Grounded Annual Report 2025

MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIR

This year has been transformative for Grounded. In 2024–25, we laid the foundations for a bold new chapter in affordable housing by proving that Community Land Trusts (CLTs) are not only possible in Australia, they are an essential and innovative solution to long-term housing affordability.

We also achieved key organisational milestones, including securing ACNC approval, expanded and strengthened our governance through policy and guidelines, and transitioning to the Keela CRM platform to consolidate our operations and community engagement.

We launched Grounded in Affordability, Australia’s first CLT impact report, showing just how powerful this model can be: deposits cut by 60%, home ownership that remains affordable in perpetuity, and millions saved in housing costs over a lifetime. This is not theory, it is economic evidence, and it captured the attention of policymakers, investors, and communities alike.

To turn interest into impact, we are building the Grounded Incubator and Accelerator, a first-of-its-kind support program for local groups, communities, and councils to explore, design and deliver CLT housing models. We look forward to helping dozens of communities with place-based, people-powered housing solutions from coast to coast.

We also leant into public education and advocacy: hosting community workshops, producing original research, and engaging directly with local and state governments. Our blog, social media, and media appearances are helping to build our profile as a national CLT voice, which have resulted in several ongoing community discussions about potential CLTs.

This time last year we welcomed aboard Nat Lowrey as our Communications Lead. Nat’s first year with Grounded has shown the value of having a communicator who understands both strategy and storytelling, bringing clarity, creativity, and a commitment to housing justice that is helping to build our reach and impact.

In a testament to the strength of our partnerships, the passion of our board and volunteers, and the trust that communities are placing in our model, all of this work was undertaken with just 1.2 FTE across our team.

Looking ahead, we are passionately focused on turning promising seeds into built reality. With stronger due diligence frameworks, ethical banking pathways, and deepening engagement with community and decision-makers, we are closer than ever to breaking ground on a new generation of homes, homes that put people before profit.

Thank you to everyone who has helped us build this movement. You are not just supporters, you are co-creators in a new story for housing in Australia.