Faith in Affordable Housing

Affordable housing developed from unused churches and chapels

The Faith in Affordable Housing (FiAH) project works with churches of all denominations to release surplus land or redundant buildings for the development of new social and genuinely affordable homes.

Every year thousands of church buildings across England and Wales are closing due to declining and ageing congregations.  Many of these buildings and associated land can be part of the solution to the housing emergency.

FiAH has paused its work in England, subject to funding. However, we continue to work in Wales, working with organisations across the faith and housing sectors to influence policy and share key learnings such as barriers in land acquisition for housing development.

Examples of FiAH in Action

More examples of successful affordable housing schemes on church land can be found in these FIAH case studies:

• Northop United Reformed Church, in partnership with Wales and West Housing, 6 new Passivhaus-standard homes were created.
• St Matthew’s Church, Newport, creating 14 new affordable homes.
• St Stephen’s Vicarage, Frampton Rd, Gloucester –Diocese of Gloucester in partnership with Rooftop Housing.
• St Paul’s & St Peter’s Church, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales – Church in Wales in partnership with Wales and West Housing Association.
• Carey Baptist Church, Aberkenfig, Wales  – Baptist Union of Great Britain in partnership with Hafod Housing.
• Church Hall Cottage, Chapel Stile, Cumbria  – Diocese of Carlisle in partnership with Skelwith and Langdale Community Land Trust.
• St Goran School House and School Room – St Goran Community Land Trust in partnership with the Diocese of Truro.
• St Aldate’s Church Hall and Vicarage, Gloucester – Diocese of Gloucester in partnership with Rooftop Housing.

Additional Resources

Some additional resources you may find helpful include:

• Regenerating Communities: Affordable Homes from Unused Faith-owned Spaces, The Bevan Foundation and Housing Justice Cymru 2025
• Social Housing Supply in Wales, Welsh Government 2024 (siting Housing Justice Cymru’s recommendations)
• A legal guide for land disposal by PCCs, for the development of affordable housing, Wrigley’s Solicitors and Housing Justice 2024
• The Joint Public Issues team ‘How churches can support and create affordable housing at a time of crisis’.
  
• The National Heritage List for England is a searchable database of all nationally designated heritage assets including Listed Buildings.
• The Historic Wales portal contains a searchable map of Wales which includes the Cadw Listed Buildings.

Further Information

Contact Us

For more information, please get in touch with Rebecca Kentfield

Rebecca Kentfield
Project Lead

[email protected]