Orange County launches program allowing affordable housing on religious properties

In Summary:

The Orange County Board of County Commissioners has approved a new program allowing religious institutions to develop affordable housing on their property. The initiative, known as the Affordable Housing for Religious Institutional Lands (AHRIL) program, builds on a new state law informally known as the “Yes In God’s Backyard” (YIGBY) law. County leaders say the program will help expand affordable housing while supporting the county’s goal of creating or preserving 11,000 affordable units by 2030.

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Orange County’s Board of County Commissioners today approved a new program allowing religious institutions to put affordable housing units on their property with a streamlined approval process.

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Orange County’s Affordable Housing for Religious Institutional Lands (AHRIL) program is enabled by a new state law that supporters have informally dubbed the “Yes In God’s Backyard” (YIGBY) law. The law allows local governments to approve affordable housing on qualifying religious-institution property even if residential development would not normally be permitted under current zoning.

Orange County’s AHRIL program goes beyond state minimum requirements by mandating that 100% of units meet Orange County affordability standards. AHRIL is another strategy under the County’s Housing for All 10-Year Action Plan, advancing its goal of producing or preserving 11,000 affordable housing units by 2030.

Key Points:

• Orange County commissioners approved the Affordable Housing for Religious Institutional Lands (AHRIL) program.

• The program allows religious institutions to build affordable housing on their property through a streamlined approval process.

• It is enabled by a new state law often called “Yes In God’s Backyard” (YIGBY).

• The county’s program requires 100% of units to meet Orange County affordability standards, exceeding the state’s minimum requirements.

• AHRIL is part of Orange County’s Housing for All 10-Year Action Plan.

• The plan aims to produce or preserve 11,000 affordable housing units by 2030.

Learn more about the program through this FAQs sheet: https://ocfl.box.com/s/brq6q8wuio0k70xuji6lpxpcny436cbi