Grand Forks Community Land Trust

Don't forget to register for the NW Minnesota Workforce Housing Summit!

Join fellow NW Minnesota stakeholders in welcoming statewide partners to discuss workforce housing opportunities, resources, and challenges.

⌛️ Registration ends July 15th.

Register here: https://bit.ly/4eX21aO

Now Available through GFCLT!
521 4th Ave S
$185,000 + up to $60,000 in down payment/closing cost subsidy available to qualified buyers, depending on income (details below).

This 2 Bed, 1.5 Bath Twinhome was built in 2016 in Grand Forks’ Historic Near South Neighborhood. With beautiful finishes, spacious bedrooms and walk-in closets, and a large, fenced yard, 521 4th Ave S is the perfect home to start your homeownership journey through GFCLT! Maximize the potential of this home by finishing the basement, which has an egress window, rough-in for an additional bathroom, and laundry hook-ups.

How does GFCLT and our subsidy work?
All buyers must earn under 120% area median income ($87,675 for an individual, $125,175 for a Family of 4). Buyers earning under 80% area median income can qualify for additional subsidy of up to $60,000, with the specific amount determined based on household income. 80% AMI is $58,450 for an individual, $83,450 for a family of 4. Additional eligibility information can be found on our website: https://www.gfclt.org/prospective-buyers.html

Submit your pre-application today at GFCLT.org/apply! GFCLT is reviewing pre-applications now. Prospects earning under 80% area median income are encouraged to apply if you have pre-qualified for a mortgage of at least $130,000, though pre-qualification does not guarantee eligibility for a GFCLT home.

GFCLT makes our homes affordable through a shared-equity resale formula. GFCLT homeowners purchase the home’s structure and improvements to the property, while the CLT retains ownership of the land. CLT homeowners agree to share appreciation with the CLT when they sell in the future, allowing GFCLT to keep our homes affordable for future generations. GFCLT homeowners receive approximately 25% of their homes appreciation at resale, plus all of the mortgage principal they’ve paid down during ownership.

Additional information can be found in our website, www.gfclt.org, or by sending us a message with questions.

Working with a Realtor? GFCLT will pay 3% commission to Buyer’s representative at closing.

🏡 The Northwest Minnesota Foundation's North Star Neighbors Community Land Trust is coming to East Grand Forks!

The program aims to provide affordable homeownership opportunities for low to moderate-income households while addressing disparities in homeownership for underrepresented households.

This phase will include 4 new construction homes in East Grand Forks! Learn more: https://northstarneighbors.org/

521 4th Ave S: GFCLT is Reviewing Applications Now!
$185,000 + up to $60,000 in down payment/closing cost subsidy available to qualified buyers, depending on income (details below).

Now Available through GFCLT! This 2 Bed, 1.5 Bath Twinhome was built in 2016 in Grand Forks’ Historic Near South Neighborhood. With beautiful finishes, spacious bedrooms and walk-in closets, and a large, fenced yard, 521 4th Ave S is the perfect home to start your homeownership journey through GFCLT! Maximize the potential of this home by finishing the basement, which has an egress window, rough-in for an additional bathroom, and laundry hook-ups.

How does GFCLT and our subsidy work?
All buyers must earn under 120% area median income ($87,675 for an individual, $125,175 for a Family of 4). Buyers earning under 80% area median income can qualify for additional subsidy of up to $60,000, with the specific amount determined based on household income. 80% AMI is $58,450 for an individual, $83,450 for a family of 4. Additional eligibility information can be found on our website: https://www.gfclt.org/prospective-buyers.html

Submit your pre-application today at GFCLT.org/apply! GFCLT is reviewing pre-applications now. Prospects earning under 80% area median income are encouraged to apply if you have pre-qualified for a mortgage of at least $130,000, though pre-qualification does not guarantee eligibility for a GFCLT home.

GFCLT makes our homes affordable through a shared-equity resale formula. GFCLT homeowners purchase the home’s structure and improvements to the property, while the CLT retains ownership of the land. CLT homeowners agree to share appreciation with the CLT when they sell in the future, allowing GFCLT to keep our homes affordable for future generations. GFCLT homeowners receive approximately 25% of their homes appreciation at resale, plus all of the mortgage principal they’ve paid down during ownership. Additional information can be found in our website, or by sending us a message with questions.

Working with a Realtor? GFCLT will pay 3% commission to Buyer’s representative at closing.

NDHFA’s Roots program is a great option for seasoned homeowners, for those whose income exceeds the FirstHome limits, or those who are looking to refinance. With a statewide network of Participating Lenders, help is easy to find! https://bit.ly/3pK6EAt, ndhfa.org

We want to hear from you! Let us know your housing and community development needs. Fill out our online survey www.grandforksgov.com/survey.

We are seeking community input! We are preparing a consolidated strategic plan to identify housing and community development needs. Please take the resident survey www.grandforksgov.com/survey

Seeking Contractors!

Interested in helping us finish a basement? Complete our Contractor Interest Form at GFCLT.org (scroll toward bottom of page).

We are looking to finish a bedroom and bathroom as well as add flooring and update paint. We are seeking interest from all types of contractors who might be interested in this project, especially those who can fit it into their schedule in June.

Additional information will be sent to those on our waiting list by Monday.

Grand Forks Community Land Trust The Grand Forks Community Land Trust was formed in 2010 by community members committed to providing permanently affordable home ownership opportunities.

Dive into homeownership with confidence! Mortgage options from conventional to FHA, VA and more have eligibility requirements, terms, and benefits unique to each. Discover how loan programs like FirstHome, HomeAccess, or ND Roots may be able to increase your buying power. An expert can help you unlock the ideal loan type for your needs and goals. ndhfa.org

Congratulations to our friends at North Star Neighbors for breaking ground on their first home yesterday! GFCLT has been a proud partner in the creation of NSN, a subsidiary of the Northwest Minnesota Foundation.

If you’re interested in purchasing a CLT home in Northwest Minnesota, check out eligibility information and submit a pre-application on the NSN website: www.northstarneighbors.org.

BTW: GFCLT and our partner in Minot, Minot Area Community Land Trust have homeownership opportunities coming soon as well!

GFCLT’s application can be found at www.GFCLT.org/apply

MACLT’s application can be found at www.minotclt.org/apply

Hit share ⬇️ to let all your friends know!

PS: Each CLT has unique eligibility requirements. Our Executive Director, Emily, can answer your questions on any of the 3 CLT’s listed above 😊

Opportunities Coming Soon!

GFCLT expects to have multiple homeownership opportunities available in the near future.

Submit our Pre-Application to be one of the first to find out when homes are available at GFCLT.org/apply

For more information on Eligibility and how CLT homeownership works, check out our website, www.GFCLT.org.

Interested in CLT homeownership in Northwest Minnesota? GFCLT has proudly partnered with the Northwest Minnesota Foundation to create North Star Neighbors.

Check out their new website and page to learn all about NSN’s programming and our work with our neighbors across the river!

NEW WEBSITE! North Star Neighbors has launched its website! https://northstarneighbors.org/

We established North Star Neighbors, a community land trust, last year to expand affordable homeownership opportunities throughout Northwest Minnesota.

More news and details will be shared as North Star Neighbors grows, but you can explore frequently asked questions and learn the basics of what is a community land trust.

Exciting job opportunity! Join our friends at Northwest Minnesota Foundation as a key player in the CLT work of North Star Neighbors:

JOIN OUR TEAM! We’re hiring for a Housing Development Coordinator to coordinate the housing development activities of our subsidiary nonprofit North Star Neighbors, a community land trust. Learn more: https://nwmf.org/who-we-are/join-our-team/

Watch this space! Exciting Homeownership opportunities are coming this year.

For more information and to apply to our wait list check out: https://www.gfclt.org/apply.html

We are beyond excited to help bring CLT homes to NW Minnesota! Keep an eye out for program updates.

While we’re at it, we might just have some big updates coming about new opportunities in Grand Forks as well 👀

Hit Follow and stay tuned!

Thank you to our Rotarian Mark Thune for hosting Cory Bushee, Emily Contreras, and Jeff Fagerstrom who talked about the non-profit, North Star Neighbor, and their new Land Trust designed for affordable housing.
Thank you Cory, Emily, and Jeff for taking the time to present to us. It was a pleasure to learn more about this relatively new concept at today's meeting. We look forward to seeing the impact you are able to make on our community!

Here's the upcoming meeting schedule for those interested,
3/12/24 LHS scholarship essay winners hosted by Paul Burnett
3/19/24 Tuesday Vikre - Director of Lifecare Pregnancy Center hosted by Teri Averill
3/26/24 TBD hosted by Paul Adams. If you are a small business owner or non-profit and would like to present to our group, please let us know.
4/2/24 Digi-Key update by Shane Zutz

It’s a beautiful Minnesota day for a tour of Rondo Community Land Trust!

GFCLT is pleased to be partnering with the Northwest Minnesota Foundation on the creation of North Star Neighbors, a CLT serving northwest Minnesota.

NSN is currently seeking advisory committee members to plan the future of this organization. Check out their link for more information!

North Star Neighbors, a community land trust serving Northwest Minnesota, is seeking professionals and recent homebuyers who may be interested in joining an Advisory Committee to help shape the future of this organization. Learn more: https://www.nwmf.org/programs/housing/

Why choose a Community Land Trust home?

This story from Champlain Housing Trust shares the life-changing impact CLTs can make, even though they look a little different than traditional home ownership.

Wanda Hines became a shared equity homeowner in Burlington's Old North End in 1999. Nearly twenty five years later, Wanda looks back on the impact Champlain Housing Trust's shared equity program has had on her life. Read Wanda's story here: https://www.getahome.org/it-didnt-get-any-better-than-that/

GFCLT is committed to providing affordable housing opportunities to households throughout our region.

Over the last 6 months, we’ve met with communities throughout North Dakota and Minnesota considering the possibility of utilizing community land trust home ownership to provide much needed workforce housing opportunities for local families.

As we’ve explored expanding our impact, this has led to fruitful partnerships with the Northwest Minnesota Foundation, Northwest Regional Development Commission, and the Northwest Minnesota Multi-County Housing & Redevelopment Authority.

This week, our work takes us to Digi-Key in Thief River Falls, MN, where we’ve had the opportunity to meet directly with workers to discuss their housing needs, opportunities, and barriers. Did you know that many Digi-Key employees commute from EGF/GF because housing is in such short supply in TRF?

Connecting directly with stakeholders has been an essential part of GFCLT’s work from day one. It’s been a pleasure expanding these conversations to our neighbors across the river.

Interested in sharing your perspective on housing in NW MN? We’re connecting with households throughout the region, including the counties of: Kittson, Lake of the Woods
Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, and Roseau.

Reach out to us at GFCLT.org/218 to share your thoughts!

Temperatures will be warm this week, ushering out those cold, winter days. That means an accelerated snowmelt. Here are some tips to avoid flooding around your home. You can find more information regarding flood preparedness at: https://ndresponse.gov/public-awareness/flood-preparedness

Thank you to our neighbors across the river for letting us crash this wonderful training! It’s always a pleasure to connect with our CLT friends. We are fortunate to have some of the best in the world just a few hours away!

Check out this hot property! 😍

Awesome, recently constructed rental through GFCLT.

2 BR, 2 Bath, central air.
W/D hook ups in large unfinished basement.
$1100/month.

Additional details and interest form at https://www.gfclt.org/available.html

With the combination of heavy rain and snowmelt, the City's sanitary sewer is running at full capacity right now. The City is asking residents to make sure sump pump hoses are running outside and to cut back on water usage a little bit to take the pressure off the system.