Community work
CLTB builds homes, but it also builds a strong community.
Residents, organisations we work with, members, administrators, our team, volunteers, candidates: they all make up the community. Our members are the foundation of our work and give it shape in one way or another. It's a diverse and rich group. We strive every day to make this group a community.
Residents shape our projects
One thing that distinguishes us from other actors in the housing sector is the way in which residents are involved in the design and management of buildings.
Archilabs
Each new project begins with a series of architectural workshops, where some of our members and other stakeholders reflect together on the site, the needs of future residents and the neighbourhood.
The recommendations from these workshops are included in our tender documents so that the architects can take them into account. Workshop participants are then involved in choosing the architectural project.
Support and training for future residents
Around two years before moving in, we set up a project group, the future residents' group.
This group meets regularly, with the support of Community Land Trust Brussels and partner organisations. Meetings are both training sessions (on the proper use of energy-efficient housing, co-ownership management, collective decision-making, etc.) and sessions to establish the rules for living together. In this way, residents acquire the skills they need to manage their apartment themselves.
From the very beginning, we also try to create as many links as possible between the residents and their neighbours. This can be done, for example, by making the buildings or sites we acquire available to the neighbourhood for temporary use, pending construction work.
A network of members
A large number of our members are people on low incomes with few opportunities. We want to give them the means to take initiatives themselves to improve their situation and that of other members. To support our members‘ initiatives, Community Land Trust Brussels has set up a Members’ Committee.
Community manages CLTB
Within the Governing Body, owners, candidate-owners, members, organisations, neighbours and government representatives determine the future of CLTB.
The heart of our work, of course, is our Annual General Assembly. Every year, more than a hundred members come together to discuss the work we've done and look ahead to the year ahead.
Become a supporting member
By becoming a member, you can make your voice heard. You'll be kept up to date with our latest news, and you'll be invited to General Assemblies.
Our impact
82% of residents say they have felt more fulfilled since moving into a CLTB home.
CLTB measures its impact in order to evaluate its actions and practices, and to highlight the added value of its projects, its community work and its involvement in disseminating the CLT model.
Community news
Community work focuses on training and activities that strengthen cohesion within and around our housing projects.