Seven-week campaign, kicked off August 28, 2025 with Community Pint Nite at Remnant Brewing, aims to raise $15,000 to support community-owned housing solutions

Somerville Community Land Trust (SCLT), a community-led, independent nonprofit focused on permanently affordable housing, launched its “Pull Together, Build Forever” fundraising campaign at Remnant Brewing Company on August 28, 2025. This campaign aims to raise $15,000 to advance SCLT’s mission of creating permanently affordable social housing to alleviate the housing crisis and promote neighborhood stability.

SCLT is building what private developers won’t—housing that is permanently affordable through a model that is community-driven. SCLT promotes neighborhood stability by creating housing opportunities for all Somerville residents and developing innovative methods to increase homeownership and address the housing crisis. SCLT operates on principles of community ownership, governance, democratic decision making, non-extractive land management and permanent affordability.

Addressing Somerville’s Housing Crisis Through Community Action

Somerville is in a severe housing crisis due to real estate speculation and development that leaves our neighbors behind. The CLT model offers a proven solution, shielding homes from speculation under community ownership-establishing them as permanently affordable housing.

“Our fundraising goal of $15,000 will directly support our efforts to decommodify housing and create lasting affordability for Somerville residents” said Executive Director Ben Baldwin. “Every dollar raised helps us build community power and stability by ensuring that housing serves people, not profit.”

SCLT is the proud owner of 7 Summer St. and 12 Pleasant Ave., which house 20 people in 11 units. In 2025, we will double the number of properties under SCLT stewardship with the acquisition of 14-16 Sewall St.–opening new affordable homeownership opportunities in partnership with Habitat for Humanity–and 297 Medford St., which in partnership with Just-A-Start, will build up to 60 new apartments in a 100% affordable building.

While building housing is essential, just increasing supply ignores structural barriers that deny housing to our neighbors who need it most—from unfair and burdensome rental screenings to lending practices that discriminate against families of color and immigrants, to new luxury developments that price out existing communities. True housing justice requires dismantling these institutionalized inequities—which is why we prioritize community ownership and permanent affordability over market-driven solutions.

How You Can Participate

Throughout the seven-week campaign, community members can support SCLT’s mission by:

• Donate through the campaign’s online platform: https://givebutter.com/SCLifT
• Spreading awareness about SCLT’s work for neighborhood stability in Somerville
• Participating in the Gilman Sq. Arts and Music Festival on September 13.

“We’re asking people to invest in our vision for Somerville: where housing is a human right, not a commodity,” said Kelly Baker, Board President. “These funds will support us to purchase and build housing and make it permanently affordable – so people can stay rooted in their community for the long-term.”

For more information about the “Pull Together, Build Forever” campaign or to make a donation, visit https://givebutter.com/SCLifT. To learn more about SCLT’s work and the community land trust model, visit www.somervillecommunitylandtrust.org.