Across the country, churches that once attracted hundreds of parishioners are now facing declining congregations and near-empty buildings. Thus, faith communities and affordable housing efforts are coming together in an unexpected way for community impact.

Like the proverbial blind men describing an elephant, understanding the issue of underutilized church properties depends on where you touch it (or where it touches you).

Data analysts say: Accelerating church closures are evidence that US Christianity is dying.

Commercial real estate asks: What opportunities do these thousands of properties present?

Policymakers and advocates say: Government must expedite the redevelopment of underutilized church property for affordable housing. Churches should partner with developers and repurpose these properties.  

Society says: The housing problem could be solved! Look at the money that could be made!

Local churches and other faith institutions quietly observe the frenetic public debate and, at a pace seemingly slower than J.R.R. Tolkien’s Ents, deliberate on the future of their extensive, most valuable assets.

The Opportunity for Faith Communities To Provide Affordable Housing

The abundance of available properties in cities across America presents a problem-solving opportunity for the economy and a missional opportunity for faith leaders and their congregations. Limited housing stock impacts families by raising their housing costs to unaffordable levels, forcing people to move or face homelessness. This unaffordability has broad national implications because it limits labor mobility, productivity, and economic growth. These issues are acute in two of the most populous US states—New York and California—which has led to recent legislative action related to religious property in both places. In New York City, a proposed municipal housing plan is seeking the help of religious property owners to create 500,000 new homes in the next decade.

The recently passed California legislation, SB 4, the “Yes In God’s Backyard” bill, empowers churches, faith institutions, and nonprofit colleges to erect affordable housing on their lands. The bill allows these developments to bypass cumbersome rezoning and (provided certain conditions are met) waives applicable California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) laws. To qualify, however, properties must maintain California state affordability standards for 55 years for rentals and 45 years for owned homes. An estimated 171,000 acres of land owned by religious institutions could be used for affordable housing under the bill.

Read the full article about faith communities and affordable housing by Patrick Duggan at Nonprofit Quarterly.