Strengthening Diversity and Inclusivity in the Hamilton Community Land Trust: Recommendations from Interviews and the Literature

Abstract

The Hamilton Community Land Trust (HCLT) is a non-profit organization that is focused on securing land for providing low-income families and groups with housing in Hamilton. The HCLT approached the Office of Community Engagement at McMaster University with an interest in learning how their organization can be more representative and inclusive of the communities that they serve. The primary objective of this research was to identify and suggest strategies to improve diversity and inclusion of HCLT’s board of directors. As the HCLT currently does not have a general membership, a secondary objective was to explore strategies for creating a diverse, inclusive, and sustainable general membership. We conducted a literature review of published academic and grey literature. We combined this strategy with interviews with five key informants from the HCLT and other Hamilton-based organizations. Our findings are divided into five sections: (1) diversity policies, (2) diversity practices, (3) inclusion practices, (4) participation in HCLT activities, and (5) community partnerships.