ST. PETERSBURG, FL — The “Yes in God’s Backyard” (YIGBY) program, a new city initiative meant to help local houses of worship explore building affordable housing on land they own, has formally launched in St. Petersburg.
The city’s Office of Community Impact will lead the program, with the Florida Housing Coalition serving as technical assistance consultant, while the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg will host the first information session on July 28, according to a news release.
St. Petersburg is the first local government in Florida to adopt the YIGBY provision into its city code after city councilors unanimously approved the ordinance in December.
The ordinance implements Senate Bill 1730, which gives Florida cities and counties the option to allow affordable housing on land owned by a religious institution that contains, or is contiguous to, a house of worship, regardless of the property’s underlying zoning.
“St. Petersburg led the way in adopting YIGBY, and now we’re building the program that will help our congregations put it to work,” Mayor Kenneth T. Welch said. “Houses of worship are trusted anchors in every neighborhood, and many sit on land that could help close our affordable housing gap. This partnership with the Florida Housing Coalition ensures congregations have an expert at the table as they consider what’s possible on their property.”
The city said the program will offer education and one-on-one technical assistance to interested congregations. That includes help evaluating site feasibility, understanding the city’s YIGBY site plan review process, and navigating funding resources such as the state’s Predevelopment Loan Program, which can help cover up-front costs including architectural design and environmental review.
The Florida Housing Coalition has estimated that activating YIGBY could unlock more than 30,000 parcels for affordable housing development statewide.
“St. Petersburg has set the standard for how local governments can activate YIGBY, and we’re proud to help take that work to the next step by supporting the congregations who are ready to explore building on their own land,” Ashon Nesbitt, CEO of the Florida Housing Coalition, said.
The first information session for interested congregations is scheduled for July 28, 10 a.m., at the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg’s Center for Health Equity.
This session will introduce the YIGBY process, outline the technical assistance available through the coalition and give houses of worship a chance to ask questions about next steps, the city said.
“As an organization that works to create a community in which good health helps all people thrive, we’re honored to host this first conversation between the City, the Florida Housing Coalition, and our faith community,” Dr. Kanika Tomalin, president and chief executive officer of the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, said. “Addressing complex problems requires collaboration and systems-level thinking; we're happy to help create the space for partners to explore what's next.”
Houses of worship that are interested in the program can contact the Office of Community Impact by emailing Rev. Dr. Kenneth Irby at Kenneth.Irby@stpete.org.
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