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ABOUT US

Our Story

Started in 2000 to address a growing need for the community, Highland Park Community Land Trust is a unique Volunteer Program that offers a rewarding and engaging experience for participants. We understand and accept our responsibilities, which is why we offer inclusive programs that are accessible to individuals from every background, and continually strive to advance our mission.

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Check out some of the HPCLT accomplishments below!

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“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?”

Vincent van Gogh

Look at what
We've accomplished

In just the short while since we started in 2017, HPLCT has ..

  • attracted over 100 members;
     

  • achieved 501 c (3) tax exempt non profit status from the IRS;
     

  • participated in the Greater Boston Community Land Trust Network (GBCLTN) resulting in growth in many ways, including receipt of $28,000 in grant funds;
     

  • partnered with a non-profit housing developer, New Urban Collaborative, to plan the restoration and improvement of a pedestrian way from Beech Glen to Marcella with a $150,000 CPA grant. Upon completion, this improved walkway with public art and landscaping will be transferred to the HPCLT with provisions for outside funding to pay for upkeep;
     

  • held meetings on housing and open space as well as reported monthly to the community at Highland Park Neighborhood Coalition (HPNC) meetings and the Highland Park Project Review Committee (HPPRC);
     

  • prepared to participate in City of Boston Request for Proposals (RFPs) to become stewards of open/green spaces as well as development partners to build new affordable homes;
     

  • pledged to work collaboratively with local non-profits and groups of neighbors for both open/green space stewardship and new affordable homes;
     

  • initiated negotiations with The Trustees of Reservations (TTOR) to restore local control of a large open/green space, the Cedar-Juniper Natural Area, a parcel now padlocked by TTOR but that was once a community garden and wild space under neighborhood control;
     

  • met with senior staff at the City’s Department of Neighborhood Development(DND) to chart a course for HPCLT to participate in upcoming RFPs for housing and open/green space. DND has established a policy of requiring all housingdevelopers responding to RFPs to partner with a local community land trust to deepen long term affordability;
     

  • cosponsored community cookouts and pot-lucks with the Hawthorne Youth and Community Center (HYCC) and the Highland Park Neighborhood Coalition(HPNC) to strengthen community cohesion;
     

  • planted hundreds of daffodil bulbs in various locations in Highland Park as part of the Parks Department “Boston Blooms” in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
     

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