Amid affordable housing crisis, Texas churches push to build in ‘God's Backyard'

Affordable housing is rising as one of the top issues nationwide, and a slew of bills moving through committees at the Texas state capitol could help developers build smaller homes faster.

More churches are also looking to build. Leaders from multiple denominations who believe churches can play a bigger role in easing the housing shortage are asking the legislature to pass a bill that would waive certain zoning regulations and make the path easier.

Many have likely heard the phrase "Not in My Backyard," or NIMBY, a term used to describe neighbors who oppose new developments, particularly those that bring smaller homes or greater density to areas traditionally known for large lots and single-family homes.

But in response to Texas’s affordable housing crisis, there’s a growing movement of churches saying, "Yes, in God’s Backyard." They’re asking lawmakers to let them bypass lengthy rezoning battles and build housing on their land.

A local pastor who supports the effort shared how his church used its land to build more affordable homes in one of North Texas’ most affluent communities.

At McKinney First Baptist Church, Pastor Louis Rosenthal preaches God's word from the pulpit on Sunday and works to reach the needs of God's people every day.

"The Lord had shown us that we need to help provide. We can't help everybody, but we can help a whole lot of somebodies," Rosenthal said.

Rosenthal said his church has a clothing closet and food pantry to serve those in need. Another common need among the community and their church members is having an affordable place to live where they worship and work.

"I would love to live in the McKinney area, but unfortunately, I can't afford to live in the McKinney area," he said, describing what people share with him.

So, when it came time to build a new church on the 18-acre lot they owned, Rosenthal wasn’t thrown off course.

"The Lord showed me that it wasn't building a new church He wanted us to do, but to utilize the land for affordable housing," Rosenthal said.

The church gave its building a makeover and sold the land to a developer committed to affordable housing.

After undergoing the rezoning process, Rosenthal acknowledged, "We had a lot of bumps in the road."

It took nearly six years.

"Some members of the previous City Council did not agree with what we were going to do," Rosenthal said.

But today, his vision is finally coming to life.

"We had to wait until others came on to the City Council who see it in the way that the Lord is showing us," he said.

Now, they’re just months away from watching families move into 300 affordable units just five miles from the church.

This is one way more churches across Texas are trying to address the affordable housing shortage.

The 2025 Gap Report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition shows that Texas is short of more than 660,000 affordable units needed for extremely low-income people. More than 81% of extremely low-income renters are considered severely cost-burdened in Texas.

"We want families that are new families, that are trying to find a yard home for their kids to be able to play and it be in a safe neighborhood that they can actually afford," said Jennifer Allmon, executive director of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops.

The conference is backing a package of bills, including House Bill 3172, that aims to clear hurdles for new housing.

If passed, HB 3172 would allow churches that want to lease their land for affordable housing or mixed-use developments to bypass parts of the zoning process, which Allmon says can take up to a year and make projects more expensive.

"It's really, in a large part, kind of re-visioning our ministry and our land use," Allmon said.

The bill would also place previously untaxed land on the tax rolls while allowing churches to maintain property ownership.

While McKinney First Baptist sold its land, Rosenthal supported the bill and hoped their story would inspire others.

"I want the people when they come here to know that this is a project where God is the one who said build this, I  pray the best for them," Rosenthal said.

When applications open for the apartments, McKinney First Baptist Church will host the first event for potential residents.

The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops says that if the "Yes in God's Backyard" (YIGBY) legislation passes, churches will be ready and eager to tackle new housing projects across the state.