T.R.U.S.T. South LA

What T.R.U.S.T. South LA does

T.R.U.S.T. South LA is a nonprofit Community Land Trust incorporated in California in 2005 (originally as Figueroa Corridor Community Land Trust) and headquartered at 4331 South Main Street, Los Angeles. Its core business is acquiring and permanently holding land in South Los Angeles, then leasing it back to low-income residents through long-dated ground leases (structurally 99-year instruments) to ensure housing remains affordable across resale cycles — a model designed to combat displacement driven by gentrification and rising real estate values in the Figueroa Corridor. As a democratically governed CLT, voting membership is restricted to low-income residents who live or work within service boundaries, and members elect the majority of the board of directors and approve real estate activities; the trust's portfolio includes the Rolland Curtis Gardens project (140 residential units plus 8,000 sq ft of community space, opened 2019 with Abode Communities).

The organization has expanded beyond pure land stewardship into environmental and mobility justice, operating the South-Central Power Up E-Bike Lending Library (up to 250 e-bikes loaned free to community members), and is a core partner in the $35 million Transformative Climate Communities-funded South LA Eco-Lab coalition alongside SLATE-Z, LA Metro, LADOT, and CicLAvia. Revenue is sourced from individual donations and monthly sustaining gifts, foundation grants (California Endowment, James Irvine, Gilbert Family, Kaiser Permanente, Satterberg, among others), government grants including the TCC program, membership dues ($15/year or volunteer equivalent), and rental income from CLT-held properties. Go-to-market is community-led: direct outreach, events (including an annual Art Gallery & Auction), social channels, and an emergency rental assistance program that distributed $6.4 million in COVID-era aid and over $50,000 via Measure ULA support, serving 1,000+ individuals and families. The headcount is small (estimated ~15-20 staff across executive, finance, development, climate, policy, community organizing, and stewardship functions).

Name

T.R.U.S.T. South LA

Legal name

T.R.U.S.T. South LA

Website

https://trustsouthla.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

T.R.U.S.T. South LA is a South Los Angeles nonprofit Community Land Trust that acquires and permanently holds land for affordable housing via long-term ground leases, while running community organizing, e-bike lending, and climate justice programs serving low-income residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual and corporate donations from supporters who believe in housing justice and community empowerment. The organization encourages one-time gifts, monthly sustaining donations, and employer-matched contributions.
2. Foundation and Government Grants: Funding from foundations including California Community Land Trust Network, The California Endowment, James Irvine Foundation, Gilbert Family Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, and government sources including Transformative Climate Communities grants.
3. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues of $15 per year or 3 hours of volunteer time. Minor membership available for $5 per year or 1 hour of volunteer time. Members receive voting rights, priority access to resources, and participation in governance.
4. Rental Income from CLT Properties: Revenue from permanently affordable housing units managed through the Community Land Trust model, where the organization retains land ownership while leasing to residents.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

T.R.U.S.T. South LA is a community land trust that acquires and permanently stewards land in South Los Angeles, leasing it back to low-income residents through long-term ground leases to ensure permanently affordable housing. It complements this with land stewardship, advocacy, environmental and mobility justice programs (including a free e-bike lending library of up to 250 bikes), tenant resource and emergency rental assistance programs, and member-driven governance and leadership development.

Product overview

T.R.U.S.T. South LA is a community land trust organization offering a unified suite of programs focused on affordable housing preservation, land stewardship, environmental justice, and community empowerment in South Los Angeles. The core offerings include Community Land Trust Services (permanently affordable housing through ground leases), Land Stewardship programs, Environmental & Mobility Justice initiatives (including the E-Bike Lending Library), Membership & Leadership Development, and Advocacy campaigns. Additional programs include the Art Gallery & Auction for fundraising and Tenant Resource Programs connecting residents to housing, food, utility, and mental health assistance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Land Trust Services Democratic and permanent stewardship of land and land leases for affordable housing, engaging in community planning, stabilizing property values, and building community capacity and control in South Los Angeles for low-income residents.
• South-Central Power Up E-Bike Lending Library A mobility initiative providing access to up to 250 e-bikes including commuter and adaptive models free of charge, with safety training to improve community mobility for South LA residents.
• Rolland Curtis Gardens (Permanently Affordable Housing) 140-unit permanently affordable housing development with 8,000 square feet of community space in Exposition Park, preserved through partnership with Abode Communities to prevent displacement near USC.
• Art Gallery & Auction (Annual Fundraising Event) Annual fundraising event featuring local art, ticket sales ($75/ticket), and tiered sponsorship packages ($250–$5,000) that support T.R.U.S.T. South LA's community organizing, climate justice, and housing advocacy programs.
• Tenant Resource Programs Resource navigation connecting South LA residents to food resources, rent relief programs, utility assistance, mental health resources, tenant workshops, and emergency housing assistance.

Quantifiable outcome

• $6.4 million in emergency rental assistance distributed to over 1,000 families
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SLATE-ZcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSLATE-Z (Sustainable Los Angeles Transition to Equitable Zero-carbon) focuses on economic revitalization and environmental sustainability in South LA. T.R.U.S.T. South LA partners with SLATE-Z on the South LA Eco-Lab program and Transformative Climate Communities initiatives.
• CicLAviacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCicLAvia partners with T.R.U.S.T. South LA on the South LA Eco-Lab coalition to promote sustainable transportation and mobility in South Los Angeles through the Transformative Climate Communities grant program.
• LA MetrocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLA Metro partnered with the South LA Eco-Lab coalition including T.R.U.S.T. South LA on the $35 million Transformative Climate Communities grant for sustainable mobility and climate resilience projects.
• Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLADOT partnered with T.R.U.S.T. South LA and other organizations on the $60 million South LA EcoLab program including the Slow Streets initiative bringing safer pedestrian-friendly streets to neighborhoods.
• Abode CommunitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAbode Communities worked with T.R.U.S.T. South LA on the Rolland Curtis Gardens affordable housing project, preserving 140 residential units near USC and preventing displacement of low-income residents.
• California Community Land Trust NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide network supporting CLTs in California. T.R.U.S.T. South LA's Executive Director Oscar Monge serves as Board President of this network, advancing the CLT movement statewide.
• Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalifornia state program administered by the Strategic Growth Council providing funding for community-led climate initiatives. The South LA Eco-Lab received $35 million TCC grant with T.R.U.S.T. South LA as a key partner.
• United to House LA (Measure ULA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerT.R.U.S.T. South LA played a key role in advancing the passage of Measure ULA, a mansion tax providing $600 million to $1 billion annually for affordable housing and homelessness prevention. The organization advocates for proper implementation of ULA funds.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Burlington Community Land Trust (dba Champlain Housing Trust): Already listed as Champlain Housing Trust; this is a near-duplicate regional peer.

Direct peers

• Abode Communities: Los Angeles-based nonprofit affordable housing developer that partnered with T.R.U.S.T. South LA on Rolland Curtis Gardens. Operates the same model of preserving and developing affordable housing in LA.
• Grounded Solutions Network: National membership organization that supports community land trusts and shared-equity homeownership programs. Directly comparable as the umbrella network for the CLT model that T.R.U.S.T. South LA operates within.
• East LA Community Corporation: LA-based community development corporation focused on building affordable housing, preventing displacement, and advancing community ownership in East LA — directly comparable mission and geographic market.
• SLATE-Z: South LA-based coalition partner focused on economic revitalization and environmental sustainability. Directly comparable as a partner organization working on the same South LA Eco-Lab / TCC initiatives.
• Little Tokyo Service Center CDC: LA-based community development corporation building affordable housing and providing services in Little Tokyo and surrounding neighborhoods. Comparable as a community-controlled affordable housing nonprofit.
• LA Mas: LA-based community land trust advocacy organization where Oscar Monge serves on the board. Comparable as a peer CLT advocacy organization working on housing and land stewardship in LA.

Emerging players

• Community Coalition: South LA-based grassroots organization addressing systemic inequities in low-income communities. Comparable in mission and geography; T.R.U.S.T.'s Director of Social Impact previously worked there.
• California Community Land Trust Network: Statewide CLT support network of which T.R.U.S.T. South LA's executive director is Board President. Comparable as a peer institution advancing the CLT movement in California.

Broad incumbents

• Champlain Housing Trust: One of the largest and oldest community land trusts in the U.S., based in Burlington, VT. Directly comparable as a CLT using the ground-lease model to preserve permanently affordable housing, with broader scale and a longer track record.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/trustsouthla
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/t.r.u.s.t-south-la/?viewAsMember=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/trust_south_la
• Xx.com/TRUSTSouthLA1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about T.R.U.S.T. South LA