From Vision to Governance: Designing Durable Community Ownership

Communities want ownership, but many lack a roadmap for designing governance that is both community-led and durable. This session spotlights three emerging community ownership models: Neighborhood Trusts, CSTs, and community-owned commercial real estate. Focusing on the “how”, we’ll explore how the models were founded, matched local realities, and designed to sustain long-term community purpose. Offering a transparent view of the process, speakers will share wins and challenges they’ve encountered.

Attendees will work through a guided set of questions (such as “what assets are in my community” and “how do we build community trust and relationships?”) which will help identify which governance model(s) could best suit their local context.