Building Community Ownership

Building Community Ownership

At the Tucson Alliance for Housing Justice, we encourage people to "think outside the landlord." Just as worker cooperatives operate businesses that are self-governed without bosses extracting wealth, we envision cooperatively owned and controlled housing where people are neither landlords or tenants. One example is Resident Owned Communities and Cooperatively owned apartment complexes, where individuals or families own their unit and the community as a whole owns and controls the shared space. By taking the landlord out of the equation, long-term affordability is secured as residents are never paying for someone else's profit.

Tax Liens
Community Land Trust
0% Interest Loan Fund
Resident Owned Manufactured Housing Communities

What is a tax lien?

A tax lien is the government's claim on your property after you have not paid your tax balance. This tax lien placed on you protects the government's hold on your real estate, property and assets. The only way to get rid of this tax lien is to pay your tax debt in full.

If someone is behind on their taxes for 2 years, Pima County sells this lien. This can happen throughout the year, and each February the liens that have not yet been sold go to public auction.

In February 2022 8,303 tax liens of Pima County properties went up for sale at a public online auction. While the property itself is not up for auction, if the property owner is unable to pay the accumulating taxes over the next 3 years, they can lose their property to the person or company who buys the lien. 

The government is helping profiteers extract wealth and property from working class communities.

What we want:

  •     Part 1: Better communication from Treasurer's Office
  1. Send notices in Spanish as well as English
  2. Send notices in simple language and include information about resources for assistance, including how to apply for property tax relief and deferral.
  3. Send additional notices to property owners before tax liens are sold with information about payment plans.
  •       Part 2: Expand taxpayer assistance, granting greater relief for low-income homeowners (and potentially other circumstances, such as expanding relief in event of death or serious illness).
  •       Part 3: Payment plans: Make payment plans available throughout the entire time property owners are behind on taxes, with no risk of losing the property while payments are being made.
  •        Part 4: In the event that none of these interventions work, give community-based organizations, existing tenants (in cases of properties occupied by renters), Community Land Trusts, or other organizations that will maintain property as permanently affordable the first right of refusal to purchase the lien certificate. We particularly support models that keep residents in their homes, such as the City of Lakes Project Sustained Legacy and Make It Home in Detroit

Could you be at risk of losing your home to tax liens?

Visit www.to.pima.gov and click on “What do I owe?” or call (520) 724-8341 to find if you are behind on taxes and learn about payment options.

If you cannot pay the amount owed, 0% interest, no fee loans are available for those who qualify. Visit www.thefreeloan.org or call 520-297-5360

Community Land Trust

The Tucson Alliance for Housing Justice works with local Community Land Trusts to exchange ideas and learn innovative strategies for increasing the number of properties held in CLTs in Tucson, South Tucson, and throughout Southern AZ. Inspired by the work of the New York City Community Land Initiative, who successfully increased public support of Land Trusts following a CLT learning exchange, we seek to regularly convene established and emerging CLTs to be more united in our push for greater public support. 

0% Interest Loan Fund

Access to stable housing is essential for maintaining the networks of relationship, life, and culture of Tucson. The Tucson Alliance for Housing Justice in partnership with the Tucson Jewish Free Loan is launching a 0% Interest Loan Fund focused on increasing access to stable housing for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ people, promoting equity and social cohesion.

We prioritize lending to people seeking housing options outside of what qualifies for a typical mortgage, such as those purchasing collectively owned property, down payments for an household's share in a Resident-Owned Community, Tenancy in Common Deeds, and tiny homes. While we do not require any resale restrictions, we do seek to incentivize those who commit to the home remaining permanently affordable, ensuring the investment will continue to support others in the future, and are seeking support for funds to be able to fund this incentive for permanent affordability. 

We set loan repayment terms together with the borrower, without the extractive practices of interest or late fees. Participating home buyers agree to maintain the home as permanent affordable housing, ensuring that the home stays in community hands at the point of sale. 

The loan fund is currently under development and we are not currently taking loan requests. There are multiple ways to get involved:

  1. Make a donation! Donations are processed through the Tucson Jewish Free Loan and are tax deductible and qualify for the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit. Donations can be made online by clicking here and include TAHJ Loan Program in the Description.

    Checks are also encouraged to save the credit card processing fee. Checks can be made out to Tucson Jewish Free Loan (“TAHJ loan program” in the memo line) and mailed to: 5049 E Broadway Blvd #156. Tucson, AZ 85711

  2. Be a part of the loan criteria committee: This BIPOC LGBTQ centered committee will establish loan criteria and be a decision making board for approving loan applications. 
  3. Be a part of the fundraising committee

Fill out the Contact Us Form for more information or to get involved.

Resident Owned Manufactured Housing Communities

In Tucson, roughly 10% of all housing units are manufactured homes—more than twice the percentage of Phoenix (4.8), Las Vegas (3.3), Portland (4.4) or Los Angeles (1.6) (AHS 2013, 2015). 

Manufactured home communities are rapidly shifting from family owned parks to ownership by private equity firms and large, multi-state corporations. From July 2020 to June 2021, investors purchased $2.6 billion worth of mobile homes communities, including hundreds of millions of dollars in Arizona. These corporations raise the lot rents and at times force evictions for small violations such as tall plants in the yard, causing homeowners to lose their homes.

We support the efforts of local manufactured home owners to require just cause for evictions from manufactured housing parks. We also advocate for increased support for manufactured home owners to purchase their parks.

Across the country, residents of manufactured housing are collectively buying their parks, protecting the park from wealth extraction by private developers. Evictions greatly diminish and lot fees rarely increase in these communities. When fees do increase, it is to create a resource for the community, not to extract for someone else’s profit.

In 2020, Fannie Mae backed more than $5.5 billion in loans to private companies purchasing manufactured home communities, while $0 went to loans for residents trying to purchase their communities. 

Locally, we advocate for funding and technical assistance to be available for residents interested in purchasing their communities. Nationally, we join the calls of Manufactured Housing Action and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, who "both say Fannie and Freddie could be directed to back low interest rate loans to residents to help them buy their own parks and form co-ops."

For more information visit:

ROC Whiteboard Videos - ROC USA®

What's a ROC? - ROC USA®

Tax Liens: Stop the Government Facilitation Extraction of Wealth from Low Income Families to Private Profiteers
What is a tax lien?

A tax lien is the government's claim on your property after you have not paid your tax balance. This tax lien placed on you protects the government's hold on your real estate, property and assets. The only way to get rid of this tax lien is to pay your tax debt in full.

If someone is behind on their taxes for 2 years, Pima County sells this lien. This can happen throughout the year, and each February the liens that have not yet been sold go to public auction.

In February 2022 8,303 tax liens of Pima County properties went up for sale at a public online auction. While the property itself is not up for auction, if the property owner is unable to pay the accumulating taxes over the next 3 years, they can lose their property to the person or company who buys the lien. 

The government is helping profiteers extract wealth and property from working class communities.

What we want:

  •     Part 1: Better communication from Treasurer's Office
  1. Send notices in Spanish as well as English
  2. Send notices in simple language and include information about resources for assistance, including how to apply for property tax relief and deferral.
  3. Send additional notices to property owners before tax liens are sold with information about payment plans.
  •       Part 2: Expand taxpayer assistance, granting greater relief for low-income homeowners (and potentially other circumstances, such as expanding relief in event of death or serious illness).
  •       Part 3: Payment plans: Make payment plans available throughout the entire time property owners are behind on taxes, with no risk of losing the property while payments are being made.
  •        Part 4: In the event that none of these interventions work, give community-based organizations, existing tenants (in cases of properties occupied by renters), Community Land Trusts, or other organizations that will maintain property as permanently affordable the first right of refusal to purchase the lien certificate. We particularly support models that keep residents in their homes, such as the City of Lakes Project Sustained Legacy and Make It Home in Detroit
Could you be at risk of losing your home to tax liens?

Visit www.to.pima.gov and click on “What do I owe?” or call (520) 724-8341 to find if you are behind on taxes and learn about payment options.

If you cannot pay the amount owed, 0% interest, no fee loans are available for those who qualify. Visit www.thefreeloan.org or call 520-297-5360

Community Land Trust 

The Tucson Alliance for Housing Justice works with local Community Land Trusts to exchange ideas and learn innovative strategies for increasing the number of properties held in CLTs in Tucson, South Tucson, and throughout Southern AZ. Inspired by the work of the New York City Community Land Initiative, who successfully increased public support of Land Trusts following a CLT learning exchange, we seek to regularly convene established and emerging CLTs to be more united in our push for greater public support. 

0% Interest Loan Fund

Access to stable housing is essential for maintaining the networks of relationship, life, and culture of Tucson. The Tucson Alliance for Housing Justice is launching a 0% Interest Loan Fund focused on increasing access to homeownership for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ people, promoting equity and social cohesion. We set loan repayment terms together with the borrower, without the extractive practices of interest or late fees. Participating home buyers agree to maintain the home as permanent affordable housing, ensuring that the home stays in community hands at the point of sale. 

The loan fund is currently under development and we are not currently taking loan requests. There are multiple ways to get involved:

  1. Be a part of the loan criteria committee: This BIPOC LGBTQ centered committee will establish loan criteria and be a decision making board for approving loan applications. 
  2. Be a part of the fundraising committee and/or make a pledge
  3. Be a part of the legal and logistical committee working on the infrastructure to get the loan fund started

Email tucsonhousingjustice at gmail.com for more information or to get involved.

Resident Owned Manufactured Housing Communities

In Tucson, roughly 10% of all housing units are manufactured homes—more than twice the percentage of Phoenix (4.8), Las Vegas (3.3), Portland (4.4) or Los Angeles (1.6) (AHS 2013, 2015). 

Manufactured home communities are rapidly shifting from family owned parks to ownership by private equity firms and large, multi-state corporations. From July 2020 to June 2021, investors purchased $2.6 billion worth of mobile homes communities, including hundreds of millions of dollars in Arizona. These corporations raise the lot rents and at times force evictions for small violations such as tall plants in the yard, causing homeowners to lose their homes.

We support the efforts of local manufactured home owners to require just cause for evictions from manufactured housing parks. We also advocate for increased support for manufactured home owners to purchase their parks.

Across the country, residents of manufactured housing are collectively buying their parks, protecting the park from wealth extraction by private developers. Evictions greatly diminish and lot fees rarely increase in these communities. When fees do increase, it is to create a resource for the community, not to extract for someone else’s profit.

In 2020, Fannie Mae backed more than $5.5 billion in loans to private companies purchasing manufactured home communities, while $0 went to loans for residents trying to purchase their communities. 

Locally, we advocate for funding and technical assistance to be available for residents interested in purchasing their communities. Nationally, we join the calls of Manufactured Housing Action and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, who "both say Fannie and Freddie could be directed to back low interest rate loans to residents to help them buy their own parks and form co-ops."

For more information visit:

ROC Whiteboard Videos - ROC USA®

What's a ROC? - ROC USA®

What is a tax lien?

A tax lien is the government's claim on your property after you have not paid your tax balance. This tax lien placed on you protects the government's hold on your real estate, property and assets. The only way to get rid of this tax lien is to pay your tax debt in full.

If someone is behind on their taxes for 2 years, Pima County sells this lien. This can happen throughout the year, and each February the liens that have not yet been sold go to public auction.

In February 2022 8,303 tax liens of Pima County properties went up for sale at a public online auction. While the property itself is not up for auction, if the property owner is unable to pay the accumulating taxes over the next 3 years, they can lose their property to the person or company who buys the lien. 

The government is helping profiteers extract wealth and property from working class communities.

What we want:

  •     Part 1: Better communication from Treasurer's Office
  1. Send notices in Spanish as well as English
  2. Send notices in simple language and include information about resources for assistance, including how to apply for property tax relief and deferral.
  3. Send additional notices to property owners before tax liens are sold with information about payment plans.
  •       Part 2: Expand taxpayer assistance, granting greater relief for low-income homeowners (and potentially other circumstances, such as expanding relief in event of death or serious illness).
  •       Part 3: Payment plans: Make payment plans available throughout the entire time property owners are behind on taxes, with no risk of losing the property while payments are being made.
  •        Part 4: In the event that none of these interventions work, give community-based organizations, existing tenants (in cases of properties occupied by renters), Community Land Trusts, or other organizations that will maintain property as permanently affordable the first right of refusal to purchase the lien certificate. We particularly support models that keep residents in their homes, such as the City of Lakes Project Sustained Legacy and Make It Home in Detroit

Could you be at risk of losing your home to tax liens?

Visit www.to.pima.gov and click on “What do I owe?” or call (520) 724-8341 to find if you are behind on taxes and learn about payment options.

If you cannot pay the amount owed, 0% interest, no fee loans are available for those who qualify. Visit www.thefreeloan.org or call 520-297-5360

Community Land Trust

The Tucson Alliance for Housing Justice works with local Community Land Trusts to exchange ideas and learn innovative strategies for increasing the number of properties held in CLTs in Tucson, South Tucson, and throughout Southern AZ. Inspired by the work of the New York City Community Land Initiative, who successfully increased public support of Land Trusts following a CLT learning exchange, we seek to regularly convene established and emerging CLTs to be more united in our push for greater public support. 

0% Interest Loan Fund

Access to stable housing is essential for maintaining the networks of relationship, life, and culture of Tucson. The Tucson Alliance for Housing Justice is launching a 0% Interest Loan Fund focused on increasing access to homeownership for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ people, promoting equity and social cohesion. We set loan repayment terms together with the borrower, without the extractive practices of interest or late fees. Participating home buyers agree to maintain the home as permanent affordable housing, ensuring that the home stays in community hands at the point of sale. 

The loan fund is currently under development and we are not currently taking loan requests. There are multiple ways to get involved:

  1. Be a part of the loan criteria committee: This BIPOC LGBTQ centered committee will establish loan criteria and be a decision making board for approving loan applications. 
  2. Be a part of the fundraising committee and/or make a pledge
  3. Be a part of the legal and logistical committee working on the infrastructure to get the loan fund started

Email tucsonhousingjustice at gmail.com for more information or to get involved.

Resident Owned Manufactured Housing Communities

In Tucson, roughly 10% of all housing units are manufactured homes—more than twice the percentage of Phoenix (4.8), Las Vegas (3.3), Portland (4.4) or Los Angeles (1.6) (AHS 2013, 2015). 

Manufactured home communities are rapidly shifting from family owned parks to ownership by private equity firms and large, multi-state corporations. From July 2020 to June 2021, investors purchased $2.6 billion worth of mobile homes communities, including hundreds of millions of dollars in Arizona. These corporations raise the lot rents and at times force evictions for small violations such as tall plants in the yard, causing homeowners to lose their homes.

We support the efforts of local manufactured home owners to require just cause for evictions from manufactured housing parks. We also advocate for increased support for manufactured home owners to purchase their parks.

Across the country, residents of manufactured housing are collectively buying their parks, protecting the park from wealth extraction by private developers. Evictions greatly diminish and lot fees rarely increase in these communities. When fees do increase, it is to create a resource for the community, not to extract for someone else’s profit.

In 2020, Fannie Mae backed more than $5.5 billion in loans to private companies purchasing manufactured home communities, while $0 went to loans for residents trying to purchase their communities. 

Locally, we advocate for funding and technical assistance to be available for residents interested in purchasing their communities. Nationally, we join the calls of Manufactured Housing Action and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, who "both say Fannie and Freddie could be directed to back low interest rate loans to residents to help them buy their own parks and form co-ops."

For more information visit:

ROC Whiteboard Videos - ROC USA®

What's a ROC? - ROC USA®

Contact Us

Thank you for your interest. We will get back to you as soon as possible. Please note that we do not provide legal services or housing assistance. Please visit our resource page for organizations that provide direct assistance.

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Website creation supported with funding from the City of Tucson Housing and Community Development Department and Tucson Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness.

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