Faith communities can help the city add housing

In our houses of worship, we bear witness firsthand to a crisis impacting our city: housing insecurity. We hear from families facing impossible choices between paying rent and putting food on the table. We see our homeless brothers and sisters coming into our houses for shelter. We talk to our seniors who are afraid that the place they have called home for decades might be slipping through their fingers. Every day, we pray for these New Yorkers.

However, prayer is not all we can do.

Our sacred texts call us to action. Whether it’s the Torah’s command to “open your hand to the poor and needy,” the Bible’s instruction to “shelter the poor wanderer,” or the Quran’s emphasis on providing for those in need, our faith compels us to do more than witness suffering — we must act to alleviate it.

City of Yes for Housing Opportunity is a path forward to alleviate the pain of housing insecurity that too many New Yorkers face.

For too long, archaic and antiquated zoning laws have been a barrier to creating more affordable housing. We must become a “City of Yes” — yes in my neighborhood, yes on my block, and yes in my backyard. That’s why the Department of City Planning has put forward the City of Yes: a plan to modernize our zoning laws and build a little more housing in every neighborhood.

Time and time again, the faith-based community has readily stood with the city to bring light in the darkest moments — from a global pandemic to an international asylum seeker crisis, and everything in between. Now, we want to show up for New Yorkers in need by helping to build affordable housing.

Zoning laws can be complicated and complex, but they have a real impact on our city’s ability to build more housing. Right now, our broken zoning laws prevent faith-based organizations from building essential housing. If a congregation has an empty campus, or large lot, and wants to build affordable housing, our current zoning laws often prevent them from doing that. That makes no sense.

We need to make it easier, not harder, to build housing. When our trusted community leaders and fellow faith-based leaders want to step up and provide much-needed affordable housing, we should be doing everything we can to support them — not throw up barriers. City of Yes would support faith-based and other mission-oriented organizations as critical partners to address our housing crisis.

Why should houses of worship enter the housing development business? We already are in the business of supporting our communities. Our food pantries, homeless shelters, and community programs have long served as critical support systems. Affordable housing is a natural extension of this mission — one that will help ensure our longtime congregants can afford to remain near their spiritual homes.

We also recognize that change can be challenging, and some may have concerns about new development in their neighborhoods. But we believe that New York’s housing crisis demands bold action from all of us. As faith leaders, we are uniquely positioned to implement these changes thoughtfully and with deep consideration for community needs. Our congregations have been anchor institutions in our neighborhoods for generations — we understand the importance of responsible development that preserves community character while meeting critical needs.

The call to build more affordable housing has never been louder. City of Yes is being voted on soon and New Yorkers have made their voice heard that action needs to be taken. According to a recent poll, after the City of Yes proposal was explained to voters, 80% said they support the proposal. Along with a historically low 1.4% vacancy rate, the data is clear: New Yorkers can no longer afford to wait.

We hope that our partners in the City Council will listen to the facts and figures, and those dealing with housing insecurity, and do what’s right by saying “yes” to City of Yes.

Our churches, mosques, and synagogues, and everywhere else have the land and the will to build — it’s time we let them. Our faith teaches us that having a safe, stable home is fundamental to human dignity. It’s time for us to put our faith into action by using our resources to help solve one of our city’s most pressing crises. The souls of our congregations — and of our beloved city — depend on it. Let’s do what’s best for everyday New Yorkers. Let’s be a City of Yes.

Troia, a Reformed Church in America minister, is president and CEO of Project Hospitality. Nelson is senior pastor at Ebenezer Urban Ministry Center.