As faith leaders in Colorado begin to work together to support legislation that allows rezoning congregation owned property for affordable housing, we want to demonstrate to our Colorado legislators just how many of us support this effort!
We invite you to sign-on to our faith leader letter and share it with other congregations around the state.
Dear Colorado Legislators,
As leaders of faith communities across the State of Colorado we ask that you consider legislation that would make building affordable housing easier, faster, and cheaper on land owned by faith-based institutions.
America’s chronic housing shortage, especially acute in places with thriving economies like ours, requires a transformation in how we make decisions about new housing of all kinds. Colorado is short an estimated 100,000 homes and will need to build 325,000 new homes in the next few years to stabilize prices. The Denver metro area alone is short nearly 70,000 homes. We envision an integrated society where every person has access to a safe, affordable home near jobs, services, and opportunity.
Colorado's faith-based organizations have been connecting with affordable housing developers to build critically needed affordable homes on their own land. These organizations are long-standing community anchors and are driven by their values to support those most in need and help address our homelessness crisis.
Per public real estate data sources, faith groups own more than 15,000 acres along Colorado’s Front Range and around 3,700 acres in the Denver Metro area. The available congregational acreage in the Denver metro area is down since 2018 from around 5,000 acres.
Local and national congregations are also facing issues of displacement and decline. Author, pastor, and leading voice in the congregational property transition movement, Mark Elsdon, mentions that a study found that as many as 100,000 congregation owned properties may be sold or repurposed by 2030. But what can congregations do as they face this dilemma? He raises an interesting question about the transition congregations finds themself in today. When it's gone, will it be gone for good? Or gone FOR good?
Unfortunately, the land that these organizations hold can often be locked into complicated and cost-prohibitive local zoning rules and regulations. These can range from standards which allow only a few units to be built on large parcels to others which limit any housing construction at all. The variety of red tape and obstacles in the way make development financially infeasible and discourage institutions from moving forward with projects that would benefit their low-income and unhoused neighbors.
We want to streamline the building process and offer new tools for neighborhood leaders to build safe, stable, affordable homes for local residents and families. Creation of a bill like this will allow places of worship to build 100% affordable housing projects, creating a valuable option in the midst of the state’s housing and homelessness crises. It also provides significant untapped benefits for faith-based organizations, from supporting an organization’s charitable mission to providing revenue that can stabilize the organization’s finances.
The tragedies we see on the street every day call for urgent and bold action around Colorado’s housing shortage and this type of legislation will help support our collective movement forward. Thank you for your leadership on these critical housing and homelessness issues and for all these reasons, we ask that you consider this type of legislative solution.
Sincerely,
Jessica & Joey Dominguez
Co-Directors
Abundant Ground, MHM
Jeff Johnsen
Executive Director
Mile High Ministries
Michelle Ferrigno Warren
President
Virago Strategies
Charles Gilford, III
Pastor & Former Chair
Mayors Faith Council City & County Denver
Kathy Escobar
Pastor
The Refuge
David Warren
Executive Director
Open Door Ministries
Jude DelHierro
Executive Director
Confluence Ministries
Jason Janz
Executive Director
CrossPurpose
Mary Tellis
Executive Director
Restoration Outreach Programs
John Tellis
Pastor
Solomon Temple Missionary Baptist
Reid Hettich
Pastor
Mosaic Church of Aurora
Michael Hidalgo
Pastor
Denver Community Church
Rev. Duane Meissner
Pastor
Resurrection in the City Lutheran Church
Rev. Terri Hobart
Clergy
St. Thomas Episcopal Church
Dave Runyon
Executive Director
CityUnite
Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber
Pastor
ELCA
Rachael McClair
Co-Pastor
Highlands Church Denver
Rev. Haley Andreades Vermeer
Mile High Ministries
Scott Dewey
Centering Way
Bry Brannan
Juniper Foundation
Loren Richmond Jr.
Pastor
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Jill Gilley
Mile High Ministries
Rev. Emily Flemming
Pastor
Christ Church United Methodist
Andy Dunning
Pastor
University Park United Methodist
Rev. Genevieve Rohret-Navin
Pastor
Park Hill United Methodist
Scott Fast
Executive Director
Colorado Clapham Circle
Stephanie Lynn Price
Pastor
Highlands United Methodist Church
James Hoxworth
Pastor
The Bridge Church at Bear Creek
Rev. Dr. Amanda Henderson
Director
Iliff Institute for Religion, Politics & Culture
Rev. AJ Bush
Pastor
Trinity United Methodist Church
Brian Grey
VP of Formation
Denver Institute
Rev. Sandi Dillon
Pastor
Washington Park United Methodist Church
Kathryn V Harris
President
Activate Work
Ross Chapman
CEO
Denver Institute for Faith & Work
Adam Morris
Rabbi
Temple Micah
Wes Gardner
The Bridge Network
CEO/Founder
Clover Beal
Co-Lead Pastor
Montview Blvd Presbyterian Church
Steve Thompson
Justice & Mercy Legal Aid Center
Executive Director
Reg Cox
Executive Director
Lakewood Connects
Shantelle and Chad Mulliniks
West Colfax Lampstand
Co-Directors
Jared Mackey
The Sacred Grace
Executive Director
Arthur Jones
Cure d’Ars Catholic Church
Social Justice Minister
Scott Lundeen
iSSACHAR Center
CEO
Maggie Drucker
ProsperBridge
COO, Co-Founder
Dean Wertz
Hope Church
Lead Pastor
Johan Luque
Westside Church Internacional
Pastor
Hugh Brandt
Cities Project Global
COO
John Mark Lamb
Cru
City Strategist
Rev Joseph Wolyniak
Christ Church Denver
Clergy
Paul Judson
Lutheran Campus Ministry in Fort Collins
Pastor
Sebastian Corradino
Archway Communities
CEO
Kris Lewis
Grace and St. Stephens Episcopal Church & Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity
The Reverend, Deacon and CEO
Rev. Todd Hawkins
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, ELCA
Pastor
Dennis Jeffery
Free Methodist Church
Pastor
Matthew Collver, The Hills Church, Pastor
Rev. David Petty, St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Senior Pastor
Megan Burg, Westminster United Methodist Church, Pastor
Kwame Warner, Sanctuary Christian Fellowship, Elder & Interim Pastor
Jervis DiCicco, ProsperBridge PBC, CEO / Co-Founder
Don Cameron, Councilor Ward 3 Golden Colorado
Tim Phenna, Calvary Church, Golden, Senior Pastor
Jimmy Duffner, First Presbyterian Church Pueblo Colorado, Deacon
Lyle SmithGraybeal, United Way of Weld County, COO
Eddie M Woolfolk, Agape Christian Church/Community Outreach Center, Inc., Executive Director
Felicia SmithGraybeal, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Reverend
Denise Steffenhagen, Fort Collins Mennonite Fellowship, Treasurer/Everence Advocate
Meghan Carrier, Together Colorado, Executive Director
Amy Jackson, Mile High Ministries, Deputy Director
Scott Harrison, New Denver Church, Director of Operations
Lee Berg, Washington Park United Church of Christ, Pastor
Kevin Thompson Smith, New Life Church, Pastor
Bonita Bock, ELCA, Rev.
CaitlinTrussell, Augustana Lutheran Church, Denver, Pastor
Helen Young Hayes, ActivateWork, CEO
Rev. Laura Rainwater, Parker United Methodist Church, Senior Pastor
Dr. Brad Strait, Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church, Senior Pastor EPC Moderator
Rev. Sheri Fry, Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, Pastor
Rev. Dr. Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi, Iliff School of Theology
Jeff Haanen, Denver Institute for Faith & Work, Founder
Kim Harris, Congregation B'nai Chaim, Rabbi
Cam Kenyon, Revive Church, Bridge Director
Jeff Hoffmeyer, Denver Institute for Faith and Work, VP Advancement/Resident Theologian
The Rev. Deacon Jack Karn, Saint John's Cathedral, Deacon for Community Partnerships
Joanna Meyer, Women, Work, & Calling @ Denver Institute, Founder & Executive Director
Nathan Hoag, Sacred Grace Englewood, Pastor
Bert Wright, Council Tree Covenant Church, Dr. Rev.
Rev. Melissa St. Clair, Heart of the Rockies Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Senior Minister
Zach Kreeger, Discovery Christian Church, Lead Pastor
Derek Kuykendall, Providence Network, Executive Director
Gretchen Haley, Foothills Unitarian Church, Senior Minister
John Case, MCC Family in Christ, Pastor
Kaitlin Elmore, Volunteers of America Colorado, Clergy
Rev. Kimberly Salico-Diehl, American Baptist Churches - USA, Pastor Chaplain
Rev. Sean Neil-Barron, Foothills Unitarian Church, Associate Minister
Millie Cline, Inspire Ranch, Spiritual Director
Josh Geppelt, Denver Rescue Mission, VP of Programs
Jamie Grove, Movement 5280/ Lost and Found, Community Director
Eric Swanson, City Leaders Collective, Co-Founder
Anna Tucker, Emmanuel's Table, Pastor
Mike Polhemus, The Rock, Lead Pastor
Rev. Leta Arndt Behrens, Our Saviour's ELCA, Reverend
Calden Scranton, Missions Coordinator, Park Church
Brandon Addison, Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Pastor
Rev. Duane Meissner, Resurrection in the City Lutheran Church, Senior Pastor
Mary Pratt, Saint Peter Lutheran Church, Family Ministries
Nate Preisinger, Bethany Lutheran Church, Pastor
Phil Owen, TNL Church, Pastor
Nick V, Grace Church, Pastor
Bal Patterson, Episcopal Diocese of Colorado, Missioner, Front Range Region
Mary Kate Rejouis, St. Aidan's Episcopal Church, Rector
Fred Greene, Congregation Har HaShem, Boulder, Rabbi
Steve Ramer, Ft Collins Mennonite Fellowship, Pastor
Rev. Jacqueline Decker Vanderpol, Pastor St Andrew Presbyterian Church
