Vox reposted this
Tens of thousands of houses of worship could close in the next decade due to declining membership + rising costs. Building much-needed affordable housing on that land could provide these institutions with some new revenue streams, and/or ways to cement their mission-oriented legacies when they're gone. Building housing on land owned by religious institutions could also provide a way for cities to avoid the blight that comes from having large vacant properties — especially in smaller towns where the structures served as central civic anchors. I wrote about the "Yes in God's Backyard" movement—or #YIGBY— and why it offers a practical path forward for new housing in the US https://lnkd.in/e2zA4YSZ
Jesse Hammer
3w
It takes propping up religious institutions for America to realize that building affordable housing is good? That’s depressing.
Matthew Warren
1mo
The Buffalo Diocese just announced a bunch of such closures. They are selling the land, not developing it, but still something to think about.
Research. Journalism. Health Care. Education. Fine Arts.
1moInteresting. I have always wondered though if religious houses could take on (in addition to worship) roles as mental health leaders in the community. Community centers function as a way of bringing people together, regardless of their function. And our society is really lacking togetherness and better access to mental health care. Of course affordable housing is needed, but what is housing without a supportive equal access community around it?