Support for SB4: Affordable Housing on Faith Lands Act

Read the policy letter in pdf form here.

Dear Senator Wiener,

On behalf of the YIMBY Democrats of San Diego County, please accept this letter in support of Senate Bill 4, which would make building affordable housing easier, faster, and cheaper on land owned by faith-based institutions and nonprofit colleges.

The YIMBY Democrats of San Diego County is dedicated to growing San Diego in the communities where we live. In addition to developing more affordable and market-rate housing to increase the supply of housing, we believe in prioritizing infill development near transit and employment centers with the goal of increasing our housing supply, leveraging our urban environments, protecting our natural resources and advancing economic inclusion and opportunity for all.

SB 4 will streamline the building process and offer new tools for neighborhood leaders to build safe, stable, affordable homes for local residents and families. This bill will allow places of worship to build 100% affordable housing projects, creating a valuable option in the midst of the state’s housing and homelessness crises. It also provides significant untapped benefits for faith-based organizations, from supporting an organization’s charitable mission to providing revenue that can stabilize the organization’s finances.

This is a common-sense opportunity for us to partner with trusted community leaders. The catastrophic tragedies we see on the street every day call for urgent and bold action and this bill will help us move forward. Thank you for your leadership on these critical housing and homelessness issues and for all these reasons, we support this bill.

Sincerely,

Angeli Hoyos 

President, YIMBY Democrats of San Diego County