Faith in Action: How Religious Institutions Can Help Solve the Housing Crisis
Jul 17, 2024
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This podcast discusses the YIGBY movement, where religious institutions use their land for housing projects. They explore the benefits, challenges, and broader mindsets surrounding this initiative. The conversation also touches on leveraging Facebook Marketplace for home items and memories of soccer experiences.
YIGBY movement utilizes religious land for housing, benefiting both communities and institutions.
Discussion on zoning laws' impact on church land use for housing and implications on community development.
Deep dives
Unlocking Housing Solutions Through Leveraging Religious Land
Religious institutions in California are partnering with developers to use their tax-free land for affordable housing. The Affordable Housing on Faith Lands Act in California streamlines approval for housing projects on church-owned land, potentially adding 100,000 units. The role of religious organizations in addressing the housing crisis is highlighted, but challenges arise with long-term ownership and affordability sustainability. The article sparks discussions on how cities should regulate housing developments on religious properties and the implications for community building.
Religious Institutions' Missed Opportunities in Community Development
The podcast delves into the untapped potential of church-owned land for community development beyond traditional religious practices. Critique is directed at how some churches neglect their role in supporting surrounding neighborhoods and essential community services. The conversation raises questions about the loss of communal benefits by underutilizing church properties. It explores the multifaceted impact of reimagining church land use beyond its conventional boundaries for holistic community engagement and housing solutions.
Exploring Legal Complexities in Leveraging Church Assets
The discussion navigates the legal intricacies of using church assets for housing projects and the potential conflicts with zoning regulations. Insights are shared on how cities may grapple with zoning laws when addressing housing development on religious properties. Queries are raised on whether exclusionary zoning practices can limit religious institutions' rights to exercise land use for community-related purposes. The conversation underscores the intersection of land use law and religious freedoms in shaping urban development dynamics.
Family Dynamics and Recounting Soccer Tales
The banter shifts to personal anecdotes, reminiscing about family involvement in soccer activities and contrasting experiences with sports. Abby shares humorous soccer moments from her childhood, reflecting on familial ties to sports while exploring personal preferences. Chuck reciprocates with parental anecdotes tied to overseeing children's sports engagements and parallels in parenting experiences. The lighthearted exchange adds a personal touch to the podcast episode, showcasing a blend of professional insights and personal anecdotes.
You’ve heard of YIMBYs and NIMBYs, but have you heard of YIGBYs? YIGBY stands for “Yes In God’s Backyard,” and it’s a movement focused on leveraging land owned by religious institutions to alleviate the housing crisis. This has the potential to benefit both people in need of housing and religious institutions.
In this episode of Upzoned, hosts Abby Newsham and Chuck Marohn discuss the potential benefits of the YIGBY movement, the practicalities of implementing it, and broader mindsets surrounding religious institutions and what their land should be used for.