Board President’s Report to the 2024 Annual Meeting
ANNUAL REPORT JUNE 2024
NEW LONDON CHAPTER
The mission for year one of the strategic plan was clear: to build a strong, engaged community through a series of targeted activities and to lay the groundwork for sustainable homeownership via the SE CT Community Land Trust (CLT) model. Here’s a report of our efforts and achievements so far.
Building Community Through Meetings and Events In our first year with a Community Organizer, from February 2023 to March 2024, the NL Chapter organized a series of 18 public meetings, focus groups, and neighborhood outreach events. These gatherings ranged from strategic planning sessions, the annual meeting, neighborhood/community cleanups, door knocking and various outreach initiatives in both English and Spanish. These events not only fostered community engagement but also introduced new faces to our initiatives. We engaged between 60 and 90 individuals through these gatherings, with a significant number of new participants each time. However, we identified a gap in organizing more engaging activities like topical public meetings and panel discussions, which could have drawn a wider community. This is an area we recognize for improvement moving forward.
Expanding Our Reach Through Community Events To meet our goal of engaging 200 individuals, we also participated in various community events. From partnering with FRESH New London and Hearing Youth Voices to tabling at various events, candidate forums, block parties, and ribbon cuttings, and CLT sponsored events, our presence was felt throughout New London. In total, through these events and our organized meetings, we estimate having made 286 touches, with 183 of them being new interactions. This broader engagement suggests that while we may have reached our numerical target, we want to have deeper conversations and connections with them to build a stronger community.
Homeownership Initiative: A Work in Progress One of our critical goals was to identify and connect with 7-12 families interested in homeownership through the CLT model. Community Organizer Regina Mosley followed up from outreach touches with one-on-one meetings, spending time getting to know individuals and families, and gaining an understanding of their values and goals We connected with 7 individuals/families who showed interest. One family is currently pursuing homeownership with us, indicating that we are far from meeting this goal
FACILITIES FOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS IN NEW LONDON While holding land for this purpose is an important aspect of our mission, it was not in our three year strategic plan. But this year we were approached by community organizations to collaborate with them to make these projects possible.
The Place for CommUNITY Wellbeing In January, the SE CT CLT closed on the purchase of the property, which was formerly the American Legion Hall, at 74 Garfield Ave in New London. Ledge Light Health District signed a lease agreement
to rent the building from us as a second health department location. Together with other organizations on the Health Improvement Collaborative including FRESH New London and Alliance for Living, the partners envision “The Place” to be a central access point for services as well as events and classes that support overall health and wellbeing. The Place is already the new home of the Food to People Program, a collaborative initiative started by the Health Improvement Collaborative at the beginning of COVID to increase food access, which until January operated out of the New London Senior Center.
St. Francis House has made the decision that after 25 years in New London they are transitioning. In April their board voted to transfer ownership of its buildings at 30 and 32 Broad Street to the SE CT CLT. Over the next year we will be overseeing the renovation of the buildings. After that work is completed, we expect to turn over ownership of the property over to Hearing Youth Voices. HYV’s 12 years of advocacy work in education is focused on developing Black and Brown student leadership. Hearing Youth Voices will be developing a residential program for young adults. They plan to work in partnership with the SE CT CLT whose office is located in one of the two St. Francis House buildings and the urban farm/community gardening program participants of FRESH New London whose office and urban farm site is adjacent to St. Francis House.
ESTABLISHED NEW LONDON PROPERTIES
Our first house on Prest Street continues to be a stable affordable home for four people, a dog and a backyard garden! A duplex, it is the only owner-occupied house on the block.
The Ledyard Street garden is poppin’ right now, with 2 different styles of 3 sisters planting: Corn, potawatomi beans and squash plus Okra, Peanuts and Black Eye Peas among the food planted in the green house. Through the stewardship of FRESH New London and the community, the community garden has brought lots of activities- the Community Clean up and the Sweet Potato Harvest – making connections and food for our bellies and souls! This is all possible due to the collaboration between FRESH and the CLT, and the donation of the land by the Robert J Youngs Family Foundation. A celebration of their generosity is being planned for this summer, stay tuned!
FARMLAND PRESERVATION
This year we reached many of our goals for Farmland Preservation. In September, after working with David Bingham and the Salem Land Trust for several years, we purchased a 15.25 acre farm, which includes a house, barn and 5 additional outbuildings. In October we organized Barn to Bridge: Salem Farm Fall Visit to introduce the farm to our members, supporters and neighbors. Between that and the clean-up party in advance, we began to build relationships with neighbors and supporters. In the summer of 2024 we began to look for farmers. A collective of eight QTBIPOC artists and urban farmers, who were looking for a small farm, were interested. After several visits, meetings, and an orientation, they incorporated as Ceiba Arbor, Inc. Their mission is to honor and protect the land, preserve its integrity, and make it accessible to diverse communities through Food Sovereignty, Arts Education, Community events, and Caretaking of Native Ecosystems. With the support of Equity Trust, the SE CT CLT worked with the collective to write a Lease Agreement. We are now working together on the writing of the agricultural ground lease. Rehab is being done on the house, Ceiba Arbor is involved in some of that and they are spending time becoming familiar with the land and ecosystem. In October the first three collective members will move into the house. At that point we can discuss how workshops or a study group can support the mission. Ceiba Arbor will purchase the 7 buildings by September 2026, the SE CT CLT will hold the land in trust. The property is adjacent to 180 acres held by the Salem Land Trust. All parties are developing partnerships, identifying a network of resources. Maya Nuñez, a member of Ceiba Arbor, will serve on our board.
TRANSFERING ROSE CITY CLT PROPERTIES
The goal in Norwich is to transfer properties that once belonged to the now defunct Rose City Community Land Trust for Housing that are still in a ground lease to SE CT CLT. To reach that goal we need to create a committee of Norwich members, complete the research on what houses have a ground lease, and meet with those homeowners and organize a chapter.
Thanks to Grace Webb, a Connecticut College intern who is working with us for six weeks, we have recently made progress on researching what houses in Norwich still have a ground lease. Four potential properties have been identified. To organize a committee of Norwich members, a picnic bringing together those who were involved, homeowners we are in contact with, and others interested in building a Norwich chapter is being planned for July.
FUNDRAISING
The SE CT Fund for Land Equity created a powerpoint presentation to use in the process of raising funds and an outreach plan was developed. The goal is to pursue $500,000 in new loans for the revolving loan fund.
SE CT CLT Fundraising Plan
Our Treasurer Clayton Potter has worked with the board and staff on plans to raise funds.
The Finance Committee has set a goal this year for an additional $60,000 in new grants, in addition to raising funds for specific properties.
Board member Clare Evento helped us raise funds through a Friday Night Folk concert at All Souls, raising nearly $4,000 for the SE CT CLT!
ORGANIZATIONAL
- Partnerships & Partnering – This has been a year with many partners – old and new! FRESH New London, Salem Land Trust, Ledge Light Health District, Alliance for Living, The Place, St. Francis House, Hearing Youth Voices, Avalonia Land Conservancy,
Fiddleheads, Connecticut College. In addition to programmatic partnering, Fiddleheads and Fox Farm Brewery have donated food and beverages for events. We have worked with state and local agencies including Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut, Connecticut Land Conservation Council, the Center for Housing Equity and Opportunity in Eastern Connecticut, and joined the Connecticut Nonprofit Alliance.
- Provide Community Education – Mirna has done a number of presentations to groups including the Rotary, Housing Justice and the Environment/Connecticut College, Avalonia Land Conservancy, Friday Night Folk Concert, CLCC workshops.
- Develop Policies and Procedures – We have made progress in both researching and writing draft policies and procedures that will be taken up by the board this year.
- Contract Social Media/Tech Consultant – Jenn Farraher is now in this role.
SOUTHEASTERN CONNECTICUT COMMUNITY LAND TRUST
539 BEACH POND ROAD
VOLUNTOWN, CT 06384
sectclt.org info@sectclt.org 860-772-4012