Chinatown Community Land Trust Inc

THE CHINATOWN COMMUNITY LAND TRUST (CHINATOWN CLT) WORKS TO STABILIZE THE FUTURE OF CHINATOWN AS A NEIGHBORHOOD FOR WORKING CLASS FAMILIES AND A REGIONAL HUB FOR THE CHINESE COMMUNITY. WE WORK FOR COMMUNITY CONTROL OF THE LAND, DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT DISPLACEMENT, PERMANENTLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND SHARED NEIGHBORHOOD SPACES, CONSISTENT WITH THE CHINATOWN MASTER PLAN.

ROW HOUSE PRESERVATION CHINATOWN HAS LESS THAN A HUNDRED 19TH CENTURY ROW HOUSES THAT HAVE BEEN HOME TO SUCCESSIVE WAVES OF IMMIGRANTS FROM IRELAND, GERMANY EASTERN EUROPE, SYRIA, LEBANON, AND CHINA FOR THE PAST TWO CENTURIES. MANY WERE EMPTIED AND CONVERTED TO SHORT-TERM RENTALS AMIDST THE LUXURY DEVELOPMENT BOOM. CHINATOWN CLT SEEKS TO PRESERVE THESE SMALLER PROPERTIES AS PERMANENTLY AFFORDABLE HOMES AND MAINTAIN CORE ROW HOUSE STREETS AS ANCHORS OF THE WORKING-CLASS COMMUNITY FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. CHINATOWN CLT RECENTLY SOLD THREE PERMANENTLY AFFORDABLE HOME TO FIRST-TIME, LOW INCOME HOMEBUYERS, CREATING THE FIRST COMMUNITY LAND TRUST CONDOMINIUM IN THE CITY, IS RENOVATING ANOTHER FOUR-UNIT BUILDING, AND SEEKS ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO ACQUIRE AND PRESERVE SMALL PROPERTIES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

PLANNING FOR A HEALTHY COMMUNITY CHINATOWN CLT ANCHORED A HEALTH LENS ANALYSIS AND TWO-YEAR PARTICIPATORY COMMUNITY PLANNING PROCESS TO PRODUCE CHINATOWN MASTER PLAN 2020, AN OUTLINE OF CHINATOWN'S COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT VISION, PRIORITIES, AND CORE STRATEGIES. CCLT WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH RESIDENTS AND STAKEHOLDERS TO UPDATE, MONITOR, AND GUIDE IMPLEMENTATION STEPS TO ACHIEVE THE COMMUNITY'S VISION. THIS WORK INCLUDES COMMUNITY STEWARDSHIP OF PUBLIC LAND THROUGH COMMUNITY-BASED AND PUBLIC PLANNING PROCESSES FOR PRESERVATION OF REGGIE WONG PARK AND DEVELOPMENT OF PARCEL R-1, AND VOLUNTEER-LED INITIATIVES FOR A HEALTHY, VIBRANT COMMUNITY. THIS YEAR, CHINATOWN CLT BEGAN PLANNING FOR A CHINATOWN HISTORIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICT THAT PRESERVES AND SAFEGUARDS THE LIVING PULSE OF BOSTON'S IMMIGRANT HISTORY; IT CENTERS ON THE PRINCIPLE THAT CHINATOWN CAN ONLY BE PRESERVED IF ITS WORKING-CLASS CHINESE RESIDENTS AND SMALL BUSINESSES REMAIN. THE WORK INCLUDES ADVOCACY FOR A ROW HOUSE PROTECTION AREA, EXPLORATION OF CULTURAL DISTRICT AND HISTORIC CONSERVATION DISTRICT STATUS, CREATION OF AN IMMIGRANT HISTORY TRAIL, AND SUPPORT FOR THE CHINATOWN WORKER STATUE PROJECT.

COMMUNITY BUILDING AND COLLECTIVE GOVERNANCE CHINATOWN CLT WORKS WITH RESIDENTS, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO STRENGTHEN THE COMMUNITY FABRIC AND TO DEVELOP COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE. IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE PEOPLE STILL WALK TO THE BOSTON COMMON, AN IMPORTANT GOAL OF CHINATOWN CLT'S IS TO RECLAIM THE PRACTICE OF THE COMMUNITY COMMONS, SHARED SPACES, AND RESOURCES FOR THE COMMON GOOD. SOME OF OUR ACTIVITIES INCLUDE THE ANNUAL CHINATOWN BLOCK PARTY, RESIDENT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND CAPACITY BUILDING, AND REGULAR CONVERSATIONS TO INVOLVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN DECISION-MAKING CHINATOWN CLT ALSO PLAYS AN ACTIVE ROLE IN GROWING THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST MOVEMENT THROUGH THE GREATER BOSTON CLT NETWORK AND THE OUR HOMES OUR LAND COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL HOMES FOR ALL CAMPAIGN.

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND RESILIENCE CHINATOWN HAS SUFFERED DECADES OF ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE DUE TO THE LEGACY OF URBAN RENEWAL AND HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION, WITH THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF FINE PARTICULATE AIR POLLUTION IN THE STATE AND HISTORIC BUILDINGS AFFECTED BY GROUNDWATER LOSS. AS BOTH A HEAT ISLAND AND A FLOOD DANGER ZONE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS VULNERABLE TO CLIMATE IMPACTS. CHINATOWN CLT RECENTLY BEGAN WORKING WITH THE GREEN JUSTICE COALITION AND RESILIENT URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS TO LAUNCH A LOCAL, COMMUNITY-GOVERNED ENERGY MICROGRID TO INCREASE ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND SAVINGS, GROW CLIMATE RESILIENCE, AND PUT POWER IN THE HANDS OF THE IMPACTED COMMUNITY.