Our History

We acknowledge that KulshanCLT homes are on the occupied ancestral lands of the Coast Salish people, whose ancient heritage includes stewarding the land and waterways.

Since our inception in 1999, KulshanCLT has employed the community land trust (CLT) strategy with permanent affordability investments to partner with low- to moderate-income (LMI) households—those at or below 80% Area Median Income (AMI)—to become first-time homeowners in Whatcom County, Washington. The gap between wages and home prices continues to widen, keeping homeownership out of reach for many LMI community members. Purchasing a home is more than just qualifying for a mortgage, it is a huge financial commitment. The 99-year, renewable CLT ground lease provides homeowners with the opportunity to build home equity while retaining the one-time community investment to protect the long-term affordability of the home for future LMI homebuyers.

Our three core programs—Homebuyer Education, Home Ownership Opportunities and Homeowner Services—provide financial education, pre-purchase counseling, and expertise to anyone interested, including modest income households, to ensure success and acquire skills necessary to protect the home investment.

These programs serve to break the cycle of poverty, enhance the economic self-sufficiency and personal assets of prospective LMI home buyers.

With buyers qualified by KulshanCLT, we assist by connecting buyers with reputable lenders who understand the CLT model and obtain down payment assistance from various resources to provide 10 – 30% down payment.

Today, with 142 homes in the trust, KulshanCLT has partnered with more than 230 homebuyers (including more than 80 resales) to achieve the dream of homeownership, and provided education and training to hundreds more to acquire the skills necessary to become homeowners.

We are passionate about this work and continue to grow a community everyone can afford, even while housing prices and interest rates rise.