Harvard JCHS’s Latest Housing Report Reinforces Why Community Land Trusts Matter
The newly released State of the Nation’s Housing 2026 from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies paints a clear picture: homeownership is becoming increasingly difficult for working families across the country, and the Orange County community is no exception.
One of the report’s interactive maps highlights how dramatically the median home price-to-income ratio has increased in the Durham–Chapel Hill metro area since 2020. While our area continues to attract new residents and jobs, home prices have risen much faster than household incomes, putting homeownership out of reach for many first-time buyers.
At the national level, JCHS’s researchers found that affordability challenges remain widespread. Existing home sales are near 30-year lows, mortgage payments remain historically expensive, and the supply of homes affordable to low- and moderate-income households continues to shrink. These trends make it harder for families to put down roots, build wealth, and remain in the communities they love.
At Community Home Trust, we see these challenges every day. Teachers, healthcare workers, nonprofit employees, first responders, and other essential workers often discover that even with steady incomes, purchasing a home in our community is becoming increasingly difficult.
That’s why attainable homeownership is at the heart of our mission.
As a community land trust (CLT), Community Home Trust helps make homeownership possible by keeping homes permanently affordable. Our shared equity model lowers the cost of buying a home while allowing homeowners to build equity and create financial stability. Just as importantly, when a home is sold, it remains affordable for the next qualified buyer, preserving an important community asset.
The JCHS report reminds us that solving the housing affordability crisis will require a variety of approaches. CLTs are one proven solution, creating opportunities for families today while ensuring those opportunities remain available tomorrow.
Everyone deserves the chance to own a home in the community where they live and work. As housing costs continue to rise in our area, preserving and expanding attainable homeownership isn’t just important, it’s essential.
