On October 30, 2023, Ellia Thompson published, “‘Yes in God’s Back Yard’ Law Aims to Help Battle California’s Housing Crisis” in Multifamily Dive. The following is an excerpt:
On Oct. 11, Governor Newsom signed SB 4, the Affordable Housing on Faith Lands Act (also known as “Yes in God’s Back Yard”), which promises to be one of the momentous state housing bills of 2023. SB 4 allows religious groups and nonprofit colleges to build affordable housing on their land “by right,” without requiring strict adherence to zoning standards.
According to a 2023 report by the Terner Center for Housing Innovation, faith-based organizations and nonprofit colleges own more than 170,000 acres statewide of under-utilized land that could be redeveloped for affordable housing.
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