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City of Yes Housing Proposal
The ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ proposal was officially presented last Wednesday, May 1st. Community advocates and faith leaders from all around the city stood in support of the bill. The proposal is aimed at addressing the city's severe housing crisis and the New York City Department of City Planning estimates that the plan could result in over 108,000 new homes over 15 years.
This legislation includes many of the proposals from the Action Plan created by the Mayor’s Working Group on Faith Based Affordable Housing.
If you are interested in making it easier for faith institutions to develop affordable housing in NYC, join the Working Group on Faith Based Affordable Housing and Community Development commissioned by Mayor Adams! Join the Working Group.
Sustainability
One often overlooked aspect of environmental sustainability for houses of worship is maximizing the use of their properties for community benefit.
Many congregations are facing an intersection of challenges – aging congregations in large and underused properties with high operating costs. A shift in mindset towards viewing faith-based property as a community asset rather than a private one advocates for utilizing properties fully and promotes sustainability. Our recent Local Law 97: New Guidance for Houses of Faith event discussed the latest updates and guidance for LL97 and how to improve buildings to be more environmentally sustainable.
Affordable Housing
In recent years, we have seen action taken at federal and state levels to address the housing crisis. States like Oregon, Florida, Montana, California, Utah, and Washington have passed or are considering passing housing reforms.
The “Yes in God’s Backyard” (YIGBY) movement has brought forward faith groups, organizers, and faith leaders in the housing crisis. In Inglewood, California, Reverend Victor Cyrus-Franklin of Inglewood First United Methodist Church is concerned about the impact of rising housing prices on his congregation, with many being priced out. To address this issue, the church is planning to build 60 studio apartments on its property, with half of them reserved for older adults and all offered at below-market rents.
The Episcopal Church of New Hampshire, domestic violence support organization HAVEN, and the Portsmouth Housing Authority are partnering on a project at the Christ Episcopal Church site in New Hampshire. This project will create over 40 affordable apartment units, seven transitional housing units, expand Little Blessings Daycare Center, and provide the church with new worship space.
The project aims to address housing needs and expand services for HAVEN, while also preserving the African Burying Ground and the Black Heritage Trail of NH on the property. The Planning Board has reviewed the conceptual plan, which includes considerations for parking and community services, with the goal of starting construction in early 2023 and having the apartments ready by early 2026.
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