About City Roots

Established in 2016, the City Roots Community Land Trust (CRCLT) is a community-driven organization which works to establish and promote permanently-affordable and high-quality homes, rentals, and other community-based ventures in Rochester, NY.

City Roots’ mission is to permanently preserve affordability in our city through community owned and managed land, to empower neighbors, and to bridge socioeconomic divisions in order to secure development without displacement.

Our vision is to strengthen the Rochester community by cultivating the perspective that land owned by the community can help make housing a human right and affordable for all. We are a collaborative of homeowners, renters, youth, community allies and partners.

How it Works

Step 1: CRCLT acquires a home and renovates it to a high-level of quality (e.g. new or renovated kitchen and bathroom; new roof; new heating system; new plumbing and electric, etc)

Step 2: The house is then sold to a income-qualifying, first-time homebuyer at an affordable price while the land underneath the house is leased to the homebuyer for 99 years with two options to renew (for more info on this, see FAQ below)

Step 3: If the homeowner decides to sell the house in the future, they agree to sell it at an affordable price giving a new low-income homebuyer the same opportunity they had received.

You must have an income that is below 60% of the AMI (please see chart) AND have attended both our CLT 101 (What is a Community Land Trust?) and CLT 102 (Buying a CLT Home) workshops to be eligible to become a CLT homeowner. While all applicants that meet 60% AMI will be considered for homeownership, families with a household income of 50% AMI or less will be prioritized.

FAQ:

How will I know if my application is approved?
If there are multiple applications that meet the requirements, an applicant will be selected by lottery. All applicants will be notified of the outcome by email as well as a letter mailed to their address. The selected applicant will also receive a phone call letting them know they’ve been selected.

What happen if I sign a lease with option to buy, but I am not able to complete the purchase within 6 months?
CRCLT will work with the applicant over the course of the 6-month lease to help them to take any necessary steps to improve their credit and to help them apply for any grants they are eligible for. If the applicant is not yet ready to purchase after 6 months, but believe that they are only a couple months away from approval, they can apply for an extension of the lease. If it appears unlikely that the purchase will move forward, the applicant will be asked to move out so that the opportunity can be made available to another potential buyer.

What will be the long-term relationship between the homebuyer and CRCLT?
CRCLT will remain in contact with the homebuyer as a resource throughout their time as homeowner.

If selected, applicant(s) will participate in a homebuyer education course w/ an additional CLT component




Monroe County 50% AMI 2020

1 person 2 person 3 person 4 person 5 person 6 person 7 person 8 person
$26,750 $30,600 $34,400 $38,200 $41,300 $44,350 $47,400 $50,450