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  • Home
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    Our Vision
    BCP’s vision is that free-market municipal policy solutions are broadly available, widely acceptable, and regularly employed, enabling American cities to achieve their full potential as engines of economic prosperity. We reject the idea that cities are lost to free-market principles or policies.
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    BCP uncovers ideas that work, promotes realistic solutions, and forges partnerships that help people in America’s largest cities live free and happy lives.
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    304 S. Jones Blvd #2826
    Las Vegas NV 89107

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    (702) 608-2046‬

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    Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

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    info@better-cities.org

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Home Community, Growth and Housing

Faith-based housing is filling the gaps where cities have failed

Religious institutions are turning underutilized land into housing, and cities should be paying attention

Patrick TuoheybyPatrick Tuohey
March 12, 2025
in Community, Growth and Housing
Reading Time: 2 mins read
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Faith-based housing is filling the gaps where cities have failed
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Cities everywhere are struggling to provide enough affordable housing, and the usual solutions—subsidies, tax incentives, and zoning reforms—haven’t kept up with demand. But an emerging model, faith-based housing initiatives, is proving there’s another way. By making better use of land owned by churches, synagogues, mosques, and other religious institutions, communities are finding a way to create high-quality, attainable housing without waiting for government action.

For years, faith communities have been involved in housing efforts, whether through shelters, transitional housing, or charity-driven development projects. But faith-based housing goes further. It’s not just about providing emergency relief—it’s about permanently changing how land is used to serve communities long-term. Many congregations own large pieces of land, vacant buildings, or underutilized parking lots that could be turned into housing. Instead of selling to developers, these institutions are stepping into the role of housing providers themselves, partnering with nonprofits and mission-driven builders to create new places for people to live.

Cities benefit because faith-based housing initiatives increase the supply of housing without displacing anyone. These projects often fill in underutilized spaces, adding density in a way that doesn’t generate the usual backlash. Neighbors are less likely to oppose development when it comes from a trusted local institution rather than an outside investor looking to turn a profit. And because these efforts are community-led and mission-driven, they focus on affordability and stability rather than maximizing returns.

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For individuals, especially lower-income residents, this model provides housing that is not just affordable but also connected to a larger support network. Many faith-based housing projects offer below-market rents and prioritize local families, and because they are tied to religious institutions, they often come with built-in services like job assistance, childcare, and social connections. Housing isn’t just about four walls and a roof; it’s about belonging.

Some of the most successful projects have been in places like Seattle, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles, where housing costs are high and faith institutions hold millions of square feet of untapped real estate. But this isn’t just a big-city solution. Smaller cities and even rural areas have faith communities with land they aren’t fully using, and many struggling congregations could repurpose their properties in a way that meets local housing needs while sustaining their ministries.

At a time when building affordable housing seems to require endless layers of tax credits, government approvals, and funding battles, faith-based housing initiatives offer something refreshingly straightforward. Cities should be paying attention, and more importantly, making sure their policies help rather than hinder these efforts. There’s no reason this model couldn’t work in places where plenty of faith institutions sit on land that could be turned into housing. If we’re serious about making cities more livable and affordable, supporting these efforts should be part of the plan.

Tags: ChurchesFaith-basedHousingHousing Affordability
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Patrick Tuohey

Patrick Tuohey

Patrick Tuohey is co-founder and policy director of the Better Cities Project. He works with taxpayers, media, and policymakers to foster understanding of the consequences — sometimes unintended — of policies such as economic development, taxation, education, and transportation. He also serves as a senior fellow at Missouri's Show-Me Institute and a visiting fellow at the Virginia-based Yorktown Foundation for Public Policy.

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