Latest news with #YIGBY
Forbes
03-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Church-Owned Land Could Help Fill Affordability Gap
A rendering of the lobby at Maxwell Downtown Brooklyn, a new residential high-rise being built on ... More Archdiocese of Brooklyn land. Some 40% of the units at Maxwell Downtown Brooklyn are designated affordable. According to a survey for the Pew Charitable Trusts conducted last September, a majority of Americans back a range of zoning initiatives that would increase housing availability and affordability. Such policies will be necessary to address the spectacular shortage of approximately 4 to 7 million homes nationwide. One solution could be founded on utilization of unused and underused land owned by churches and religious groups. Local governments and real estate developers have forged partnerships with faith-based organizations that own a total of 2.6 million acres of land across the U.S. It's part of a new movement called YIGBY (Yes in God's Backyard) that could create more than 800,000 new housing units. The effort has gained legislative traction in states as diverse as Virginia, New York, California and Colorado. Among hurdles facing those who would like to build new affordable communities is a mountain of red tape dictating what and where new properties can be built. This includes restrictive land-use covenants and zoning ordinances. 'In the midst of today's economic downturn and heightened partisanship, tapping into creative partnerships with public, private and civic entities is essential to solving the housing availability and accessibility [issue] 'At the cornerstone of these efforts stands faith-based and religious institutions, which own 2.6 million acres of land across the country, but are often unclear on how to unlock the potential of this real estate. The Northview Housing Development exemplifies how religious organizations, developers and municipalities can unite under shared values to spark responsible development and create much-needed housing.' When complete, Northview will feature 254 workforce residences to be offered to working and active seniors in North Davidson County, Nashville. 'By partnering with Born Again Church and Urban Campus and Core to construct this new living environment on the church's campus, we are not only expanding housing access but uplifting North Nashville's livability and cultural foundation,' Nicholson says. Borough of churches It makes sense church-owned land has assisted creation of affordable housing in Brooklyn, N.Y. After all, Brooklyn has been nicknamed the Borough of Churches since the 19th Century, owing to the many churches and religious institutions in the borough. The heart of Downtown Brooklyn is the site of Maxwell Downtown Brooklyn, a 40-story mixed-income high-rise built on land owned by The Archdiocese of Brooklyn by The Michaels Organization through a partnership with Triangle Equities. To be developed on the stie of the ministries' former office building, Maxwell Downtown Brooklyn will designate 40% of the building's units as affordable. Plans call for the residential tower to be complemented by a 20,000-square-foot community ministry center for the St. Boniface Parish. Amenities offered at the building will include 24-hour concierge, community kitchen, fitness center and indoor-outdoor rooftop lounge. 'As a staple of the Downtown Brooklyn community for over 150 years, the church cares deeply about the neighborhood, working with our team to ensure that the community's needs are being met by this development beyond housing,' says Brett Goldman, executive vice president of leasing for Triangle Equities. 'It was truly a privilege to partner with the church to develop its new space within the Maxwell as it continues to serve the residents of Downtown Brooklyn.' Rock solid Another example of the phenomenon is Village at Solid Rock, a 77-unit affordable development in Colorado Springs, Colo., where rents extend from $700 to $1,400 a month, according to renters' household incomes. Being developed through a partnership between Commonwealth Development Corp. and Solid Rock Christian Center, Villages at Solid Rock will offer residents access to a playground and fitness center as well as services to include homework help, financial literacy education, job search and family living skills delivered by property manager Greccio Housing.
Business Journals
24-04-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Buffalo churches lead multifamily development efforts in improverished neighborhoods
Church leaders in Buffalo are putting their beliefs into action by spearheading affordable housing projects. Story Highlights Buffalo-area churches are building affordable housing to meet community needs. The term "Yes in God's Backyard," or YIGBY, describes church-driven housing development. In Buffalo, faith-based development initiatives are primarily being driven by Black churches. When some local churches felt their neighborhoods were being ignored by developers, they stepped in to fill the gap. "I literally had seniors that old homes that were so drafty they couldn't keep them warm," said Pastor Dwayne Jones of Mount Aaron Missionary Baptist Church. "I had middle-aged people, what you'd call the working poor, who had just enough to get them to the next pay week, and they were living in deplorable housing." Mount Aaron is one of several Buffalo-area churches that have built apartments and homes to meet the needs of their congregations and communities. "God has not just given us a church and the four walls that we're in; he's also put us into a community to affect change," said Dwayne Gillison, pastor of Mt. Olive Baptist Church. It's a quote his father, the late Rev. Doctor William Gillison, often used. The church's development affiliate, Mt. Olive Development Corp., built the 10-unit Trinity One apartment building on East Delevan Avenue a few years ago. It followed that project with Mt. Olive Senior Manor, a 65-unit building developed in partnership with Senior Inc. Gillison said more than 180 applications came in for the manor when it opened, demonstrating the need for affordable, quality housing in Buffalo. True Bethel Baptist Church has been buying land and building homes and apartments for more than a decade, typically in partnership with Belmont Housing Resources for Western New York. "It's hard to sit in the middle of desolation on poverty and not try to improve it," said Janice McKinnie, executive director of True Community Development Corp., True Bethel's development arm. Nationally, some have coined the term "Yes in God's Backyard," or YIGBY, to describe church-driven housing development — a tongue-in-cheek description riffing on both the anti-development Not in My Backyard (NIMBY) and pro-development Yes in My Backyard (YIMBY) mindsets. Some New York state legislators have proposed a Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act, which would eliminate most municipal zoning restrictions on residential projects on church-owned land, presenting churches as possible partners in the state's efforts to increase its housing stock. State Sen. and Buffalo mayoral candidate Sean Ryan has co-sponsored the bill. Buffalo has generally been welcoming of church-led development, McKinnie said. Many church-led projects have involved acquiring vacant city-owned properties. In Buffalo, faith-based development initiatives are primarily being driven by Black churches. Jones said that's because many of the city's Black churches are on the East Side, where vacant land is plentiful, affordable housing is needed and private development projects are scarce. Churches stepped in to solve the problems they were seeing in their community. "Investors were walking past our neighborhood," he said. "They weren't coming in to say, 'We're going to build housing.' " Jones and Mount Aaron led development of the senior housing building Mt. Aaron Manor and Mount Aaron Village, which has 59 apartments and 17 townhomes. Jones is planning to build single-family homes targeting first-time homeowners on Grey Street. "Everything I'm doing is like putting a puzzle together," he said. "I don't want them to stay in affordable housing. I want them to be able to have their own homes, so I'm putting the pieces together so that it makes sense." True Community Development Corporation's projects, developed with Belmont, include True Bethel Townhomes and True Bethel Estates, both on East Ferry Street. Most recently it branched out beyond Buffalo to finish True Bethel Commons in 2023, a 39-unit affordable housing community in the former Sacred Heart school in Niagara Falls. "The need is just as great in Niagara Falls, if not a little bit greater," McKinnnie said. Other church-driven projects locally include: St. John Baptist Church is part of a development team that recently renovated the McCarley Gardens campus on Michigan Avenue, with plans for additional multifamily development in the area. is part of a development team that recently renovated the McCarley Gardens campus on Michigan Avenue, with plans for additional multifamily development in the area. Elim Christian Fellowship and Belmont have already completed 30 townhome units on Holden Street and now is planning to build 30 single-family homes on Chalmers Avenue. and have already completed 30 townhome units on Holden Street and now is planning to build 30 single-family homes on Chalmers Avenue. United House of Prayer for All People has proposed building 11 townhomes on Watson and Adams streets. has proposed building 11 townhomes on Watson and Adams streets. Thankful Community Development Corp., an affiliate of Thankful Missionary Baptist Church, is planning Thankful Gardens, a 20-unit project on Sumner Place. Since Covid-19, construction costs have skyrocketed and financing for many projects has dried up. And though many churches see building housing as part of their ministry, the dollars and cents need to work out. "Whether you're a faith-based developer or whether you're a private developer, it's business," McKinnie said. "It's a development project." Jones said his next project likely will use prefabricated homes to minimize costs. Mt. Olive is looking to build owner-occupied townhomes on vacant land near the church. "We've been in touch with some banks and we're trying to be creative," Gillison said. McKinnie said True Bethel won't stop its development efforts, but its next projects may be smaller scale. "Crunching numbers has become a challenge," she said. "I think it's just going to take a little more diligence and patience, because things have gone up so much."
