Stop the 'Faith-Based' Affordable Housing Act

We New York residents strongly oppose S7791/A8386, the so-called ‘Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act’.

The proposed legislation is a developer boondoogle under the guise of ‘affordable housing’ that will destroy villages and towns throughout NYS while completely undermining our federal and state environmental protections. Any "faith-based" organization would be entitled to build multi-family housing at densities of 30-50 units per acre, regardless of local zoning laws and surrounding properties.

Municipalities would be required to approve these development applications within 60 days without regard to environmental concerns, viewsheds, or any other locally decided law or regulation. Open or recreational space requirements would be prohibited , as would site plan or SEQRA review regardless of how many units are being constructed. Dense development will be allowed in transit deserts, fueling car dependency and creating new obstacles to climate change goals.

School districts will need to contend with giant sudden population increases, as many towns, villages and hamlets could see their communities double or triple in size.

Villages and Towns would not even be allowed to consider whether their infrastructure could support the expected increase in households and population. They would have to approve as many households as the “faith-based organization” wanted to build – no questions asked!!

This disastrous policy will not fix the housing crisis, but will create new crises by causing the complete decimation of local communities and the degradation of New York's environment. Who is benefiting from this bill? By allowing 80% of the units to be at market rate, the profits are going to the organization and the developer at the expense of the people, their families, and their homes.

Please stop this bill before it is too late for our communities!