Did you know that a congregation can have affordable housing built on their property with little or no out-of-pocket cost to the congregation?
The Congregational Land Development Committee of Pasadena, CA led by Dr. Jill Shook has been helping churches develop affordable housing on their land for three years in Southern California. In 2023 the Pasadena, CA team developed a cohort to train teams in states around the country to use their model.
The cohort was launched February 2023. Seeing the impending danger of increased homelessness and displacement of low-income residents of Houston with the rising cost of housing, God moved on the heart of the CEO and Founder of Kingdom
Works, Inc. (KWI), Pastor Camelia Joseph, to join the cohort. Congregational Land Development-Greater Houston was developed and launched on June 6, 2023.
We currently have 12 churches with land ready to develop enrolled in the program.We are excited and grateful to Dr. Shook and her team for the amazing training and support they are providing. We have fully embraced their model and are implementing it with our churches. KWI has developed Churches United for Economic and Community Development alongside it help the churches develop supportive services, family strengthening, education,
financial literacy, and employment programs to improve the quality of life of individuals and families in their communities.
Kingdom Works, Inc.’s Congregational Land Development-Houston Program was created to assist religious institutions in exploring the feasibility of using some their property to build affordable housing, often at little or no cost to the congregation. We are happy to initiate a dialogue with you to discern if building affordable housing on underutilized congregation land is a wise and feasible option.
We can help your congregation connect with an affordable housing developer who will obtain the needed funding and ensure that this project fulfills the vision and mission of your congregation, with a fair rate of return. To request assistance, contact: Pastor Camelia Joseph at 626-354-0436.
To request assistance, contact: Pastor Camelia Joseph, pastorcamelia@gmail.com or 626-254-0436.
Houston, TX is approaching a severe affordable housing crisis, although we significantly reduced our homeless population we are in danger of a significant increase with the increasing cost of rents and home purchase prices.
But over time, Israel refused to fully apply the Sabbath laws, eliciting strong rebukes from the prophets: Enough, you princes of Israel! Stop all your violence and oppression and do what is just and right. Quit robbing and cheating my people out of their land! Stop expelling them from their homes. You must use only honest weights and scales… Ezekiel 45:9-10 …you hate honest judges and despise those who tell the truth. You trample the poor and steal what little they have through taxes and unfair rent.” Amos 5:10-11: “When you want a certain piece of land, you find a way to seize it. When you want someone’s house you take it by fraud and violence….you have evicted women from their homes and stripped their children of their God given rights.” Micah 2:2, 9 “Destruction is certain for you who buy up property, so others have no place to live. Your homes are built on great estates so you can be alone on the land. But the Lord almighty has sealed your awful fate. With my own ears I heard him say, “Many
beautiful homes will stand deserted…”.Isaiah 5:7-9: In the process of repairing the walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah also rebuilt the community
and there restored their hope, which included addressing greed by enforcing the Jubilee.
Amid this crisis, congregations have a unique opportunity to provide affordable housing for those experiencing homelessness or in danger of it. Many congregations already offer meals and other outreach ministries, including having a professional housing navigator offer a path to becoming housed. But even professional homeless service organizations lack enough affordable housing once those experiencing homelessness
are on this path.
As wise stewards of their resources some congregations are building affordable housing on their property. Other congregations have large parking lots that go empty during the week, buildings constructed for congregations much larger than is needed today, or
other property that can be re-purposed. In building affordable housing, there can be some economic benefit for the church as well as to those needing to be housed. In some cases, affordable housing developers have provided additional parking for the church.
Kingdom Works, Inc. Congregational Land Program was created to assist churches in exploring the feasibility of using some their property to build affordable housing, often at little or no cost to the congregation. We are happy to initiate a dialogue with you to discern if building affordable housing on underutilized congregation land is a wise and feasible option.
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