After weeks of pushback, the lead sponsors of the state bill that would override landmark protections to allow otherwise prohibited construction on religious properties, called the “Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act,” has been amended to address some, but not all, of our concerns and objections.

New language keeps intact some protections for current landmarked religious properties. But even the revised bill still clearly overrides protections for any future landmarked properties. And at its core, the bill also overrides local zoning regulations for any nonlandmarked religious site, allowing certain kinds of development on these properties (not limited to affordable housing, as the bill’s title might mislead one to believe) that would otherwise be prohibited.

Village Preservation will continue to work to try to address these concerns in this bill, which is sponsored by local State Senators Brian Kavanaugh and Brad Hoylman-Sigal. 

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