Chelan Valley Housing Trust

What Chelan Valley Housing Trust does

Chelan Valley Housing Trust (CVHT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community land trust (CLT) developer founded in 2019 and headquartered in Chelan, Washington, with a service area covering the Chelan and Manson school districts. The organization's mission is to create homeownership for local wage earners priced out of the Lake Chelan Valley market, where median home prices of $715,000 dwarf the ~$52,000 median income of roughly half the local population. CVHT operates the standard CLT architecture — permanent land ownership retained by the trust, with homes sold to income-qualified buyers earning up to 120% of Area Median Income via a 99-year ground lease. Resale restrictions keep homes attainable across generations, with the organization estimating one public or private investment serves approximately one family every seven years in perpetuity. The product portfolio to date comprises Emerson Village (five 1,179 sq. ft. townhomes at $200,000 each, completed 2021), Iowa Street Homes (two 3-bedroom/2-bath single-family homes, completed 2023), and Emerson Harbour (six townhomes, completed 2023), with Chelan River Heights (up to 53 homes on 9.15 acres) in active regulatory review.

CVHT's go-to-market is community-led: land and cash donations, foundation grants, government funding (City of Chelan, Chelan County, Washington State Department of Commerce), and direct outreach to eligible wage earners drive supply; applications are first-come, first-served, gated by residency/work, income, and asset tests plus first-time homebuyer training. Direct revenue comes from one-time home sales (~$200,000 per unit) and recurring monthly ground-lease fees. The marginal ability to deliver below-market pricing rests on the partnership stack — K&L Homes as builder, Forte Architects as designer, WaFd Bank and Wheatland Bank as construction and mortgage lenders, plus donors such as Charlie and Debbie Guildner (zero-interest land loan), Vin du Lac Winery (ABODE wine label donating ≥10% of proceeds), and the Community Foundation of NCW ($15,750 Nonprofit Reemergence Grant). Land donations and grants are reported to reduce development costs by approximately one-third relative to market-rate development.

Revenue diversification includes four membership tiers (free residential, $25/year community, $250/year business), annual black-tie fundraising events (Neighbors Blend Release), and a published annual report cadence. The organization is governed by a board of directors, currently led operationally by an Executive Administrator and President, with an Executive Director recruitment underway signaling a transition toward more formal executive leadership as project scale increases.

Name

Chelan Valley Housing Trust

Legal name

Chelan Valley Housing Trust

Website

https://chelanvalleyhousing.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Chelan Valley Housing Trust is a 501(c)(3) community land trust developing permanently affordable homeownership for local wage earners in Washington's Chelan and Manson communities via the ground-lease CLT model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Affordable Housing Development

NAICS

Lessors of Residential Buildings and Dwellings (53111), Residential Property Managers (531311)

SIC

Real Estate Dealers (For Their Own Account) (6532), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Residential Affordable Housing Development & Construction (IMAFABAI)

Keywords

• Community land trust housing
• Affordable homeownership development
• Attainable housing solutions
• Nonprofit housing developer
• Workforce housing programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Chelan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Home Sales Revenue: CVHT sells homes to income-qualified buyers at attainable prices (approximately $200,000 for Emerson Village townhomes). The organization uses one-time public and private investment to subsidize home costs, making purchases affordable for local wage earners who cannot afford market-rate housing in the Lake Chelan Valley.
2. Ground Lease Fees: Homeowners pay monthly ground lease fees to CVHT as part of the Community Land Trust model. These fees help sustain the organization and maintain the land trust for future generations of home buyers.
3. Donations and Grants: CVHT relies heavily on donations from individuals, businesses, and grants from foundations (Community Foundation of NCW, Washington State Department of Commerce) and government entities (City of Chelan, Chelan County, Washington State) to fund land acquisition and development costs.
4. Membership Dues: CVHT offers three types of memberships: Free residential membership for lease holders, $25/year for general community members, and $250/year per representative for business members. Membership provides voting rights, nomination privileges, and access to annual meetings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Chelan Valley Housing Trust develops attainable for-sale homes using the Community Land Trust (CLT) model, selling townhomes and single-family residences to income-qualified local wage earners at below-market prices (approximately $200,000 versus a $715,000 median). The organization retains ownership of the land in trust and sells the home improvements via ground leases, ensuring perpetual affordability. Revenue is generated through home sales, recurring ground lease fees, donations, grants, and membership dues.

Product overview

Chelan Valley Housing Trust operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit housing developer using the Community Land Trust (CLT) model to create perpetually affordable homeownership opportunities. The portfolio includes completed developments (Emerson Village with 5 townhomes, Iowa Street Homes with 2 single-family homes, and Emerson Harbour with 6 townhomes) and an upcoming development (Chelan River Heights with up to 53 homes planned). The CLT model separates land ownership from home ownership, with CVHT retaining land in trust and selling homes at below-market prices to income-qualified local wage earners, ensuring homes remain attainable for future generations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emerson Village CVHT's first neighborhood development consisting of five 1,179 sq ft two-story townhomes with two bedrooms and 1.5 baths, located at the corner of North Emerson Street and East Chelan Avenue in Chelan, Washington. Homes were sold at $200,000 to income-qualified buyers earning up to 100% of Area Median Income.
• Emerson Harbour Six attached townhomes on Iowa Street in South Chelan providing affordable homeownership opportunities designed for service workers, school teachers, healthcare providers, police officers, and firefighters. Built through partnership with Charlie and Debbie Guildner (zero-interest loan), WaFd Bank (construction loan), and K&L Homes.
• Iowa Street Homes Two 3-bedroom, 2-bath single-family homes on Iowa Street in South Chelan sold to families near downtown with affordable monthly payments and views of the town and lake.
• Chelan River Heights Planned development of up to 53 homes on 18 lots across 9.15 acres at 38 Anderson Road in Chelan, currently in process of a Planned Development District Application with the City of Chelan. Mixed-income single family homes targeted at local wage earners.
• Homeownership Program (Community Land Trust) The standing Community Land Trust (CLT) homeownership program that keeps land in trust while selling homes to income-qualified wage earners. Buyers must live or work in the Chelan and Manson areas, have adjusted gross income under 120% of Area Median Income, lack excessive assets, and complete first-time homebuyer training. The ground lease structure ensures perpetual affordability.

Quantifiable outcome

• $200,000 home price vs $715,000 median market price - approximately 72% discount
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and trust partner.

• K&L HomescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction partner building CVHT homes. Built Emerson Village (5 townhomes), Emerson Harbour (6 townhomes), and Iowa Street homes (2 homes). Known for high quality homes in Chelan. Mike Johnson at Nash and Associates provided beautiful home designs for some projects.
• Diane Leigh with ReMax Advantage ChelancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReal estate professional who helped secure property for Iowa Street homes development. Listed as Trust Partner ($25,000+).
• Forte Architects of WenatcheecoreTechnology or IntegrationArchitecture firm designed Emerson Village townhomes. Key design partner for CVHT projects.
• Lake Chelan Chamber of Commercetrust partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness community partner supporting CVHT mission. Listed as Trust Partner ($25,000+).
• ReMax Real Estate Chelantrust partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReal estate partner supporting CVHT through property transactions and donations. Listed as Trust Partner ($25,000+).

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Habitat for Humanity International: National nonprofit building affordable homes for income-qualified buyers via subsidized construction and volunteer labor. Overlaps with CVHT's mission and buyer segment but operates on a much larger, affiliate-based footprint rather than a CLT ground-lease model.
• NeighborWorks America: National network supporting community-based affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization nonprofits. Comparable as a peer ecosystem to CVHT in mission, scale, and reliance on local partnerships for affordable housing delivery.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National CDFI and community development intermediary financing affordable housing and neighborhood projects. Comparable as a peer funder/convener that channels public and private capital into affordable housing developments of the type CVHT delivers.
• Enterprise Community Partners: National nonprofit developer and funder of affordable housing using mixed-income and community land trust structures. Comparable as a peer in mission (affordable homeownership for low/middle-income households) and use of land stewardship models.

Direct peers

• Champlain Housing Trust: Burlington, Vermont-based Community Land Trust and the largest in the U.S., providing permanently affordable homeownership via the same ground-lease/resale-restriction model as CVHT. Directly comparable in operating model, customer base, and structural approach.

Others

• Grounded Solutions Network: National membership and capacity-building organization for community land trusts and shared-equity programs. Comparable because CVHT operates as a CLT member and benefits from Grounded Solutions' standards, training, and policy advocacy.

Regional players

• Washington State Housing Finance Commission: State-level housing finance agency serving Washington, providing affordable mortgage products and development funding. Comparable as a regional peer addressing the same affordability gap CVHT targets, with overlapping homebuyer-eligibility frameworks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/chelanvalleyhousing
• Instagraminstagram.com/chelanvalleyhousing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chelan-valley-housing-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chelan Valley Housing Trust