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A recent report from NPR confirmed what we at Community Home Trust witness every day: the housing market has never been more out of reach for the people who need it most.

Home prices have soared to a national average of $435,300, with the median price in Chapel Hill surpassing $600,000. Yet sales are falling. Why? Because in today’s market, equity is everything. If you already own a home, you can leverage that equity to buy again, even at record prices. But if you’re a first-time buyer without that foundation, you’re effectively locked out.

This is the very crisis Community Home Trust, and others using the community land trust (CLT) model, was created to address.

Buying a home is more than a transaction. It’s a gateway to stability, health, and long-term opportunity. But today’s market has become a wealth-building engine for those who already have assets, while leaving others behind. The result? First-time buyers are forced into a choice between unsustainable rents or leaving the communities they call home. Community land trusts break that cycle.

Here’s how: in a CLT, a nonprofit like Community Home Trust owns the land and stewards it for the public good. Homebuyers purchase only the home, not the land beneath it, dramatically lowering the cost. In exchange, they agree to a cap on resale price, keeping the home affordable for the next buyer. Homeowners still build equity; but so does the community.

This isn’t just theory. Thanks to strong partnerships with the Town of Chapel Hill, the Town of Carrboro, Orange County, and others, Community Home Trust has helped hundreds of families become homeowners right here in our community. While the private market median home price in Chapel Hill and Carrboro is now $600,000, the median price of a Community Home Trust home is just $130,000.

Our homebuyers are teachers, parents, healthcare workers, and service providers, the people who sustain our towns, yet often can’t afford to live in them without support. And the best part? These homes remain affordable forever.

Compare this to what NPR reported: homes under $250,000 are vanishing. Even “starter homes” have become speculative investments. With interest rates hovering near 7%, first-time buyers need more than savings, they need a new system built around access and equity.

Community land trusts offer that system.

We don’t just help people buy homes; we help communities stay intact. At a time when displacement and inequality are on the rise, CLTs provide a powerful model of shared equity and permanent affordability.

But we can’t do it alone. Even with the continued support of our local partners, we need broader investment. If we want homeownership to be more than a privilege for the few, cities and states must invest in land trusts, preserve naturally affordable housing, and support nonprofits committed to attainable housing solutions. We need policies that prioritize community wealth over investor returns.

The housing market may be broken, but the solutions are here. Let’s work together to scale them. Community Home Trust is ready. 

Kimberly Sanchez, Executive Director

​P.S. Join us in celebration of the people and partners who make our work possible at the Foundation of Home Awards on October 30. Tickets are available now!