Churches Could Build 800,000 Homes on Religious Land

A growing national movement, known as Yes in God's Backyard (YIGBY), is encouraging churches, synagogues, and other houses of worship to develop housing on their underutilized land. This initiative aims to address the affordable housing shortage by leveraging the vast amount of land owned by religious groups. Collectively, these institutions own over 2.6 million acres across the U.S., an area that could potentially accommodate up to 800,000 new homes, according to a 2025 Forbes report. The YIGBY movement positions itself as a community-first approach, contrasting with Not in My Backyard (NIMBY) sentiments.

Since 2023, three states have passed YIGBY legislation, with bills pending in three additional states and a federal proposal progressing through Congress. However, the movement's advancement has faced challenges, with similar measures failing in five states. This comes at a time when the national housing shortage has reached 4.03 million homes, particularly impacting the affordable housing sector. Despite these hurdles, advocates are pushing for YIGBY reforms, with a Boise, Idaho-based nonprofit serving as an example of successful faith-based affordable housing development.

The success of such projects, like the one highlighted in Boise, demonstrates the broader benefits that extend beyond the provision of housing. These developments can enrich both the communities and the religious institutions involved. The article notes the worsening affordability crisis in regions like Idaho, where barriers to affordable housing became more pronounced around 2016. Bart Cochran, who has extensive experience in the Idaho real estate market, observed a significant shift in housing affordability during that period.