Faith-based housing can help with affordability crisis

Long Island’s cost of living has reached a crisis point, especially for minority communities. Homeownership is out of the question for many as housing costs continue to skyrocket. According to New York University’s Furman Center, more than half of Long Island renters were rent-burdened (spending more than 30% of their income on rent) as of 2022. Our neighbors, friends, family members and congregants are leaving the area, never to return.

I see this firsthand as a pastor. Many people in my congregation are working two or three jobs just to cover necessities, let alone build a future for themselves and their families. Seniors on fixed incomes must make impossible choices between paying for prescription medication, food, or housing.

One member of my congregation, now in their 80s, still works every day just to afford a place to live. After their partner passed away, this congregant was forced to continue working rather than enjoying their golden years.

Faith-based institutions can help, but we need the tools to do so. Churches and religious organizations across Long Island have properties — land or buildings — that are underutilized or no longer serve their original purpose. These parcels could be transformed into affordable housing, alleviating the burden on our congregants and our institutions. But right now, bureaucratic red tape makes it nearly impossible.

The Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act currently before the State Legislature would help. This bill would allow faith-based institutions to repurpose their land for affordable housing without the lengthy and costly barriers that often halt progress. This is not about rezoning entire neighborhoods or changing the suburban character of Long Island — fewer than one-quarter of 1% of the more than 1 million lots on Long Island are owned by faith-based organizations. It is about giving churches, synagogues, mosques, and other faith centers the ability to address a crisis that affects the people we serve every day. Taken together, the relatively small number of lots owned by faith communities statewide could provide affordable homes for 180,000 New Yorkers.

I understand the concerns some have raised. Long Island is a unique place, balancing suburban and urban elements. Many families — including my own — cherish the traditional single-family home model, complete with backyards, a driveway, and open space. There is also worry about increased congestion, strained infrastructure, and the impact of multifamily housing on local services. These are valid concerns, but they should not prevent us from making smart, targeted changes that help those most in need. The Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act applies only to land that houses of worship own, bringing more properties onto the tax roll which supports critical services. This is not about transforming transit hubs or forcing rezoning across the board — it is about empowering religious institutions to use their own land for good.

As New Yorkers, we can either continue down a path where working people and seniors are priced out of their own communities, or we can embrace innovative, compassionate solutions that allow faith organizations to play a role in addressing the housing crisis.

Our faith compels us to act. Our communities need us to act. Now, we need lawmakers to act. Pass the Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act and give our congregations the opportunity to build a future where everyone has a place to call home.

This guest essay reflects the views of the Rev.Tristan J. Salley, senior pastor of St. Paul AME Church in Rockville Centre and president of the AME Ministerial Alliance of New York and Vicinity.