building community power
Our Mission:
As a community-driven organization we work to establish and promote permanently affordable, equitable housing in Rochester, ensuring development without displacement by empowering neighbors, having the community both own and manage land, and bridging socioeconomic divisions.
Our History
City Roots Community Land Trust was born out of resistance. Founded in 2016, community members and the group Take Back the Land came together in an effort to fight for their neighbor and friend, Liz. Liz was going through the unending process of being kicked out of her home. Together, Take Back the Land exercised an eviction blockade, an act of physically putting themselves between law enforcement and the home to stop Liz from being displaced. Take Back the Land would be the starting group of two organizations, City Roots Community Land Trust and the City-Wide Tenant Union. Liz’s blockade was the first success for City Roots, and the first City Roots CLT home. City Roots is dedicated to living our values. City Roots Community Land Trust works to establish and promote permanent affordability, development without displacement, and community wealth building within Rochester, NY.
City root's
vision
We are a collaborative of homeowners, renters, youth, allies and partners working together to strengthen the Rochester community by cultivating the perspective that socially-owned land can help affirm housing as a human right, build community wealth, and allow for investment in our communities without displacing those who live there.
Melissa Marquez
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Board President // C.E.O of Genesee Co-Op Federal Credit Union
Melissa Marquez
Our Supporters
Tribute to our Members!
“We need a community land trust in Rochester to build generational wealth and support housing sustainability. I support and partner with City Roots Community Land Trust because they are working to promote development without displacement.”