Mary James and Ilka Cassidy talk with Meleny Thomas, executive director of the South Baltimore Community Land Trust (SBCLT) about the organization’s mission to create community-led development and her decision to target Passive House for their initial development of 10 new homes. The choice sets a precedent for healthy homes not being restricted to affluent communities, Thomas says, in discussing how she first heard about Passive House and why she chose it as a target. SBCLT grew out of a decade of grassroots and youth organizing in a community burdened by unsafe, unaffordable housing and toxic environmental hazards. Thomas has more than 15 years of experience building community-based organizations and serving families and has a Master’s in nonprofit management and leadership.