White Plains, NY – With housing costs soaring and Westchester County residents struggling to find affordable homes, faith leaders, housing advocates and county and local elected officials gathered in White Plains to call for immediate action on the Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act. During a symbolic Faith Walk hosted by Welcome Home Westchester and New York Faith Housing, religious and government leaders alike emphasized the need to address the county’s housing shortage.
The bill is intended to provide new avenues for faith institutions to serve their communities, unlocking over 60,000 new homes statewide over the next decade on extra land owned by faith-based organizations. With overwhelming public support – 74% of New Yorkers statewide in favor of the bill – advocates say lawmakers must act now.
“Because we did it, other churches can do it. This bill will [allow] an opportunity for other faith-based institutions to do what we have done,” said Rev. Dr. Gregory Robeson Smith, senior pastor of Mt. Hope A.M.E. Zion Church, which is currently developing 56 units of affordable housing for seniors adjacent to the church in a converted parking lot.
The Mt. Hope Plaza approval process lasted eight years. According to Ron Abad, CEO of Community Housing Innovations and a member of Welcome Home Westchester’s Policy Advisory Committee, the development is expected to be completed within two years. Supporters of the Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act are hopeful that the bill will allow similar projects to get off the ground more quickly and efficiently.
“A phenomenal vision is coming into form right before our very eyes,” said Timothy Foley, CEO and Executive Vice President of the Building and Realty Institute of Westchester and the Mid-Hudson Region and Welcome Home Westchester partner. “The problem is it’s after eight years that this phenomenal vision is taking place. We need to do better, we need to do it faster. You can’t solve the housing shortage with the way things have always been done because that’s how we got here in the first place.”
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins stated, “There are so many of our faith-based institutions that have property, and they want to continue their missions: to be able to serve their community. This example [Mt. Hope Plaza] allows for the advocacy, at the state-level, of all of us being here together.”
Westchester County Legislator Tyrae Woodson-Samuels emphasized, “Affordability is a major issue. We have to collaborate with our local leaders at the city level, the town level, the village level; as well as collaborate with our folks at the state level.”
White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach also applauded the efforts. “If you look at what we’ve done with affordable housing, it’s pretty amazing,” he said. “I think that all we are trying to do with the legislation is find new ways to try and get housing built. It’s not just the right thing to do, economically, it’s how you stay viable.”
Asia Thomas, Director of Organizing at Open New York, noted, “The need for affordable housing is undeniable, and faith leaders across the state are prepared to contribute to the solution.The Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act is a concrete step that can create a ripple effect across New York, but only if action is taken now.”
Rashida Tyler, Deputy Executive Director of the NYS Council of Churches, stated, “The Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act is a common-sense solution. Houses of worship are ready and willing to address the needs of their communities by building affordable housing. Unfortunately, many face NIMBY-ism and misapplied zoning regulations that inhibit the construction of this much-needed housing. Legislators and the Governor are equipped to create a win-win solution here, so let’s make it happen.”
The Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act would streamline the often costly and lengthy approvals process needed for faith leaders to build affordable homes on excess and underutilized land. The bill is projected to house as many as 180,000 New Yorkers and is supported by a broad coalition of over 300 faith leaders, housing advocates and community groups.
Speakers at the May 20 Faith Walk called on lawmakers in Albany to pass the Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act and urged Westchester residents to make their voices heard by contacting their representatives today.
About Welcome Home Westchester
The Welcome Home Westchester campaign is a multi-stakeholder advocacy effort consisting of business and nonprofit leaders, academics, think tanks, faith leaders and community advocates working together to drive a new public conversation around fixing the housing shortage in Westchester County. Learn more at welcomehomewestchester.org.
About New York Faith Housing
Launched in 2024, New York Faith Housing is a statewide movement of thousands of faith leaders and housing advocates tackling New York’s urgent housing and homelessness crisis. Faith-based organizations (FBOs) provide vital community support, yet many face restrictive zoning that prevents them from creating affordable housing on their own land. We champion the Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act, urging Governor Hochul and the Legislature to remove these barriers. Learn more at nyfaithhousing.org