A Sacred Calling: Church of England Plans to Create Nearly 2,000 Affordable Homes on Church Land
The Church of England has unveiled an ambitious plan to create nearly 2,000 affordable homes on land designated from church sites, marking a significant step in its mission to address the nation’s housing crisis while strengthening local communities. The Archbishop’s Council Housing Project, established in 2024, has been working with parishes to identify opportunities for developing surplus land or redeveloping existing properties such as church halls. So far, the project team—which includes an architect, a community housing specialist, a town planner, and a Church buildings officer—has provided advice and support to around 85 parishes. Currently, 42 church sites across 10 dioceses are receiving support from the Church Development Agency, with more than £1.2 million already awarded through grants. The projects currently in the pipeline could create over 1,000 new affordable homes, increasing to nearly 2,000 when considering proposals supported by other Church housing organizations and dioceses.
The initiative has already seen tangible progress, with the Church Housing Association approved last year as a registered provider of social housing, and a planning application submitted for 17 affordable homes on a former vicarage site in Winson Green, Birmingham. The Bishop of Chelmsford, Rt Rev Guli Francis-Dehqani, emphasized the transformative potential of these projects, stating, “Housing projects can have a catalytic effect on participating churches; not only do they provide much-needed homes, they also provide missional opportunities and strengthen the church’s reputation in the community.” She added that the projects can “unlock resources for ministry through a capital sum or income stream,” helping to sustain and even grow local churches. By leveraging its land and resources, the Church of England is demonstrating that faith in action can create tangible, lasting change for communities in need.
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