Yes in God's backyard

Enable faith-based organizations, nonprofits, and colleges to build affordable housing on underutilized land they already own — bypassing restrictive local zoning to put tax-exempt property to work against the shortage.

Legalize housingUpdated Jan 2026

Why it matters

The problem

Churches are among the largest landowners in their communities — Virginia's faith institutions alone collectively hold roughly 74,000 acres of undeveloped land. Most of it sits idle under restrictive zoning, while the institutions themselves struggle financially with declining attendance.

The fix

Let faith institutions — and, for maximum impact, nonprofits and postsecondary institutions — build housing by right on their own land under objective standards. Gentle density in high-opportunity neighborhoods, on existing infrastructure, without large-scale redevelopment.

The misconception to defuse early: Special approval for housing on religious land doesn't open the door to discrimination — every home built this way must follow the Fair Housing Act like any other. What it does open is land, and a lifeline for anchor institutions that want to stay viable by serving their neighbors.

Craft the policy

What separates versions that produce homes from versions that produce headlines.

Include

By-right development
Projects meeting objective standards and health-and-safety rules bypass restrictive local zoning — no multi-year rezone.
Example language: “…a housing development project [shall] be a use by right upon the request of an applicant who submits an application for streamlined approval, on any land owned by a religious institution.” — California SB 4 (2023)
Expedited permitting
Cut the local approval delays that inflate project costs — congregations have thin margins and mission timelines.
Example language: “…a use by right… on any land owned by an independent institution of higher education or religious institution.” — Virginia SB 233
Institutional flexibility
Expand eligibility beyond faith organizations to nonprofits and higher-education institutions — more qualifying land, more homes, more market relief.

Avoid

Strict affordability measures
Requirements that make projects financially impossible hit faith institutions hardest — they have the least development capital of any landowner.
Aesthetic requirements
Mission-driven values and housing outcomes outweigh visual uniformity; design-matching mandates restrict production without meaningful benefit.
Setbacks and floor-area ratios beyond health & safety
Excess geometric requirements significantly constrain the buildable area and can prevent development outright.

After it passes — implementation checklist

1Set clear effective dates
2Let developments use tax abatements, grants, or direct subsidies to reduce construction costs
3Add enforcement with an appeals process or legal recourse — appeals board, third-party standing, or Attorney General referral
4Establish objective approval standards with firm timelines — automatic approval if the locality misses its deadline

Make the case

Talking points

Housing on religious land follows the Fair Housing Act like every other home — special permission doesn't mean special exclusion.
Houses of worship are neighborhood anchors struggling with declining attendance — this policy keeps them viable while delivering affordable homes.
YIGBY preserves neighborhood character the real way: community institutions stay open, families stay housed, neighborhoods stay livable.

Likely allies — and why they show up

YIGBY & FBHI: The movement's subject-matter experts
Enterprise Community Partners: Runs the Faith-Based Development Initiative
Local religious leaders: The land and the mission are theirs
Affordable housing developers: Land is their scarcest input
Community land banks: Mission-aligned land stewardship
Nonprofits & higher-education institutions: The same permission applies to their land

Wins & momentum

—Virginia
Virginia YIMBYs pushed to expand YIGBY affordable housing to the lowest income levels
YIMBY-backed
2026Florida
Florida YIMBYs worked to make YIGBY mandatory rather than optional — effective July 1, 2026
YIMBY-backed

Related endorsements

When legislation carries this policy, our members vote on endorsing it — policy work and electoral work reinforcing each other.

Endorsed · 2025 federal slate