States have historically played important roles in providing social services, including housing assistance. Amid rising costs and declining congregational membership, many FBOs are exploring opportunities to redevelop underused land and buildings. At the same time, state and local governments are seeking new strategies to increase the supply of affordable housing. 
 
The proposed Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act (FBAHA), sponsored by Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assembly Member Brian Cunningham, would create a new as-of-right pathway to develop housing with affordable units on FBO-owned land in New York State. The legislation is one of several introduced across the country in recent years that aims to reduce zoning and procedural barriers to the residential development of these lands. Similar efforts have been enacted in California, Oregon, Washington, and Maryland. 
 
The brief examines the FBAHA in the context of these broader efforts nationwide and evaluates its potential implications using data on FBO-owned land across New York State and New York City. It focuses in particular on how zoning, parcel characteristics, and market conditions may shape where the law is most likely to have an effect.