A Letter from the Executive Director

As someone who has worked in affordable housing for many years, I’ve heard the same heartfelt criticism over and over again: “You’re only helping one family, and then that house becomes a rental again. What about the next family?”

It’s a fair question—and one that weighed on me deeply. We would pour resources, time, and love into helping a family purchase a home, only to watch that opportunity disappear from the affordability pool when the home was later sold at market rate. It felt like we were constantly starting over, and the progress we made for one family didn’t translate into long-term change for the community.

That’s why I believe in the Community Land Trust model. It redefines what affordable housing means—not just in price, but in permanence. Through this model, we ensure that homes remain affordable for generations, not just for one moment in time. The land is held in trust, while the homebuyer owns the home and builds equity. When they move on, the home is resold to another income-qualified family at an affordable price, keeping the cycle going.

Instead of helping one family once, we help family after family—over decades. We don’t lose the affordability we create. We grow it.

This approach builds stronger neighborhoods, more stable lives, and a more hopeful future for the families of Jacksonville. At Jacksonville Community Land Trust, we aren’t just building houses—we’re building a legacy of opportunity that lasts.

Robin Pfalzgraf
Executive Director
Jacksonville Community Land Trust

Our Story

The Jacksonville Community Land Trust was born out of a clear and growing need: our city’s affordable housing inventory was shrinking rapidly, especially in areas facing gentrification. Longtime residents were being priced out of their neighborhoods, and the tools available to preserve affordability simply weren’t enough. Jacksonville needed a solution that wouldn’t just offer a temporary fix, but one that could provide lasting stability for families generation after generation.

We are the only nonprofit housing structure in our community designed to protect affordability permanently. By combining the Community Land Trust model with modest home sizes, more flexible lending options through partnerships with mission-aligned banks, and a community of builders, leaders, and advocates willing to invest in long-term affordability over short-term profit, we’re creating a sustainable pathway to homeownership in Jacksonville. This is housing that stays affordable—and keeps people rooted—no matter how much the market changes.