Walk past a church in a high-traffic urban neighborhood and you’ll likely see a massive parking lot that stays empty six days a week. It’s a literal desert of asphalt. Meanwhile, three blocks away, families are struggling to pay rent that eats up 50% of their paycheck. This disconnect is exactly why the YIGBY Act—or "Yes in God’s Backyard"—is finally gaining traction across the United States.
It's a simple idea, honestly.
Religious institutions and non-profits often own significant amounts of land, but zoning laws make it nearly impossible for them to build anything other than a sanctuary or a fellowship hall. If a mosque or a synagogue wants to turn that empty gravel lot into twenty units of low-income housing, they usually hit a brick wall of bureaucracy. The YIGBY Act changes the math. By streamlining the "upzoning" process specifically for faith-based organizations and non-profits, it creates a fast track for affordable housing that bypasses the usual NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) roadblocks.
California led the charge here. Senate Bill 4, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, basically told local cities they couldn't block these projects if they met certain criteria. It’s a massive shift in how we think about land use. Instead of fighting over every single apartment building, the law grants a "use by right" status. This means if the project is 100% affordable, the city has to say yes.
The Actual Mechanics of the YIGBY Act
You’ve probably heard of NIMBYs. Maybe you’ve even been one when a massive tower was proposed next to your house. But the YIGBY Act targets a specific type of development that’s hard to argue against: mission-driven housing.
When a church decides to build, they aren't usually looking for a 20% profit margin to satisfy Wall Street investors. They’re looking to house the homeless or provide senior living. Because these organizations already own the land, the "basis cost" of the project is significantly lower. In the world of real estate development, the land is often the most expensive part. When you remove that cost, the rents can stay low without needing massive government subsidies that take decades to secure.
But it’s not just about the money.
The legal framework of the YIGBY Act provides a "streamlined" ministerial approval process. This is fancy policy-speak for "no public hearings where people scream about parking for three hours." If the building meets the safety and height requirements, it gets a green light. This reduces the "entitlement risk" that kills most affordable housing projects before they even break ground.
Why Faith-Based Land is the Secret Weapon
Religious groups are some of the largest landowners in the country. In California alone, it’s estimated that faith-based organizations own over 47,000 acres of developable land. That is a staggering number. Most of this land is in "high-resource" areas—places with good schools, transit, and jobs—where it is traditionally impossible to build affordable units.
Think about the impact.
Small-scale projects.
Ten units here.
Thirty units there.
It adds up.
A study from the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley highlighted that this land is often underutilized. We are talking about parsonages that are falling apart or "overflow" parking lots that haven't been full since the 1990s. By activating this land, the YIGBY Act creates a decentralized way to tackle the housing crisis. It doesn't rely on one giant "project" in a poor neighborhood. It spreads the housing across the entire community.
Breaking Down the Resistance
Not everyone is a fan. Obviously.
Some local officials feel like their power is being stripped away. They argue that "local control" is essential for maintaining the character of a neighborhood. There’s also the concern about infrastructure. If you add 40 apartments to a quiet street, can the sewers handle it? Is there enough water? These are valid questions, but the YIGBY Act usually includes provisions that require projects to meet basic health and safety standards.
The tension usually comes down to a clash of values.
🔗 Read more: Is Gavin Newsom a Democrat? What Most People Get Wrong
On one side, you have the "character of the neighborhood" crowd. On the other, you have the "people need a roof" crowd. What’s interesting about the YIGBY Act is that it’s hard for traditional conservatives to oppose. It’s literally about property rights and religious freedom. If a church wants to use its own land to fulfill its mission of helping the poor, shouldn't the government stay out of the way?
This "strange bedfellows" alliance is why we’re seeing similar bills pop up in states you wouldn’t expect. It’s not just a "blue state" thing. From Virginia to Washington state, the conversation is shifting. People are realizing that the old way of zoning—separating everything into tiny, rigid boxes—just doesn't work in a modern economy where the average worker can't afford a one-bedroom apartment.
Real-World Examples: It’s Not Just Theory
Take St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in San Diego. They had a parking lot. They had a vision. But for years, they were stuck in a cycle of permits and appeals. With the momentum of YIGBY-style policies, projects like these are becoming the blueprint. They aren't building "the projects" of the 1970s. They are building high-quality, sustainable homes that blend into the community.
In Pasadena, the Congregational Church of Pasadena worked for nearly a decade to get 16 units of permanent supportive housing built on their land. A decade! That is a ridiculous amount of time for a small project. The YIGBY Act aims to cut that down to months, not years.
It’s also about the "missing middle."
Not everyone needs a deeply subsidized apartment.
Some people just need a "niche" place.
Teachers.
Firefighters.
The people who keep the city running but are being priced out of it.
The Nuance: Limitations of the Law
We shouldn't pretend this is a magic wand. Building housing is still hard. Even if the zoning is fixed, you still have to deal with the skyrocketing cost of lumber, labor shortages, and interest rates that make borrowing money feel like a root canal.
📖 Related: USP Lewisburg: What Most People Get Wrong About the Big House
The YIGBY Act solves the legal problem, but it doesn't solve the construction problem.
Faith-based groups are often "land rich but cash poor." They have the dirt, but they don't have the $15 million needed to build the structure. This is where partnerships come in. Most successful YIGBY projects involve a partnership between the religious group and a professional non-profit developer like Bridge Housing or Mercy Housing. The church provides the land (often through a long-term ground lease), and the developer handles the tax credits and the hammers-and-nails side of things.
There is also the "prevailing wage" debate. In many versions of the YIGBY Act, developers are required to pay workers union-level wages. This is great for workers, but it can make the projects more expensive to build. It’s a delicate balance. If the requirements are too strict, nothing gets built. If they are too loose, you risk exploiting labor.
What Most People Get Wrong About YIGBY
People think this is going to lead to massive skyscrapers next to single-family homes. That’s just not true. Most of these bills have height limits tied to the surrounding area. You aren't going to see a 20-story tower in the middle of a suburb just because there’s a small chapel there.
Another misconception is that this is only for "liberal" churches. Honestly, some of the most enthusiastic supporters are conservative congregations that see housing as a core part of their "pro-life" or "pro-family" mission. If you care about the nuclear family, you should probably care that a young couple can’t afford to live within 50 miles of their parents.
How to Actually Get a Project Moving
If you are part of an organization looking to utilize the YIGBY Act, you can't just start digging tomorrow. You need a strategy.
First, you have to audit your land. Is it actually buildable? Sometimes that "empty lot" is sitting on top of an old oil tank or has weird soil issues.
Second, you need a feasibility study. Just because you can build 50 units doesn't mean the neighborhood's electrical grid can support it without a $2 million upgrade.
Third, find a developer who speaks "church." Religious organizations operate differently than corporations. They have boards, committees, and a "mission-first" mindset. You need a partner who understands that the goal isn't just a high ROI, but a high social impact.
Actionable Next Steps for Communities
If you want to see the YIGBY Act actually work in your town, here is what needs to happen:
- Check Local Ordinances: See if your city has already "opted in" or if they are trying to circumvent state laws with "historic preservation" tricks.
- Engage Your Congregation: If you’re a member of a faith-based group, start the conversation now. These projects take years to plan, and the best time to start was yesterday.
- Map the Land: Use GIS tools to identify underutilized parcels owned by non-profits in your area. Visualizing the "missing" housing makes the argument much more persuasive to local councils.
- Support Statewide Legislation: If your state doesn't have a version of this law, look at the California or Washington models. These are the "gold standard" for removing the red tape that keeps people on the streets.
The YIGBY Act is a rare piece of legislation that actually addresses the root cause of the housing shortage: we simply don't have enough places where it is legal to build. By empowering the "willing" (churches and non-profits) to bypass the "unwilling" (exclusionary zoning boards), we can finally start making a dent in the crisis. It’s not a total fix. Nothing is. But it’s a massive step toward a future where "affordable housing" isn't just a buzzword, but a reality for the people who need it most.