Community Land Trusts (CLT)

Step 1.Eligibility & Requirements

To receive a designation in the City of San Antonio, CLTs must meet the following criteria:

• Established to acquire and hold land to support affordable housing for low-to-moderate-income households.
• Have adopted articles of incorporation stating the organization's purpose to acquire and hold land for the benefit of developing and preserving long-term affordable housing in San Antonio.
• Have federal tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code.
• Own or intend to own land for a 99-year lease, per Texas Local Government Code.
• Ensure CLT assets transfer to a qualified nonprofit or government if dissolved, with no obligation for the City to accept assets.
• Operate independently of any for-profit control or influence.
• Provide community, programming and governance narratives.
• Ensure 1/3 of the board consists of low-moderate income CLT homeowners or renters.

Additional details are in the CLT Designation Policy(PDF, 283KB).

Pre-Application Questionnaire

Please complete the short pre-application questionnaire on pages 2 - 3 of the CLT Designation Application(PDF, 2MB) to understand if you are ready to apply for a designation.

If you answer no to any of the questions, email HousingPolicy@sanantonio.gov for more information before proceeding with your application.

Step 2.Required Documents

CLTs seeking a designation will also need to submit the following attachments in PDF format:

• Non-profit 501(c)(3) IRS tax exemption letter
• Map showing the CLT's geographic footprint
• Board roster and resumes
• Business Plan with Development pro-forma, budget and yearly unit projections
• Articles of incorporation, charter, bylaws or similar governing document
• Key employees, consultants, or housing development partners resumes that include name, title, years of affordable housing experience, area of expertise, date of hire, projects worked on, project type (rental/for sale), number of units produced/preserved
• Copy of ground lease that includes a resale formula outlining the amount of equity per year that can be built while ensuring long term affordability
• Market Value Assessment – can be completed using publicly available information

NOTE: Please do not include phone numbers, email addresses, or physical address on resumes.

Step 3.Optional Tax Exemption

CLTs can apply for a 50% City Tax exemption along with their designation. If a CLT chooses to apply, tax state code requirements apply. CLTs receiving the exemptions must provide an annual full financial audit conducted by a third-party auditor. Details about the audit requirements are in the CLT Designation Policy(PDF, 283KB).

Step 4.Apply

CLT Designation Application(PDF, 2MB)

You must also submit the following signed certifications:

• Affidavit of Authorized Representative to Obtain Information(PDF, 198KB)
• Certification of No Debts Owed to the City of San Antonio(PDF, 410KB)

Submit by Email

To apply for a CLT designation, please email a completed PDF application and any required attachments to HousingPolicy@sanantonio.gov.

Please use the subject line: CLT Designation Application - Name of your Organization

NOTE: To maintain designation as a CLT and any applicable tax exemption, a CLT must submit a yearly redesignation application to NHSD.

Step 1.Requirements

Following Texas Code, CLTs must apply for an annual redesignation. Redesignation will be handled administratively by the Neighborhood & Housing Services Department. Additional information about redesignation requirements can be found in the CLT Designation Policy(PDF, 283KB).

Step 2.Apply

The CLT Redesignation Application will be available soon.