Affordable Housing Finance: California Approves Hefty Package of Housing Bills

Churches, faith institutions, and nonprofit colleges in California have a smoother path to build affordable housing on their land after the passage of a new state bill.

Under the Affordable Housing on Faith Lands Act (SB 4), the organizations will not have to go through an expensive and often difficult rezoning approval process to utilize their land for affordable housing. It rezones the property and ensures neither the California Environmental Quality Act nor local political processes can be misused to stop affordable housing projects, according to state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco).

His legislation, dubbed the “Yes in God’s Back Yard” law, was among 56 housing bills signed Oct. 11 by Gov. Gavin Newsom to streamline housing production and protect tenants.

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