Downtown Eastside Community Land Trust

The Downtown Eastside Community Land Trust (DTES CLT) is a community-governed, non-profit organization that acquires and stewards land and housing to ensure it remains permanently affordable, community-led, and protected from speculation. By transferring privately owned properties in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside into community ownership, we remove housing from the speculative market so that profits are reinvested into the buildings and benefits stay within the community.

Grounded in the belief that those most impacted by housing instability and displacement should have a lasting say in what happens to their neighbourhood, our approach prioritizes holistic housing centered on tenant needs, permanently affordable rents, and long-term community stewardship. Our model integrates tenant-based initiatives through our partners at the DTES SRO Collaborative to ensure safety, stability, and tenant leadership. Guided by our Elders, Tenants Advisory Committee, and majority-Indigenous Board, we work toward decolonizing the housing system and creating a future where housing serves people, not profit.

For more details about our project, please see the CMHC website.