Rooted in Community. Powered by Ownership. Building the Future We Own.
The 2026 Community Real Estate Summit is a gathering for community developers, movement leaders, land stewards, cooperative practitioners, cultural workers, funders, and other changemakers who are reimagining how communities develop, own, finance, and sustain real estate.
This year's Summit moves beyond simply imagining new possibilities. Together, we will explore how to build stronger communities, cultivate powerful partnerships, and mobilize values-aligned capital to turn community-centered visions into lasting assets.
Through conversations, case studies, and practical strategies, participants will gain tools to navigate the real-world challenges of community real estate—from ownership structures and collaborative governance to capital readiness, financing, sustainability, and long-term stewardship.
The question is no longer whether communities can create alternatives. The question is how we build the capacity, relationships, and capital to make them last.
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BUILD: Stronger Communities
Deepen the foundation for community-rooted development.
Community-centered real estate begins with more than a project plan—it begins with people, place, purpose, and ownership.
We will explore how communities can create development models that strengthen identity, preserve cultural connection, expand ownership, and create lasting economic opportunity.
2
CONNECT: Across Movements & Sectors
Build partnerships that move community projects forward.
No community real estate project succeeds alone. The most transformative projects emerge when developers, residents, organizers, designers, government, funders, lenders, and community institutions work together around a shared vision.
3
INVEST: In Our Shared Future
Mobilize capital for community ownership and long-term impact.
Great ideas need the right resources to become real.
We will share financial strategies, capital pathways, and investment structures needed to advance community-owned real estate while protecting long-term affordability, stewardship, and community benefit.
To give you a sneak peek of what’s in store
DEEPEN OUR ROOTS
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Community ownership & shared-equity models
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Community wealth-building strategies
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Culture, identity & place-based development
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Collective governance & decision-making
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Sustainable & regenerative design
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Long-term community stewardship
BUILD POWERFUL PARTNERSHIPS
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Cross-sector collaboration
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Community-centered partnership models
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Collaborative leadership
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Trust-building and transparency
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Aligning values, vision, and decision-making
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Building stronger development ecosystems
RESOURCE OUR FUTURE
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Prepare your project for investment
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Understand complex capital stacks
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Explore cooperative and non-extractive financing
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Identify aligned funding pathways
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Build strategic relationships with funders and lenders
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Create financially sustainable community-owned projects
Presented by Simply Sustained
Simply Sustained
Simply Sustained empowers community-centered developers with strategic advisory services in sustainable real estate, land stewardship, and shared-equity development. Our mission is to help communities build projects that reflect cultural values, environmental care, and long-term economic well-being. Through summits, workshops, technical assistance, and movement partnerships, we create pathways for communities to develop real estate with clarity, confidence, and sovereignty.
