Unlocking Housing in Unlikely Places

Session Summary: This panel explored how houses of worship can help address the housing crisis by leveraging faith-owned land to develop affordable housing. Panelists discussed common problems faced by houses of worship who are considering redevelopment, including being “land-rich and cash-poor”, internal decision-making processes, level-setting expectations and mission alignment, and the importance of trust and a strong relationship in the church-developer partnership. Panelists also discussed case studies of successful house of worship redevelopments, and opportunities for conversions to affordable and workforce housing without subsidies.