Zoning Restrictions and Lengthy Waits Could Vanish for Religious Groups’ Affordable Housing Project

ALBANY (VINnews) A new bill that is currently under consideration in the New York State Legislature could be a game changer for religious institutions, paving the way for fast-tracked affordable housing projects that would be free of restrictions imposed by local zoning laws.

State Senator Andrew Gounardes introduced his Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act in December. Dialing back what he called New York’s “restrictive” zoning laws was an approach that offered possibilities for the Brooklyn Democrat, who said that he had been collaborating with affordable housing advocates to identify new avenues for reasonably-priced solutions.

“New York has a severe affordable housing crisis and our houses of worship are uniquely positioned to help,” said Gounardes as a March 5th rally in support of his bill. “The Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act is our commitment to meeting the urgent need to address New York’s housing crisis while respecting the unique character of communities across the state.”

While other attempts at solving the housing crunch have provided incentives, Gounardes’s plan eliminates the barriers that have prevented faith-based organizations from building on their own land.

The legislation would give religious groups the right to build on their own land, albeit in compliance with certain criteria, would create a comprehensive training program on housing development for faith-based groups and would create new zoning that would spark the construction of new housing. It would also slash months and possibly even years off the building process, eliminating environmental impact statements and site plan reviews and would mandate a 60 day timeline for issuing building permits.

Under the legislation, faith-based groups outside of New York City could build 30 units per acre in municipalities that have fewer than 50,000 residents, while larger areas could create as many as 50 units per acre. The density numbers would be different in New York City, where Mayor Eric Adams has proposed his own City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan, which he described as “a fight for the soul of our city.”

“Today we are saying ‘yes in G-d’s backyard,’ and enabling faith-based organizations and non-profits to convert old convents, school buildings and other properties into desperately-needed housing,” said Adams at a March 22nd press conference. “Faith leaders remain on the frontlines of countless issues and now they will play an even more active role in building more housing and reclaiming our city for working-class New Yorkers.”

USA Today reported that California has alleviated similar issues by working with “trusted community partners.” But while Gounardes’ bill has 18 Senate sponsors, and a companion bill introduced in the Assembly by Assemblyman Brian Cunningham has an additional 27 sponsors, local officials may not be embracing it as eagerly.

“Once you start saying you don’t have to comply with zoning laws and planning laws, then community is losing a lot in terms of maintaining the character of the community,” said Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner.

Feiner expressed his concerns that land owners might attempt to masquerade as religious groups in order to thwart zoning laws, should the bill be passed into law.

Equally vocal about his opposition was Clarkstown Supervisor George Hoehmann, whose town has been immersed in a legal battle for several years over accusations that it illegally blocked Ateres Bais Yaakov, an Orthodox Jewish girls’ school, from buying a local property. Hoehmann said that he would fight any move to undermine Clarkstown’s authority that could alter the “character of the local community,” and that the proposed legislation would undermine the town’s previous efforts to identify areas that are best suited to the population density that is inherent in affordable housing,

“A one size fits all approach never works,” said Hoehmann.

Gounardes feels strongly that the Faith-Based Housing Acts offers benefits to all. Any affordable housing units that would be built would be returned to the tax rolls, benefitting local municipalities, lower income families could see their housing concerns addressed and religious groups could realize some much-needed relief as well.

“By enabling religious institutions to develop affordable housing, we’re empowering them to serve New York’s most vulnerable while ensuring their own financial stability, too,” noted Gounardes.