Model 5: Using Congregation Owned Land

Jill Shook introduces this model of “building affordable housing on church property” by telling the story of Sister Elaine Sanchez and their congregation’s seven-year journey to gain the approval from an extremely NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) neighborhood and city council. Today award winning affordable housing sits on what was their congregation’s six acres in an upscale neighborhood of San Jose, California. Council members and neighbors that fought the project now look to the church as the experts and have come to love and embrace their low income neighbors.

The chapter by Dr. Rev. DarEll Weist tells the story of a 150-year-old congregation’s journey from sanctuary to community. They created a diverse ethnic and economic community in downtown Los Angeles by building an award-winning affordable housing “village”. They worked with the architecture department of UCLA to master plan their entire block. 

As the story unfolds, the fears of the congregation emerge and are laid to rest as they stepped out in faith, took a big risk, and discovered the many stakeholders in the community who were willing to work alongside them. They discovered that the vision and provision was orchestrated by God. DarEll tells of challenges faced when an ordinary congregation makes affordable housing a part of their mission statement and takes on huge task of creating a new community. With a dwindling congregation, DarEll was called to create a community—ensuring the future of the First United Methodist of LA. He tells of the challenges of merging a community and a congregation ministry, and touches on the management of affordable housing.