YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
YOUR FUTURE
YOUR OWNERSHIP
Building a national movement for community ownership, one neighborhood at a time.
THE OVERALL WORK &
BUILDING BLOCKS
COLLECTIVE OWNERSHIP
Collective ownership only means something if it is structural. Two things help it succeed: community decision-making bodies and a deliberate composition so that no single interest dominates. The model needs a legal backbone, such as a perpetual purpose trust, that embeds the community's control in the structure itself.
COMMUNITY DECISION-MAKING BODIES
Built with community members for a deliberate composition, so that no single interest dominates, and there are diverse and new members at the table with equitable terms.
A LEGAL BACKBONE
A hybrid of a 501(C)3 and a perpetual purpose trust that embeds the community’s control in the structure itself.
What if the people who live and work in a neighborhood could collectively own its buildings, shape its future, and keep the benefits of investment in their community?
Kensington Corridor Trust (KCT) pioneered the Neighborhood Trust model in 2019. Today, we share practical tools and hands-on technical assistance with communities exploring their own path to lasting local control.
NEIGHBORHOOD OVER PROFIT
A Model Built for Community Ownership
The Neighborhood Trust model pairs a nonprofit organization with a Perpetual Purpose Trust to preserve community control and affordability beyond any single board, staff team, or funding cycle. Neighborhood residents and small business owners help govern the assets that shape their future.
From Once Corridor to Many
32
properties acquired
$25M+
mission-aligned capital raised
0%
commercial vacancy
~25%
below-market commercial rents
Impact figures reflect KCT’s supplied replication blueprint and are presented for internal approval before publication.
WHAT WE CAN BUILD TOGETHER
Technical Assistance for the Whole Journey
The Neighborhood Trust model pairs a nonprofit organization with a Perpetual Purpose Trust to preserve community control and affordability beyond any single board, staff team, or funding cycle. Neighborhood residents and small business owners help govern the assets that shape their future.
Legal Structures & Trust Formation
Explore the nonprofit, Perpetual Purpose Trust, and asset-owning structures with legal partners.
Real Estate Strategy & Acquisitions
Define target boundaries, assess market conditions, and develop a realistic acquisition pipeline
Financial Modeling & Pro Formas
Build acquisition, rehabilitation, and operating models suited to your neighborhood.
Governance Design & Implementation
Create meaningful community decision-making and accountability that can endure.
Fundraising & Capital Stacking
Develop funding strategies, co-fundraising opportunities, and mission-aligned relationships.
Community Engagement & Leadership
Build organizing capacity and the skills to steward assets independently.
Our goal is not to build a Neighborhood Trust for your community. It is to help your community build one for itself.
HOW WE WORK WITH YOU
The Replication Journey
Connect & Explore — Tell us about your community, your vision, and your questions.
Assess Readiness — Explore relationships, organizational capacity, local conditions, and funding pathways.
Build a Roadmap — Plan governance, staffing, funding, acquisitions, and sustainability.
Establish the Foundation — Develop the legal, financial, and organizational structures.
Grow & Steward — Pursue properties as resources allow and strengthen community leadership
VESI’S MODEL IN
OUR FIRST REPLICATION
TRENTON, NEW JERSEY
Vesi is our first neighborhood trust replication partnership, and proof of what's possible when communities take the lead on their own futures. Vesi is building a model where land, capital, and ownership work together for long-term community benefit in Trenton, NJ.
We are proud to serve as a technical assistance partner in this milestone effort, supporting
Vesi's legal team coordination, funder connections, and organizational development. This is neighborhood stewardship in action: purpose-driven, community-rooted, and built
to last.
Ready to Start the Conversation?
REPLICATION TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Let’s Build What Possible Together
Tell us about your organization and community. This dedicated inquiry form is intended for people interested in learning more about Neighborhood Trust replication and technical assistance.