Avanzando San Ysidro Community Land Trust Case Study

Casa Familiar partnered with the Policy & Innovation Center to create a case study for the Avanzando San Ysidro Community Land Trust, a bold 103-unit, mixed-use affordable housing development that will bring together residential homes, commercial spaces, and climate-resilient design to strengthen connectivity and expand access to essential community resources. The case study was informed by interviews with stakeholders and review of the materials developed as part of the Avanzando CLT process — including the relevant historical and political background, key partnerships, and pivotal community engagement efforts — to tell the story of how Avanzando moved from an idea to implementation in just a few years.

Honoring the creative use of Lotería as a form of community engagement in the process, the story of the Avanzando CLT is shared through a series of ingredients or “tablas” that represent some of the many goals, people, places, process, and physical design elements that have played a role in shaping the Avanzando CLT. We were honored to play a part in Casa Familiar’s groundbreaking ceremony for Avanzando in October 2025 and look forward to sharing the story of Avanzando with future generations and other communities interested in exploring innovative models to create affordable housing opportunities and serve their community.