Two Philadelphia organizations are ensuring that the property in their neighborhoods remains in the hands of the community, not developers. Along the way, they’re building community power.

In this episode, recorded during the Next City Vanguard Conference, we meet the leaders of two models for collective ownership that keep homes and storefronts affordable, while standing up to the speculative real estate market. 

Adriana Abizadeh, Executive Director of the Kensington Corridor Trust, explains how a perpetual purpose trust ensures long-term affordability and community control over commercial real estate in Kensington. Lorissa Luciani, executive director of the Women’s Community Revitalization Project, shares how their Community Justice Land Trust permanently keeps rent affordable for low-income women and families in North Philadelphia. 

Together, they’re showing how shared ownership can redefine wealth-building in neighborhoods long vulnerable to displacement and gentrification. 

“Many people can’t afford where they’re living right now,” says Luciani. “This problem is in every council district throughout Philadelphia.”

“If people collectively own land, they collectively build wealth, which allows them to collectively build power,” says Abizadeh. 

Listen to the episode below or subscribe to the Next City podcast on Apple, Spotify or Goodpods.

This post was originally published on Next City.