As we work to shield and protect communities across the country from powerful political and financial headwinds, we also need to find ways to sustain and continue to build on the shifts in community self-determination and community investment that we have collectively fostered over the last several years. One place we are finding significant hope and potential for growth is in shared ownership strategies.
Last year, CCI Senior Fellow Gretchen Beesing embarked on a survey of the national landscape for shared ownership. She reviewed 175 articles, guides, case studies and documents; interviewed 57 practitioners, funders, and other stakeholders; and identified projects, outcomes, challenges, new developments in the field, and possible pathways forward. You can follow her footsteps in Exploring Community Land Ownership: Executive Summary, and Exploring Community Land Ownership: An Annotated Bibliography.
We’re excited to share the next phase of this ambitious work: a new map that lets you explore the many exciting Community Owned Real Estate (CREO) projects happening in urban, suburban, and rural places across the country.
The Community Real Estate Ownership (CREO) Ecosystem map, created in partnership with Viabosque, highlights developers across the country who are advancing community-owned real estate projects—models that keep land and real estate in community hands to build long-term wealth, stability, and local control. By visualizing where and how these projects are emerging, this map serves as both a resource and a tool for action. It helps funders, policymakers, and practitioners identify gaps, foster connections, and mobilize resources to scale these efforts. As the movement for community-controlled real estate development grows, understanding the landscape of CREO projects is critical to overcoming systemic barriers in traditional development and ensuring that investment strengthens communities rather than displacing them.
Explore the map and the rest of our shared ownership resources here.
