City to Offer Free Classes for Religious Orgs Interested in Developing Affordable Housing

"Religious organizations own more than 84 million square feet of land in the city, a report last year from NYU's Furman Center found. About 5.5 million square feet of that consists of vacant land or parking lots that could yield 2,000 units of housing, the report said."

"As the city faces an ongoing housing crisis, faith-based and other mission-driven organizations have an important role to play in the development of new affordable housing. We are excited to offer this new series of classes and provide a space for these organizations to learn more about opportunities to turn their land into housing."

"The classes, which will take place online over Zoom, walk attendees through the development, permitting and construction processes, plus how to finance affordable housing and navigate landmark and preservation rules."

The Department of Housing Preservation and Development is launching free online workshops designed specifically for religious organizations interested in developing housing on their properties. This initiative responds to increased interest from churches, temples, synagogues, and mosques seeking to leverage their real estate assets amid rising operational costs and declining congregations. Religious organizations collectively own over 84 million square feet of land in the city, with approximately 5.5 million square feet of vacant land or parking lots capable of yielding around 2,000 housing units. The workshops cover development processes, permitting, construction, affordable housing financing, and landmark preservation rules. This effort represents the city's strategy to engage mission-driven organizations in addressing the ongoing affordable housing crisis.

Read at City Limits