07.29.24 | Advocacy and Action, Wealth Equity, Legislative Advocacy
(This Action Alert was created by the General Board of Church & Society)
Faith-based organizations and institutions of higher education are forming new partnerships to develop affordable rental housing on the land they already own. However, they face barriers like zoning and other policies to develop affordable housing.
Senator Sherrod Brown, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs has introduced the Yes In God’s Back Yard Act (S. 3910), which supports faith-based organizations and colleges building and preserving affordable housing on their land and reduce barriers to the development of this housing. In addition to The United States’ shortage of 7.3 million affordable rental homes, access to affordable rental housing is drastically declining (National Low Income Housing Coalition).
Senator Brown’s bill would:
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Provide technical assistance to faith-based organizations and institutions of higher education wanting to use their existing land to increase or preserve the supply of affordable rental housing.
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Provide technical assistance to local governments to learn best practices and how they can facilitate the production of affordable rental housing on land owned by faith-based organizations and institutions of higher education.
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Create challenge grants to provide additional resources to communities that adopt policies that remove barriers to the production and preservation of affordable rental housing on property owned by faith-based organizations and institutions of higher education.
As United Methodists, we are called to help the poor and support policies that aid in alleviating poverty such as access to affordable housing. We “emphasize measures that build and maintain the wealth of poor people” and “call upon churches to develop these and other ministries that promote asset-building among the poor,” (The United Methodist Social Principles).
Contact your elected officials today and ask them to pass the Yes In God’s Back Yard Act (S. 3910) to support faith-based organizations and colleges who want to build and provide affordable housing on their land.