Canton’s Land Trust Scheme: Government Control Disguised as Compassion

I live in Holly Springs, but my property backs right up to Canton. So when Canton’s city leaders start meddling with property rights, it hits me too even though I do not get to vote there. This is one of those cases where Canton’s bad decisions will ripple far beyond their city limits.

On July 3, Canton’s City Council voted unanimously to create something called the Canton Community Land Trust. It is being sold as a way to make housing more “affordable.” But the truth is this has far less to do with compassion and far more to do with government control.

The average person may not know what a community land trust is, and Canton’s politicians are counting on that. So let’s break it down clearly.

A community land trust is a nonprofit organization that acquires and holds land permanently. The homes on that land can be sold to individuals, but the land stays with the trust forever. Homeowners buy only the house, not the land. They lease the land from the trust, usually under a 99-year ground lease. In exchange for getting a house at a lower price, buyers agree to strict restrictions on how much they can sell the home for later. Those limits are set by the trust, not the market.

The idea is to keep the homes “affordable” forever, but it comes at a cost. Owners cannot build full equity like they would in a normal market. The city creates an island of permanently subsidized housing, cut off from the broader economy.

And in this case, the city itself is creating the nonprofit, appointing its first board, and dictating its rules. According to the Cherokee Tribune & Ledger-News, Councilmember Shawn Tolan admitted the goal is to “remove up to 20 percent to 25 percent of the cost of a home,” particularly for first-time buyers. He called it “another tool in our toolbox to improve affordability.” But let’s be honest; this isn’t a toolbox from deep-red Cherokee County. It looks like it came straight out of New York City rent control playbooks, where government manipulation of the housing market has created long-term damage.

Here’s the problem they are not telling you. When Canton pulls land out of the private market and locks it up in a government-controlled trust, they reduce the total supply of available homes. That creates artificial scarcity. Fewer homes for sale means higher prices for the rest of us, especially working families who don’t qualify for the program.

This is not just a theoretical problem. The city council is removing land from the market permanently. Every acre that goes into this trust is gone from the private real estate market forever. Prices will rise elsewhere, as supply shrinks. They are solving affordability for a select few while making it worse for everyone else.

This is government picking winners and losers. If you qualify for their program, congratulations! You get a subsidized house with strings attached. If you do not qualify, you get priced out of the market.

And here’s the kicker. Once land is placed in the trust, it is nearly impossible to undo. The city is locking itself, and all future residents, into a long-term experiment that they will have no easy way to unwind. This is not temporary policy. It is permanent government control over housing.

Let’s not pretend this is anything else. Canton’s leaders are intentionally removing land from the market and distorting property values. They are using government power to control who gets to own property and under what terms. That is, by definition, socialism. They can dress it up in nonprofit paperwork, but it is still government-controlled housing.

I will be completely honest about my own situation. If this plan moves forward, my property value will probably go up. My home backs up to Canton, and restricting supply nearby could very well boost what I can get if I sell. But that would be pure self-interest on my part and not a moral defense of the policy. Just because I would personally benefit does not make this right. I care more about protecting property rights than padding my own pocket.

If we really want to make housing more affordable, the solution is simple. Increase the housing supply. Make it easier for developers and builders to create more homes. Cut red tape, not deals behind closed doors. Let the free market work. That is what has built affordable housing throughout American history, not government restrictions.

Canton’s community land trust will not solve the housing crisis. It will only expand government power, drive up prices, and limit freedom. It is not compassion. It is control, plain and simple.

Voters should not be fooled by fancy names and lofty rhetoric. This is a fundamental shift in property rights, and it will have lasting consequences far beyond Canton’s borders.