“City of Faith”
By Mr. Branden Dupree, Assistant to the Bishop/Director for Evangelical Mission/Advocacy Coordinator
Last Wednesday, March 13, I and Assistant to the Bishop, Mother Gladys Díaz, had the joy to attend this year’s Faith-Based Affordable Housing Summit sponsored by Mayor Adams’ Office of Faith-based and Community Partnerships and Bricks and Mortals, the collective of faith-based institutions and real estate experts, of which the Metropolitan New York Synod is a new member.
The summit programming included remarks from The Rev. Adrienne Thorne, Senior Pastor at The Riverside Church, Ms. Kate Toth, Executive Director of Bricks and Mortals, Pastor Gilmore Montrose, Executive Director for the NYC Office of Faith and Community Partnerships and Ms. Alicia Ampry-Samuel, Regional Administrator for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development amongst many enlightening testimonies from ecumenical partners and real estate professionals about the connected realities our denominations face.
A core focus was the first expert panel focused on “The City of Yes,” New York City’s plan to modernize and update city zoning regulations to support small business and religious communities to create affordable housing and promote sustainability - part of Mayor Adams’ vision for a more inclusive, equitable city. The second panel was moderated by our Synod’s trusted collaborator on the Bronx Strategy, Mr. Jason Labate, Partner at Goldstein Hall Attorneys at Law. The lively panel elicited the affordable housing policy changes on the horizon and how they will affect faith-based institutions as the policy changes and tax credit bills ultimately aim to allow more contextual, affordable housing on faith-based land as an inherent right.
New York City faith institutions collectively own 92 million square feet of land. With the real need for more affordable housing, the scale of opportunity is ripe for churches with a vision to affect change. Lutheran, Episcopal, and otherwise Faith-based organizations (FBOs) play a critical role in the communal aspect of the neighborhoods where we exist. Churches tie together faith, community and context that offer a shared purpose. The Metropolitan New York Synod is far from experts in the redevelopment space, but as we lean into our purpose to live like Christ in our communities, guided by the principle to ensure reparative justice, together, we can advocate for a more equitable, sustainable, and affordable #CityofFaith.
For more information about “City of Yes:”