In the debate over affordable housing in New Jersey, there is a lot of theory. People talk about “density” and “ratables” and “neighborhood character” in the abstract. They draw hypothetical lines on maps and argue about what might happen if we allow faith-based organizations to build on their property.
I am not here to talk about theory. I am here to talk about testimony.
I support Senate Bill S1836, the “Yes In God’s Backyard” (YIGBY) legislation, because I know it works. I know, because my congregation lived it.
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At Abundant Life Fellowship, we didn’t just pray for a solution to the housing crisis affecting our seniors and veterans; we built one. We navigated the maze of financing, zoning, and construction to build affordable senior/veterans/disabled housing right here on our campus.
And I can tell you: It changed everything.
Every day, I walk past the buildings and I don’t just see bricks and mortar. I see dignity. I see seniors who worked their whole lives in this community who no longer have to make the impossible choice between filling a prescription and paying the rent. I see veterans being honored for their lifetime of service by providing them an affordable residence. I see a vibrant community where our elders are safe, connected, and aging in place, rather than being pushed out to a facility miles away from their families. From their home.
We proved that a church can be more than a place of worship on Sunday; it can be an anchor of stability all week long. We proved that affordable housing doesn’t destroy neighborhood character; it enhances it by keeping our neighbor’s home.
But I also have to tell you the other side of the story. I have to tell you how hard it was.
Building that housing was the most difficult journey of my ministry. We faced a complicated system that seemed insurmountable throughout the process. We had to navigate an intense level of zoning, planning, and regulatory approvals that challenged us financially; and those resources would have benefitted the residents. We were uniquely blessed to have a cooperative working relationship with our Township. Together, we shared a vision for affordable housing throughout the community, and I am thankful for everything that they have done. We succeeded, but our success required a determined and fierce level of determination, in which we had to push ourselves to the financial brink to accomplish it.
That is why I am speaking out for S1836.
Right now, I get calls from other pastors across New Jersey. They see what we built at Abundant Life, and they ask me, “Rev, how do we do that? We have the land. We have the desire. How can we build housing for our people?”
I want to tell them, “Go for it! The process is ready for you.” However, the collaboration that we experienced is an exceptional case, for most affordable housing developments, and by no means is it the norm throughout the state — but it should be the norm.
That is why, in most cases, I have to warn other Pastors. I have to tell them about the years of meetings. I have to tell them about the legendary legal and pre-development fees. I have to tell them that even if they want to build 100% affordable units for the poor, their local approval process may challenge and resist them each step of the way.
I don’t think that it should be this hard to do good.
The YIGBY bill changes the answer I can give those pastors. It streamlines the approval process for faith-based and mission-driven organizations. It removes the need for the expensive, time-killing “use variance.”
This bill does not force houses of worship to build anything. This bill does not increase the number of affordable housing units that municipalities are obligated to provide.
This bill makes the path easier for faith institutions that want to use their land to develop affordable housing. It essentially tells the faith community: “If you want to use your land to solve the state’s biggest crisis, the government will cooperate with you and not impede you.”
If this bill passes, we will unleash a wave of compassion across New Jersey. We will see empty parking lots turn into senior centers. We will see vacant land turn into starter homes for young families. We will see the “Proof of Concept” that we established at Abundant Life replicated in hundreds of neighborhoods.
We have proven that this model works. We have the receipts, 120 apartments built; 147 residents living in housing built on our church property. The building is standing, the residents are thriving, and the sky didn’t fall.
To the Legislature, I say: Look at what we built. Look at the lives it saved. And then pass this bill so that when the next pastor asks me if they can do the same, I can finally look them in the eye and say, “Yes.”
Rev. Dr. Aubrey Fenton is the lead pastor of Abundant Life Fellowship in Edgewater Park.
