Push to let churches build affordable housing on their land
LOS ANGELES: There is a growing trend to allow churches to build affordable seniors housing on their land.
The fight that gave rise to yet another California housing-related moniker — Yes in God’s Back Yard, or YIGBY — is back as a state senator revives a bill that would allow churches to build affordable housing on their parking lots.
Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, reintroduced a measure Thursday that would make it easier for religious groups to build housing by removing local zoning restrictions. The bill would apply to churches, synagogues, mosques and other faith organizations, as well as nonprofit colleges, that want to build apartments or condos on excess land they own.