The city’s new program was made in response to a state law that’s set to take effect in January. (Mike Platania photo)
Ahead of the state’s “Yes in God’s Backyard” law going into effect to help religious organizations more easily build “affordable” housing developments on their properties, the City of Richmond is rolling out a program to complement the new legislation.
Last week the city announced a Faith & Housing initiative, which aims to provide guidance to faith-based nonprofits interested in using the new state law but that might not have experience in real estate development. The program is being launched in response to the state’s new, similarly named Faith in Housing legislation that’s set to take effect in 2027.
The state legislation, also known as the “Yes in God’s Backyard” law as a play on the antidevelopment motto “Not In My Backyard,” allows qualifying organizations to build housing for lower-income people on land they own by right.
While the new law will allow such projects to supersede any local zoning or land-use laws, other conditions must be met relating to income criteria for residents (a majority of units would have to be available to those earning up to 80% of the area median income), land ownership (the organization must have owned the property for at least five years before development), and height (buildings can be a maximum of 45 feet or the height of the tallest by right building nearby, whichever is taller).
The purpose of the city’s new program is to help organizations develop plans, conduct market feasibility studies and discuss the plans with their congregation and neighbors. It’ll also introduce organizations to developers and financing partners for potential projects.
The city’s Department of Housing and Community Development is running the Faith & Housing program and is accepting applications for the first yearlong, 12-member cohort until Nov. 30. Sympara, a nonprofit out of North Carolina that specializes in helping religious organizations develop their land, has been contracted by the city to run the initiative for two years. The city and Sympara didn’t respond to questions regarding the value of the contract between the two parties.
Sympara founder Daniel Pryfogle said the program’s goal is “to equip congregations for the multiyear journey that is affordable housing development.”
“We want them to understand the ins and outs of affordable housing finance and development,” Pryfogle said. “We want to get them connected with people who can take this journey with them.”
Loren Brown, a senior project manager at DHCD, said the program is a way for faith organizations to understand what’s possible with their land.
“In addition to some of the other challenges in building affordable housing, land is a real challenge in the city,” Brown said. “And faith organizations, in many cases, have unused or underutilized property that they’re not really doing anything with, and would like to do something with.”
DHCD is planning to host a pair of virtual information sessions on Nov. 4 and 6. The program will start in January 2027 when the new law takes effect. While the state law allows nonreligious nonprofit organizations to use the new legislation, the city’s program is available exclusively to faith-based organizations.
The law was introduced as a way to both bring more affordable housing to the state as well as help religious organizations get value out of underutilized land. Some, such as Seventh Street Christian Church, face shrinking congregations and are in spaces too large for them, and others simply have excess land that sits unused, often in urban areas.
Before the state legislation was passed, some religious organizations had already been showing interest in repurposing their land, including Seventh Street Christian Church in the near West End and Saint Paul’s Baptist Church in Varina.
The incoming legislative change has already been noticed by others in City Hall. Earlier this month, before voting down a proposed townhome development near Byrd Park, City Council members noted that the land was owned by nonprofit organization The Virginia Home, which could use the legislation to build a higher density development without having to go through council.
Virginia’s Faith in Housing bills were modeled after similar legislation in other states such as California, which Pryfogle said was one of the early movers for it. He said that Florida has passed similar legislation, as have major cities like Atlanta, Georgia, and Seattle, Washington, and that there’s been interest at the federal level.
“There’s definitely some momentum nationwide,” Pryfogle said.
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