Community Land Trusts in Memphis: A Blueprint for Equitable and Sustainable Affordable Housing

This study critically examines the role of Community Land Trusts (CLTs) as a mechanism for sustaining long-term affordable housing in Memphis, Tennessee, with a particular focus on the Binghampton Community Land Trust (BCLT). Adopting a qualitative case study design, the research integrates a comprehensive literature review with primary data derived from semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, including residents, housing practitioners, and institutional partners connected to BCLT. The analysis identifies systemic challenges confronting the CLT in Memphis, including inadequate and inconsistent funding streams, the absence of dedicated organizational staffing, and competitive pressures from private real estate developers. Nonetheless, the research also reveals strategic opportunities for operational sustainability through inter-institutional collaborations particularly with faith-based organizations and the Shelby County Land Bank as well as through adaptive reuse of vacant and blighted properties. The study argues that the long-term viability of BCLT depends not only on institutional support and resource mobilization but also on robust community engagement, participatory governance structures, and the diversification of housing typologies. Ultimately, the findings contribute to a broader understanding of the structural conditions necessary for embedding shared-equity housing models in urban contexts marked by gentrification, disinvestment, and persistent housing insecurity.