churches, synagogues and mosques) and nonprofit colleges to build 100% affordable housing on their property “by right,” bypassing most local permitting rules and environmental reviews. It opens 171,000 acres of land across California by allowing institutions of faith (e.g. Wiener’s SB 4 is formally known as The Affordable Housing on Faith Lands Act and informally known as “Yes in God’s Backyard” (YIGBY).
Support for these bills from historically opposed environmental and labor groups suggests the beginning of an unprecedentedly pro-housing majority bloc in California politics. The two landmark bills in the package are sponsored by Sen. 11 expedite low-income housing, notably on church and college land. Photo from - Amid California’s housing crisis, 56 bills signed by Gov.
