+ What is a community land trust?

A Community Land Trust (CLT) is an independent nonprofit organization created to oversee affordable housing and preserve it, in perpetuity, for future generations.

+ What makes a land trust different than a housing developer?

Under the CLT model, the CLT owns the underlying land and sells the houses to individual homeowners at affordable prices. A CLT also leases land to affordable rental housing developers and restricts the rents they charge through a ground lease. For ownership housing, the CLT enters into a 99-year, renewable ground lease with each homeowner which gives the homeowner exclusive use of the land and nearly all of the benefits of traditional homeownership. A CLT is also different from other housing developers in that we maintain a relationship with our buyers and renters.

+ Where does ICLT get the funds to develop affordable housing in Irvine?

The Irvine Community Land Trust (ICLT) gets funding to develop affordable housing from public and private sources. As a nonprofit, we can get federal, state and local grants and we can get loans from private lenders, such as a bank, credit union, or private individuals.

+ How do I qualify for residency in an ICLT community?

All ICLT home owners and renters must meet income qualifying standards based on state law. The state limits the amount of annual income a household can have based on the number of people in the household and income limits are adjusted every year. To see current income limits for Orange County click here: https://www.hcd.ca.gov/grants-funding/income-limits/state-and-federal-income-limits.shtml You must also be of legal age to sign a rental or purchase contract and there is a minimum income to qualify for a rental unit, which is usually 2.5 times the rent. For home ownership units, you must be able to get your own fixed rate mortgage since the ICLT is not able to make mortgage loans. Please note that variable mortgages are not permitted.

+ Does the ICLT at all prioritize who gets into a community?

The ICLT must meet state and local fair housing standards and we are required by the City of Irvine to hold a lottery for any new construction rental project. The ICLT does set aside some units in each rental project when we are able to get grants for special needs populations, such as developmentally disabled or veterans. Generally, we set aside no more that 10 percent of the units in apartments for these special needs populations.

+ Do any ICLT communities have an opening right now?

ICLT communities have no vacancies at this time and we have closed our waiting lists at each complex since we have thousands of people waiting for a rental unit. We will open each complex waiting list we can get the list down to less than 500 households.

+ How can I stay updated on ICLT news and availabilities?

To stay updated on ICLT news, including new projects and opening of waiting lists please sign up on our interest list at: https://www.irvineclt.org/interest-list

+ How many projects has ICLT done so far?

We have developed and funded four rental communities that include a scattered site condominium rental community, the Doria Apartments, Alegre Apartments, and Parc Derian Apartments. All projects are located in the City of Irvine and you can see information on each project at: https://www.irvineclt.org/properties

+ What is the next project ICLT will develop?

The ICLT will develop, in 2021, a for-sale project in the City of Irvine located in the Portola Springs Village, which is in the southeast part of the City. The project will include 68 units of two-, three- and four-bedroom townhomes. The community will have a club house, pool, tot lot and is also located in the Irvine Unified School District area. Home prices, and floor plans, will be posted on the website next year as we get close to completing the first homes.

+ Do the affordable housing units look different from the market-rate units?

All of ICLT’s projects are designed to part of the community. Our developments are of the same look, design and quality of any development in Irvine and we do this out of respect for the community. As such, you would be hard pressed to tell our projects apart from any market rate project in the City.

+ How did ICLT get started, and why was it formed?

The ICLT came out of a community effort to address the loss of a significant number of affordable apartments in the early 2000’s. The community was looking for a way to never lose future affordable housing and to create some affordable home ownership opportunities. The City Council created a task force to come up with recommendations on how to maintain and develop new affordable housing in perpetuity. The task force discovered the community land trust model, saw that it was successful in other states and recommended the City Council create and help cover start up costs. The City Council approved the recommendation in 2006 and the Irvine Community Land Trust was incorporated as a 501c3 nonprofit organization.

+ If I live in an ICLT affordable housing unit, and my income increases, what happens?

If you live in an ICLT apartment and your income increases you may continue to live in the unit. However, your rent may increase to a market rate amount if your income goes over 140 percent of the annual maximum income limit set by the state of California.

+ What sizes are the units?

The ICLT develops one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units. We design each project and the units in the project based on the property size and the number of homes that can be built. Sizes vary based on the number of bedrooms in the unit and the location of the apartment complex or the home ownership project.

+ Are there units for single people, or only for families?

Yes, there are one-bedroom rental units available for single individuals. We do not develop any one-bedroom for-sale units.

+ Why are new tenants determined by a lottery?

The City of Irvine requires that our apartment developments hold a lottery because of the high demand for affordable rental units. Our last apartment project had over 6,800 people interested in one of the 80 units we were building. The City views a lottery as the fairest process given the high demand for affordable housing in Irvine.

+ What services are provided within ICLT’s communities?

Each apartment development has services tailored to the needs of the residents. Services are provided after residents are interviewed to see what is of most benefit, such as job counseling, job interviewing skills, after school programs, computer literacy, home budgeting, etc.

+ Are there units set aside for veterans? How do I apply?

Apartment complexes, starting with the Parc Derian project, have units set aside for veterans and veteran families. To apply for those units please contact the leasing office for each apartment complex. The Parc Derian leasing office telephone number is: (714) 288-7600, ext. 127. The Salerno temporary leasing office will open in late October and the leasing office information will be posted on the ICLT website at: https://www.irvineclt.org/salerno

+ Are there units set aside for people living with developmental disabilities? How do I apply?

The ICLT does set aside apartments for people living with a developmental disability. To apply for an apartment please work with your Regional Center Service provider and ask them to help you apply for an apartment in one of our communities.