Amanda Burrows, MA CFRE’s Post

There are a plethora of unused religious properties. These faith-based spaces could potentially be reused or redeveloped into #affordablehousing, which would certainly help lessen the nation-wide housing gap. However, opportunities to convert houses of worship do not come without barriers—convincing older congregations to close, dated zoning ordinances, building codes, and property-tax regulations, or concerns about the noise level of a housing development from neighbors. Despite these barriers, there have been numerous successful redevelopment projects as well as examples of changing policies with faith-based organizations to lessen these barriers. Learn more about the redevelopment here. #housingdevelopment #housingredevelopment

There are several Places of Worship currently undergoing redevelopment for housing. However, what many aren't privy to is how many faith groups are looking to purchase and/or lease these buildings. You can't just plant a "Church" anywhere due to stringent zoning and parking requirements needed for the use, therefore when a Place of Worship becomes available for purchase and/or lease there is a tremendous amount of interest from the faith community. You can pretty much purchase any piece of land and build housing on it, unfortunately you can't do the same for a Place of Worship. There is a whole other side to the dialogue when speaking about Places of Worship, one shouldn't assume their future and best use should be housing, their future and best use could be a change in the building's religious denomination, or a daycare or even a type of school. With immigration comes more faithful followers and they need a Place to Worship.

This sort of thing is a fantastic example of religious reactions to modernity/market societies like the USA. I also don't think the emptying of houses of worship is a necessary feature of religious participation in the housing market. Really large churches--megachurches especially--have the resources to start affordable housing nonprofits and sometimes already own the property on which they could build. Religious groups *already* have more freedom than most: RLUIPA makes it difficult for municipalities to restrict building which relates to a religious group's mission. I'd love to see a court case that argued religious groups could skirt zoning for purportedly non-religious building projects, as what counts as a "religious reason" is squishy. Certainly a large, wealthy Catholic congregation could claim that Catholicism puts priority on care for the poor and so should be able to use its property to build housing where other developers might fail. Yes, more limited/better zoning would be preferable so that any developer could build. But, in the absence of reform, it would be great to see wealthy churches acquire land and throw their money around. Granted: it is likely more complicated than I've said. But, worth a shot.

We’ve tried to do this a few times- with mixed results. 👇 Conversion of churches and synagogs into housing often yields some funky units. But in rust belt , immigrant heavy towns like PGH, there is a glut of old churches than would benefit from this kind of reuse. One of the economic barriers are historic tax credits are hard to use on these churches. Interior conversations for housing often reqs removal of historic fabric, something disallowed by the program. A more generous approach by the NPS would go a long way to make these developments pencil- and at least restore the exterior #affordablehousing #adaptivereuse

🌟 Did you know that there's a movement called YIGBY (Yes In God's Backyard)? We are proud to be helping lead this movement in Colorado, advocating for zoning changes that promote inclusivity and affordability. 🏘️ Zoning changes are crucial for addressing the pressing need for affordable housing in our communities. Many neighborhoods including church properties are currently zoned exclusively for single-family homes, which limits the diversity and affordability of housing options. By advocating for zoning reforms, we can create more opportunities for affordable housing developments like Clara Brown Commons. 🌆 The YIGBY movement recognizes that everyone deserves access to safe and affordable housing, regardless of income. It's about building vibrant, inclusive and equitable communities where everyone can thrive. 🌟 Learn more about the YIGBY movement and how you can get involved in advocating for affordable housing. Together, let's build a more inclusive and thriving community for all! 🌿 #YIGBYCO #AffordableHousing #InclusiveCommunities #MileHighMinistries

A Furman Center report explores how much affordable housing could be built on land owned by New York City churches and other religious organizations. Faith-based organizations own more than 92 million square feet of land in New York City–more than 23 times the size of Battery Park City and 2.5 times the size of Central Park, according to the report. If land owned by religious organizations were developed to its full zoning capacity, it could become roughly 98,000 homes in multifamily buildings.  https://lnkd.in/eEh5yYrr

Religious denominations, looking at widespread church closures as congregations dwindle, are beginning to focus on how to develop affordable housing on their surplus properties. A recent article from Governing discusses this new trend in affordable housing called #YIGBY, and delves into the pros and cons, along with suggestions for alternative usages to ensure they are maximized and do not become a blight on the respective communities. #localgovernment #blight #vacant #localgov #zombieproperties #munireg #zombieforeclosures #abandonedproperties #vpr #vpro #codeenforcement #foreclosure #urbanplanning #citymanagement #codeviolations #vacantpropertyregistration #nuisanceproperties #vadproperties #communitydevelopment #vacantproperties #blightfight #communityengagement #communitypride #neighborhoods #neighborhoodpride #taxforeclosure #taxincentive #realestatedevelopment #propertyrehab Enterprise Community Partners Partners for Sacred Places Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) National League of Cities United States Conference of Mayors National Housing Conference American Association of Code Enforcement Urban Institute Center for Community Progress American Planning Association ICMA - International City/County Management Association National Community Development Association (NCDA) https://lnkd.in/eQkABH4p

The latest trend is to convert emptying church properties into affordable housing, but the better endeavor is to transform it into a community hub. Here's my article in today's Urban Land magazine.  https://lnkd.in/dU_cZZqr

Excited to be part of The Conversation US. My latest article discuses faith-based affordable housing in the US. https://lnkd.in/e4uQAYg2

The "Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act" seeks to enable religious institutions in New York to build affordable housing on their properties. This legislation intends to streamline the approval process, minimize fees, and ensure affordable housing initiatives are supported by legal and regulatory frameworks. The goal is to boost the availability of affordable housing by leveraging underused land owned by religious organizations. #developmentopportunities #FaithBasedHousingInitiative #urbanplanning #affordablelivingNY