Across religions of all creeds and sects, there’s a unifying theme of helping one’s neighbors — and that’s a mission that pastor Michael Jones wants to prioritize for his community in the coming years.
Recently, Jones’ Village of Faith Ministries, a church based in Sandston, Virginia, joined congregations around the country in converting church property into affordable housing.
“We knew that, at some point in time, we would look to position ourselves to sell a portion of it, or all of it, to simply aid where our congregation is trying to go in the future,” Jones told Next City in January.
The church is presently eying a portion of its 1.5 acre property on its Southside location with plans to construct 192 apartments and 40 townhomes.
Jones told Next City that the homebuilding company D.R. Horton worked with the church to develop a housing plan that could meet the church’s financial goals while also keeping rent costs low.
“We know that housing is a need,” Jones said.
Jones sees a bright future for the 232 housing units yet to be built, and the 232 families that will call their property home.
Jones wants the church to be a community hub, where people can seek services, meet their neighbors, and even visit the community garden on its property.
“Our churches should not be vacant Monday through Saturday,” Jones said.
Village of Faith Ministries joins a growing number of faith-based organizations that are addressing the housing crisis in a variety of ways, whether it’s by building tiny home communities for the homeless, offering zero interest loans for low-income families, or extending rental assistance to those in need.
In response to cynicism surrounding new housing developments — often boiled down to the phrase “not in my backyard” — churches across the United States started the faith-based movement: “Yes, In God’s Backyard.”
The grassroots effort works to address the nationwide deficit of affordable housing and inspire faith leaders to use their resources to give back to their communities.
And it’s working.
Last year, a bill titled “Yes, In God’s Backyard” passed in California, which permits religious institutions to convert their land into housing without being held to local zoning regulations.
In early 2025, Virginia’s state senate considered a similar bill, “Faith in Housing for the Commonwealth” — a bill that was still under review at the time of publication.
“[We proudly support the] ‘Faith in Housing for the Commonwealth Act’ to build more affordable housing where it is most needed by allowing churches to build affordable housing on their land through a streamlined process,” the Commonwealth Housing Coalition said in a press statement.
“Today in Virginia, too many of our neighbors and community members struggle to afford a place to call home,” the coalition continued. “We have an opportunity to help more faith-based institutions help solve this problem by allowing them to build homes on their land.”
Header image via Michael Gattorna / Pexels
