Millions of acres of land are held by faith-based organizations in America, with many thousands of properties currently underutilized or vacant. Faith-based organizations are, therefore, increasingly trying to repurpose some or all of their properties for beneficial community uses, fulfilling their moral social missions. In this episode, Dave Amos of City Beautiful talks about a growing national movement of faith-based organizations that are seeking to put their landholdings to work for housing, known as Yes-In-God’s-Backyard (YIGBY), and the obstacles that the movement faces.
Stephen is a professional urban planner in Puget Sound with a passion for sustainable, livable, and diverse cities. He is especially interested in how policies, regulations, and programs can promote positive outcomes for communities. With stints in great cities like Bellingham and Cork, Stephen currently lives in Seattle. He primarily covers land use and transportation issues and has been with The Urbanist since 2014.