Safeguarding Affordability Through Community Land Trusts
A Public Event Hosted by the League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area and Faith in Florida
St. Petersburg, FL — The League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area and Faith in Florida invite the community to attend a public discussion about community land trusts (CLTs), how they are financed and governed, and how they can help protect both present and generational affordability for community residents and small businesses. Join us on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
The event will be held in Room 127, USF St. Petersburg’s Lynn Pippenger Hall l, 378 7th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, 33701. Admission is free; please RSVP here.
Robin Davidov of the League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area (LWVSPA) will introduce guest speaker Dayna Lazarus, AICP, who serves as technical advisor for the Florida Housing Coalition. Lazarus will explain how CLTs serve as powerful tools to help communities create stable, inclusive neighborhoods; limit gentrification; and protect long-term public investment in affordable housing.
By permanently designating parcels of land as publicly owned, even amid rising property values, CLTs can help keep housing affordable for service workers, young families, and future generations. Because they facilitate the availability of affordable, stable commercial space, CLTs support small businesses and foster local economic development. As CLTs allow communities to control infrastructure decisions, they can also help prioritize resilience, sustainability, and energy efficiency as sites are developed.
Designation as a CLT can be applied to parcels of land of any size, from single-building to multi-acre. CLTs are rapidly expanding across Florida, with key initiatives in South Florida, Tampa, Orlando, and across the Keys.
Lazarus, a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), has dedicated her career to advancing social equity through housing affordability, transportation equity, and climate resiliency through innovative approaches that are highly regarded by national experts in the field. She holds a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from USF, where she also earned graduate certificates in sustainable transportation and community development.
Event parking is available via ParkMobile in Lot 19, directly beside Lynn Pippenger Hall. ParkMobile can also be used on Levels 2 – 4 of the 5th Ave Parking Garage.
For more information, please email office@lwvspa.org.
About the League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area
The League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area (LWVSPA) is a nonpartisan political organization, encouraging informed and active participation in government, working to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influencing public policy through education and advocacy. Learn more at lwvspa.org.
About Faith in Florida
The mission of Faith in Florida (FIF) is to build a powerful, multicultural, nonpartisan network of congregation community organizations in Florida that will address systemic racial and economic issues that cause poverty for our families. Learn more at faithinflorida.org.
