Columbus City Council will vote Monday night on a program that will expedite housing development on land owned by faith-based, educational and non-profit organizations.
City council president Shannon Hardin calls the legislation "Yes In God's Backyard." The plan would allow more housing to be built on vacant land or unused parking lots owned by churches and other organizations.
Hardin told WOSU about 60 churches have expressed interest, but the legislation could impact over 1,000 parcels of land in central Ohio. Hardin said these organizations want to help solve the city's housing crisis.
"We think that there is real opportunity, but at the end of the day, if we can do something that removes barriers and allows for us to create more one development at a time, we think it's worth it," Hardin said.
Hardin said that to take advantage of this, the groups would need to be part of the city's community reinvestment program, which will include affordable housing unit requirements. This would be in exchange for expedited approvals and permitting.
Hardin has pitched the idea as a way to combat "NIMBY-ism," a acronym describing anti-development sentiment that stands for "not in my backyard."
The plan is part of the Columbus Forward initiative, which had several council members propose new legislation to address specific issues in the city, like historic preservation and pay transparency.
