What is YIGBY?

 

Empowering Faith-Based Organizations to Build Affordable Housing

 

Across Florida, many faith-based organizations own underused land that could be part of the solution to our affordable housing crisis. But outdated zoning laws often make it difficult or even impossible to build housing on these sites – forcing congregations and nonprofit partners to navigate costly, slow and uncertain rezoning processes.

 

In 2025, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 1730, creating Florida’s new “Yes-In-God’s-Backyard” YIGBY) law. YIGBY gives cities and counties the ability to approve affordable housing on eligible land owned by religious institutions, even if that land isn’t currently zoned for residential use.

 

How YIGBY works

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Local governments may allow affordable housing on “any parcel, including any contiguous parcel—which is owned by a religious institution as defined in s.170.201 (2) which contains a house of public worship, regardless of underlying zoning” as long as at least 10% of the homes are affordable as defined in s.420.0004

 

UPDATE: YIGBY is being improved!

 

In March, 2026, the legislature passed an improvement is this legislation which makes YIGBY mandatory on land that is 3 acres or larger. If a property meets the criteria, a faith-based organization can now use the Live Local framework to build affordable housing and receive the same development entitlements. Local governments would be required to approve a Live Local project on eligible land.

 

To qualify the land must :

•Be owned by a religious institution, as defined in s.170201(2)

•Be larger than 3 acres

•Have contained a house of public worship for at least 10 years prior to application

 

The bill also requires that the house of worship continue operating after construction of the housing project.