tax exempt status in June 1991.
Washington Inner-city Self-Help initiated the effort to organize a community land
trust and together with the New York Avenue Foundation; Robert Pierre Johnson Housing
Development Corporation and the Downtown Cluster of Congregations' Shaw Neighborhood
Initiative, NCCLT was founded. The impetus to organize NCCLT was the need and desire
of people who live in NCCLT's target area to stem the tide of displacement, eliminate
substandard housing and create an option for a permanent stock of attractive, affordable
housing and access to commercial and other built spaces for and with the community -driven
efforts of low and moderate income people. An overall goal was to ensure that
the community of residents served by NCCLT design its programs and remain an effective
part of its governance, development and policymaking structure.
The land trust concept developed because it offered community-based control and
permanent affordability for a broad socioeconomic range of residents. The organizing
activity was community-based and featured access to community education opportunities that
included housing development/finance, fundraising, architecture and interior decorating,
art, legal issues and policy, in informal environments. The organizing effort
attracted a diverse, community/coalition of low to moderate and upper-income, culturally
and economically diverse persons of varying educational backgrounds, "frames of
references" and perspectives-including landlords. The organizing coalition
included persons from religious institutions, community-based and national nonprofit
organizations, attorneys, tenants, prospective displacees, developers, students,
grandmothers and interested community residents. The group included people who lives
were impacted by displacement, deteriorated housing and communities, redlining and
unscrupulous landlords.
Our Commitment
We are committed to creating and sustaining a stable, diverse community through land
acquisition, asset management, community economic development, comprehensive community
education and cultural enrichment.
NCCLT core values are:
- SELF DETERMINATION /UNITY
- BROAD DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH AND POWER
- COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT
- POLITICAL POWER AND VOICE CULTURAL IDENTITY
- EDUCATION /CONTINUITY OF COMMUNITY
- ACCOUNTABILITY
- RESPONSIBILITY
- INTEGRITY
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