OpEd: Churches Are Part of Housing Solution

When we talk about the housing crisis in Los Angeles, we often speak in numbers, units needed, dollars required, timelines expected. But for communities living with housing insecurity, this crisis is deeply personal. It shows up as overcrowded homes, families forced to move again and again, seniors choosing between rent and medicine, and young people struggling to imagine a stable future.

For people of faith, these realities raise an unavoidable question: What is the role of the church in moments like this?

While no single organization can solve the housing crisis, we believe churches can be part of the solution. Housing is not just a policy issue or an economic challenge, it is a moral calling. Scripture calls us to love our neighbors, protect the vulnerable and act with justice. In today’s context, that means churches stepping forward as part of the solution.

Logos supports, believes in and practices the Halo Effect model because research, such as Cardus’ 2016 Toronto study, shows that local congregations and faith-based institutions generate cumulative community value far exceeding their direct budgets. For example, a $10 million combined investment is expected to produce an estimated $45 million in economic impact through education, counseling, employment assistance and other vital services.

Finding success in working with churches

By partnering with and investing in these community anchors, I am confident that Logos Faith Development can extend this multiplier effect, helping ensure that the communities it serves benefit not just from new housing, but from stronger social infrastructure and a more resilient local economy.

That belief is why the groundbreaking of our affordable housing community at St. Rest Friendship Baptist Church this summer in Los Angeles’ Vermont Knolls neighborhood is so meaningful.

For generations, churches like St. Rest Friendship Baptist Church have been anchors in their neighborhoods, places of worship, refuge, salvation and hope. Now, more churches are recognizing that their land can also serve as a community foundation for stability and dignity through affordable housing. This is faith in action, expressed not only through words, but through concrete outcomes that change lives.

The St. Rest Friendship Baptist Church project reflects what’s possible when vision meets partnership. By working together, the church and Logos Faith Development are transforming underutilized land into homes that help families, seniors and individuals build stability. This isn’t about replacing ministry with development; it’s about expanding ministry into the everyday realities of people’s lives.

Some ask whether churches should be involved in housing at all. I would ask the opposite: How can we not be? When families lack safe, stable housing, every other aspect of life is affected, health, education, employment and spiritual well-being. Providing housing is one of the most direct ways we can love our neighbors in a tangible, lasting way.

Importantly, this work also preserves the mission and legacy of the church. Faith-based housing development allows congregations to remain rooted in their communities while adapting to changing realities. It creates a future where churches are not pushed out but instead lead with purpose and relevance.

At a time when the housing crisis can feel overwhelming, projects like St. Rest Friendship Baptist Church, as well as our 15 groundbreakings planned across 2026, 2027 and 2028, offer a different narrative, one of hope, collaboration and shared responsibility. They show that when faith communities step forward with courage and creativity, real change is possible.

My hope is that more churches will see what St. Rest Friendship Baptist Church is doing and recognize the opportunity before them. Not every church will take the same path, but every church can ask the same question: How can our faith show up in ways that meet the needs of our neighbors today?

Building affordable housing on church land is about more than construction. It is about planting seeds of stability, dignity, and possibility, rooted in faith and growing toward a stronger community for generations to come.

Pastor Martin Porter is the founder and chief executive of Logos Faith Development, a Westchester–based affordable housing developer that partners with churches to create housing rooted in faith, community, and long-term impact.