St. Pete Allows Housing on Church Land, a Florida First

St. Petersburg became the first Florida city to allow religious institutions to build housing on their land regardless of the underlying zoning code. According to an article in St. Pete Rising, the new law was made possible by Florida Senate Bill 1730, which gives cities the right to permit affordable housing on church land. 

According to the article, “Before SB 1730, affordable housing could be built on church land only if a city approved a rezoning, conditional use, or comprehensive plan amendment.”

The state law requires that at least 10 percent of the homes in a project are deemed affordable, but does not provide further details on review processes or development standards. St. Pete’s new ordinance establishes regulations including height limits, density, parking, and design. 

Crucially, the program offers resources that can guide churches in a process that may be foreign to them.  “The program offers individualized support, including site feasibility reviews, development readiness assessments, partner guidance, budgeting help, regulatory navigation, and congregation-specific action plans.”