Become a BNCLT Member!

Why is Boston Neighborhood Community Land Trust (BNCLT)  a Membership Organization?

The membership structure of BNCLT is designed to shore up organizational sustainability and the ability to provide stewardship to the organization and our shared community in perpetuity. Because members have legal standing to correct course if the organization goes astray, they serve as guardians for the community and make sure everyone benefits from our collective efforts’ generations from now. 

BNCLT Mission Statement

Boston Neighborhood Community Land Trust works to combat displacement and racial injustice by creating permanently affordable, community-controlled housing in the Boston area, with a specific geographic focus on Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan.

BNCLT builds neighborhood stability, housing equity, and community strength among low- and moderate-income residents most at risk of displacement; and through the collective strength of partners working toward a shared, equitable, and just future.

Right & Powers of Members

  • Participate in community decision-making and self-empowerment

  • Communicate community needs and wants to the organization

  • Add your voice to a standing or special project committee

  • Expanded network, leadership training and opportunities

  • Awareness of changing and relevant community trends

Responsibilities of Members

  • Agree to BNCLT mission and values

  • Keep the organization true to the mission

  • Choose your level of participation (general membership or voting member)

  • Pay dues (pay what you can; on a scale of $0 - $25.00)

  • Share skills and experiences

Why Your Membership Matters

  • Real people have real power.  

  • We know what we want where we live.  

  • We deserve a seat at the table.  

  • When turning our neighborhoods around, we are all in this together.  

  • When we show up in big numbers, people listen.

Membership Levels

  • Any person who meets the following requirements can be a “General Member” with BNCLT:

    • has paid any membership dues established for the current calendar year;

    • submitted a signed “Statement of Support” for the purposes of the organization;

    • does not wish to become a Voting Member or has not met all of the requirements of a Voting Member.

    General Members do not have voting rights but shall have the right to nominate Board Members. General Members are encouraged to contribute to discussions leading up to decisions made by Voting Members. If a General Member is elected onto the Board, they will automatically become a Voting Member.

  • Any person who meets the following requirements can be a “Voting Member” with BNCLT:

    • “Resident Members”: all persons who live in BNCLT housing;

    • "Board Members": all persons who are elected onto the BNCLT board of directors;

    • “Community Members”: all persons other than Resident Members, sixteen years of age or older, who have:

      • submitted a signed “Statement of Support” for the purposes of the organization;

      • paid any membership dues established for the current calendar year (current dues are based on a “pay what you can” model, on a scale between $0 - $25);

      • participated in at least three activities hosted by BNCLT during the immediate preceding 12 consecutive month period.

    Additionally, to ensure representation of BNCLT's core community, the majority of voting membership slots (51%) are reserved for residents who (as self-reported):

    • Reside within the exterior boundaries of the Dorchester, Roxbury, or Mattapan neighborhoods of the City of Boston, or were displaced from the City of Boston within the last 5 years; or

    • Are BIPOC or low-income (i.e. below 80% of Area Median Income).

Opportunities to Volunteer

  • Help get the word out

  • Help find more properties

  • Help set up events

  • Research and writing

  • Sharing personal experience

We hope you will join us as a member today!

“Without the ‘C’ [community] it’s just ‘LT’... landlord/tenant.”
— BNCLT Resident & Board Member

Benefits of Being a Member 

  • Members vote and/or run for the Board of Directors. 

  • Members take active volunteer roles. 

  • Members take active roles in our campaigns  

  • Members are part of an active community group with similar values.