What is Faith-Based Organization (FBO) Housing?

By: Leah Shine

Faith-based organization housing involves developing land owned by churches, synagogues, mosques, and other faith-based organizations into affordable housing, workforce, or senior housing. While the land may be owned by a faith-based organization, the housing developed on it is not necessarily faith-based in nature. Across the country, examples vary—some developments incorporate faith-based programming, while others operate as standalone entities. 

Why is FBO Housing Important? 

In Tulsa, there are approximately 2,000 acres of land owned by faith-based organizations, primarily churches. By opening up these underdeveloped parcels for affordable housing, the city can tap into valuable resources that would otherwise remain vacant.  

Critically, developing FBO housing is a relatively low-cost solution to the housing shortage as religious institutions often own large tracts of land that are already located within city limits and near transportation hubs. By utilizing these sites, Tulsa can help meet its housing demand without needing to build out to the suburbs or clear environmentally sensitive land. 

How Could FBO Housing Work in Tulsa? 

This opportunity has come about as church membership has declined since COVID-19, and some who remain are members who have switched to remote services. Meanwhile, costs for managing properties have increased. Developing housing on FBO land is a win-win for churches to serve the communities where they exist and also maintain financial stability.  

This idea is already underway in South Downtown, where Partner Tulsa, Downtown Tulsa Partnership, TCC, and area churches are partnering on a shared pre-development plan for parking lots that typically stand empty but for Sunday and Wednesday services or weekday, daytime classes. 

The City of Tulsa has an opportunity to support these partnerships by relaxing zoning regulations on land owned by FBOs. Currently, zoning laws in many areas of Tulsa restrict the development of multi-family or residential buildings on properties owned by FBOs. By amending the zoning code to include a faith-based zoning overlay, for example, Tulsa could allow for housing development by-right without changing existing base zoning and provide an alternative means to re-zoning for individual projects. The overlay could be tailored to enforce building regulations that support multi-family and affordable housing, for example, applying only to multi-family projects with at least 4 dwelling units.  This overlay would not preclude the need for permitting processes and other design element oversight, but vastly reduce timelines which would require rezoning each development.  

A Step Toward Affordability 

Faith-based organization development isn’t just about repurposing land for housing — it’s about rethinking the role that religious institutions play in addressing societal needs. As urban areas continue to face housing shortages and rising costs, using available faith-based land could play a pivotal role in alleviating these pressures.