Innovative solutions are essential to addressing California’s housing crisis. The Affordable Housing on Faith Lands Act (SB4) is one such innovation recently signed into law (read about our endorsement).
SB4 unlocks the potential of faith-based properties for affordable housing development. “Congregations and faith-based organizations are embedded in the tapestry of who the Bay Area is. It’s natural for congregations and faith-based organizations to dive deep into the solution of building affordable housing for low-income communities of color,” said Michelle Myles Chambers, Director of the FAITHS program.
It recognizes that places of worship and faith institutions often own large parcels of land that can be repurposed to address the housing crisis.
“As staunch supporters and endorsers of SB4, the San Francisco Interfaith Council thanks State Senator Scott Wiener for his vision and perseverance in shepherding this groundbreaking legislation to fruition,” remarked Michael G. Pappas, Executive Director of the San Francisco Interfaith Council. “SB4 will both incentivize and make it possible for congregations and religious institutions to repurpose their properties for affordable housing and, thus, be part of our state’s housing shortage solution.”
We proudly support our grantees, such as Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California, who have worked tirelessly to pass this critical legislation. NPH’s policy director Abram Diaz praised SB 4 as “a powerful new tool that harnesses the mission of our religious institutions and colleges to address the homebuilding needs of our state.”
Learn more:
- Affordable Housing on Faiths Land Act Fact Sheet and News Coverage
- SFF’s All In On Housing approach
- SFF’s FAITHS Program
