“We’re in the middle of a profound and deep national housing crisis,” said the Rev. John Cleghorn, the pastor. “One of the ways the churches can make the most direct type of impact, is not only to provide the housing, but to provide a community adjacent to, in relationship with the housing. What could be more Christlike?”
The Rev. John Cleghorn at Caldwell Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, N.C. (RNS photo/Yonat Shimron)
Like many cities, Charlotte welcomes the churches’ building boom. The city’s Faith in Housing initiative gives faith-based organizations tools and resources to carry out affordable housing projects. A summit the city held last year brought together leaders from some 90 houses of worship for a daylong educational workshop about the hows of affordable housing and the variety of city, state and federal tax credits, grants and loans.
“When you think about it, honestly, who has the most land? Religious institutions and schools,” said City Council member LaWana Mayfield. “What we’re doing is creating a tool kit to help educate and energize the community to not just think about housing, but to reimagine their space.”
Charlotte’s Mayfield Memorial Missionary Baptist Church, a predominantly Black congregation that built 51 rental units for people making 30% to 80% of area median income, is a big believer in congregations working on affordable housing.
“If we could get just 5% of the churches in Charlotte to do this — and not just churches but faith communities — our housing problem looks very different,” said the Rev. Peter Wherry, the church’s pastor.
One thing Newell’s newfound mission won’t do is save the church’s finances long term. Members have no expectation that the owners of the townhomes they are building will want to join the church. And it is possible the church may dwindle in size even more.
But they are also clear-eyed about the larger vision of community that is driving them.
“You know, this is not our land,” said Thompson. “God created this land for us to use. This is not just for the church but for others who need it.”
A future affordable housing project will be on land, foreground, formerly owned by Newell Presbyterian Church, center right, in Charlotte, N.C. (Image courtesy of Google Earth)
This article originally appeared here.
