COMMON MAPS
Map version new-york activity top-down
Main site Contact
Menu
↑ parent activity group ·
research dossier

NORTHERN MANHATTAN COMMUNITY LAND TRUST
New York, NY · EIN 932129858 · Form 990EZ · FY2025 · NTEE S20 · Community Improvement · Micro (<$100K) · northernmanhattanclt.org
revenue
$15K
expenses
$15K
net assets
$5K
employees
—
mission · from form 990

Provide community control of land for community needs.

profile · synthesized from sources

Community land trust based in Northern Manhattan that works to acquire land for permanent community control, focusing on creating affordable housing and supporting small businesses. Organizes cultural and educational events to strengthen community ties and promote indigenous and Afro-Caribbean heritage. Founded in 2017 as a grassroots response to displacement pressures from rezoning and speculative development in Washington Heights and Inwood.

named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

CLT 101 Training
Community education program that teaches residents about community land trusts as a tool for affordable housing and neighborhood preservation
Day of the Dead Celebration
Annual cultural event honoring Afro-Caribbean and indigenous traditions, co-hosted with community partners to celebrate ancestors and build community solidarity
Indigenous Walking Tour of Inwood
Recurring educational tour led by Luis Sanakori Ramos that highlights Lenape history and sacred sites in Inwood Hill Park, fostering community connection to indigenous land stewardship
activities · 4 groups

What they do

  • Land Bank Property Revitalization 1 activity
    • Acquiring and stewarding land for permanently affordable housing and community use
      Acquires and holds land to ensure long-term community control, with the goal of creating permanently affordable housing and supporting small businesses. This includes ongoing efforts to secure land and plan for future development.
  • Urban Park and Public Space Conservation 1 activity
    • Advocating against harmful rezoning through legal and community action
      Engaged in advocacy and supported legal challenges to New York City’s Inwood rezoning plan, contributing to a temporary victory at the Supreme Court level to protect community interests.
  • Community Festival & Event Production 1 activity
    • Hosting educational and cultural community events
      Organizes recurring public events such as Indigenous Walking Tours of Inwood Hill Park led by community knowledge keepers, Day of the Dead celebrations, and other cultural gatherings that include music, food, and educational components. Events are designed to be accessible, with interpretation, childcare, and community participation supported.
  • Community-Based Educational Programming 1 activity
    • Providing CLT education and training to community groups
      Offers on-request educational sessions known as CLT 101 to organizations and groups interested in learning about community land trusts, promoting broader understanding and capacity for community land control.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$15K
Contributions & grants$14K97%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$15K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
balance sheet
Total assets$5K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$5K
2 years on record · 2024–2025 · YoY revenue +3004.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025

Who runs it

board members · 2
  • Chris Nickell — director
  • Paul Epstein — director
relationships · 8

Who they work with

  • Finca Seremos Partner — Co-hosted a Día de los Muertos community celebration with Northern Manhattan Community Land Trust.
  • Gaga Pa’l Pueblo Partner — Local palo band hosted by NMCLT for a community event.
  • Grounded Solutions Network Network — Northern Manhattan CLT is supported by and connected through Grounded Solutions Network, a national support provider for community land trusts.
  • Luis Sanakori Ramos Partner — Community educator and guide for the Indigenous Walking Tour of Inwood Hill Park.
  • Luis Sanakori Ramos Partner — Partnered with Luis Sanakori Ramos to lead the Indigenous Walking Tour of Inwood.
  • New York City Government — Opposed predatory rezoning policies enacted by the city in Inwood.
  • Unión de Inquilinos del Alto Manhattan Partner — Co-presents events and collaborates on tenant organizing and community land trust initiatives.
  • Word Up Partner — Co-hosted an event celebrating Caribbean Day of the Dead traditions.
strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Community Control of Land as Permanent Affordability Mechanism
    methodology: community_land_trust
    By placing land into community land trusts, we create permanently affordable housing and resist speculative market forces, because removing land from private ownership enables long-term community stewardship and economic resilience.
  • Community-Driven Organizing to Build Tenant Power
    methodology: community-driven_organizing
    By developing tenant leadership in buildings pursuing CLT ownership, we expand community control and stability, because grassroots participation strengthens collective agency and ensures democratic governance of land and housing.
  • Land-Based Education Centered on Indigenous Knowledge
    methodology: land-based_education
    By offering Indigenous-led walking tours and land-based education, we renew community relationships with the land, because centering Lenape history and Indigenous stewardship challenges colonial land paradigms and fosters cultural reconnection.