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A 3647

Enacts the faith-based affordable housing act

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn and 46 co-sponsors

Allows faith-based organizations to site, convert, or develop affordable housing on owned property, expanding income-restricted units for low- and moderate-income households.

PRINT NUMBER 3647B
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · A 3647

Summary — A.3647 (A.3647B) — "Faith‑Based Affordable Housing Act"

Status & Background
- Bill No.: A.3647 (Print No. 3647B)
- Title: Enacts the Faith‑Based Affordable Housing Act
- Introduced: January 29, 2025
- Committee referrals / actions: Referred to Local Governments (1/29/2025); amended and recommitted to Local Governments (3/7/2025 and 5/23/2025); printed as A3647A (3/7/2025) and A3647B (5/23/2025).
- Primary sponsor: Assemblymember Brian Cunningham. Large bipartisan group of cosponsors from across the Assembly.
- Companion: S.3397 (Senate). Prior‑session related bill: A.8386.

Purpose / Intent
- The bill, titled the "Faith‑Based Affordable Housing Act," is intended to facilitate the development of affordable housing by, or in partnership with, faith‑based organizations. Its aim is to expand housing supply targeted to low‑ and moderate‑income households by enabling religious institutions and similar nonprofit faith organizations to site, convert, or develop affordable housing on property they own or control, subject to affordable‑housing requirements and applicable fair‑housing laws.

Key provisions (summary of expected or commonly included elements)
Note: the posted document contains embedded/encoded files rather than a readable statute text. The list below summarizes the types of provisions typically included in legislation of this title and purpose; consult the official bill text for precise language and requirements.

  • Authorization for Use/Conversion
    • Allows faith‑based organizations to convert existing religious or institutional structures (e.g., parish houses, rectories, community centers) or to develop new units on owned property for long‑term affordable housing.
  • Zoning & Local Process Streamlining
    • Provides a streamlined local review process or clarifies that such projects are eligible for certain local discretionary approvals, potentially creating an expedited special permit or administrative review path at the municipal level.
  • Affordability Requirements
    • Requires units created under the program to be restricted to low‑ or moderate‑income households for a fixed term (commonly 30+ years), with rent or income limits tied to Area Median Income (AMI).
  • Funding & Financial Incentives
    • May authorize or facilitate access to state/local housing grants, low‑interest loans, tax exemptions, or public infrastructure support for faith‑based affordable housing projects.
  • Protections & Compliance
    • Requires compliance with fair‑housing laws, accessibility standards, tenant protections, and local building/safety codes; may prevent religious organizations from invoking religious exemptions to avoid nondiscrimination obligations.
  • Partnership & Technical Assistance
    • Encourages partnerships between faith communities and experienced affordable‑housing developers or housing authorities; may establish technical assistance, model agreements, or a state/local resource center.
  • Reporting & Oversight
    • Requires periodic reporting of units created, populations served, and compliance with affordability covenants.

Who would be affected
- Faith‑based organizations and houses of worship that own or control real property and are interested in developing or converting property to affordable housing.
- Low‑ and moderate‑income renters and prospective homeowners who could benefit from new affordable housing units.
- Local governments and planning/zoning boards — responsible for administering review processes, issuing permits, and enforcing affordability covenants.
- Affordable‑housing developers and community development corporations (CDCs) — potential partners in development and management.
- State housing agencies if the bill creates funding streams, incentives, or technical assistance obligations.

Potential impacts
- Increases local affordable housing supply by unlocking underused faith‑owned real estate.
- Accelerates development of smaller, community‑embedded projects that may be easier to site than larger developments.
- Requires municipal capacity to process, monitor and enforce affordability agreements.
- Fiscal implications depend on whether the bill creates or expands state/local funding or tax incentives; budgetary effects would appear in the bill’s fiscal note.

Procedural notes & next steps
- The bill has been through print and amendment cycles and remains under the Local Governments committee as of May 23, 2025 (Print No. 3647B).
- Companion S.3397 in the Senate suggests parallel consideration there.
- For exact statutory language, program details, AMI thresholds, affordability term lengths, funding amounts (if any), and compliance mechanisms, consult the official bill text on the New York State Assembly or Senate bill tracker and the bill’s fiscal note once available.

If you’d like, I can:
- Retrieve and quote the bill’s current full text (A.3647B) from the Assembly website and produce a clause‑by‑clause summary.
- Compare this bill to S.3397 or the prior session A.8386 to identify substantive differences.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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