Our Story

The Junction Village

The Junction Village Community Land Trust was incubated inside of an existing citizen-led intentional community near downtown Guelph, the Junction Village Guelph (JVG). Co-founded by Mary-Kate and Mike Craig, the JVG is a multigenerational urban community that offers a number of diverse living spaces (including co-living spaces and tiny homes) that address many needs. For over 15 years, the JVG has been an open and welcoming space for convening and community-building, where people come together to support and learn from one another.

While the JVG community is linked to approximately 50 households across the city, the core operates on three properties at 45, 46, and 47 Meadowview Ave. The land includes a 200ft. backyard spanning across two of the properties, which is akin to a public commons used for convening, community-building, and sharing food, stories, and laughter.

The original JVG provided a generative foundation for the development of the JVCLT, which incorporated as an official non-profit in the fall of 2023. After years of research and planning, the decision to implimant the community land trust model was made based on a desire to hold the properties in collective ownership.
The community land trust seeks to expand the spirit of intentional living while simultaneously addressing the housing crisis in Guelph and surrounding areas.

Due to a variety of interrelated issues, Guelph and surrounding areas are currently facing numerous challenges related to affordable housing and community cohesion. Because of this, transforming how we live in community is more vital than ever. The JVCLT therefore seeks to catalyze a shift in how we understand housing; we recognize housing not as a wealth investment, but rather as a space for community flourishing and a fundamental right for all.

At the JVCLT, we recognize that creating affordable housing is about more than just giving people a place to live–it is also a necessary part of fostering individual and communal health and wellbeing. The JVCLT is in essence much more than just a housing provider, seeking to build deep relationships with and among community members that are grounded in care, reciprocity, and trust.

Why a CLT?

A community land trust (CLT) is a non-profit organization that acquires and stewards land for the long-term benefit of the community. When a property is acquired by the CLT, that land can never be sold for profit, effectively taking it out of the speculative real-estate market so it can remain permanently affordable. A CLT can acquire and steward a range of property types, including commercial, community, and green spaces in addition to residential properties.

The CLT is democratically governed by its membership and elected board, with residents and community members participating in collective decision-making. This approach to community decision-making builds permanent community wealth and assets, is mission driven (versus profit driven), builds community resilience, and empowers citizens through participatory democracy. The JVCLT provides a model for community-driven development that seeks to transform how we currently live in urban spaces.

The ultimate goal of a CLT is to acquire enough land within a given area so that market and rental prices eventually need to drop in response, making housing more accessible to more residents.

The establishment of a CLT in Guelph will help to resolve pressing issues the city and county have been dealing with in terms of the need for more affordable housing, and the related need for a greater variety of housing types (i.e., the need for smaller units, as well as non-market rental housing and deeply affordable housing). The JVCLT is working with the municipality's affordable housing team in order to help them reach their goal of implementing a "gentle density" model. This approach to city planning allows for higher population density in urban areas that enhances livability, sustainability, and resilience while respecting the existing character and identity of the neighbourhood.

By maximizing spaces, building accessory dwelling units and tiny homes, cultivating socioeconomic diversity, and preserving green spaces to ensure residents have access to nature (for example, in community gardens), the JVCLT aims to broaden the possibilities for urban living in Guelph and better meet the diverse needs of residents.

It is our hope that by building strong community bonds rooted in care and reciprocity, the JVCLT will be able to initiate a collective healing for both individuals and the land they inhabit. We envision the CLT as a central pillar of a neighbourhood where people truly support and care for one another and the spaces in which they live, contributing to mutual growth and flourishing. The evidence that this kind of space is possible within the city of Guelph can already be seen in the thriving original Junction Village community, where people have been coming together for years to share and collaborate with one another. The JVCLT seeks to carry on this ethos of responsibility and reciprocity, while ensuring that the land is held in perpetuity for generations to come.

For more information on CLTs and frequently asked questions, visit the Canadian Network of Community Land Trusts.