In July 2023, ULI SF was selected as part of the inaugural cohort of the Terwilliger Center for Housing’s Homeless to Housed (H2H) Initiative. In support of the City of San José, ULI SF explored actionable solutions for low-income and unsheltered residents by developing housing on underutilized land owned by places of worship, faith-based organizations, and other nonprofit organizations.

Supported by a grant from the ULI Terwiliger Center’s H2H Initiative and the Attainable Housing for All Campaign, ULI SF leveraged the opportunities presented by SB 4, a new statewide housing policy, to advance deeply affordable housing solutions on these underutilized sites.

After engaging an ad hoc leadership committee of members and issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP), ULI SF selected LiSC Bay Area, SV@Home, and David Baker Architects to design and facilitate two workshops and document the recommendations from the workshops.

Workshop 1 brought together stakeholders to inspire and inform participants through panel discussions and presentations, sharing lessons from real projects involving partnerships among those with underutilized land, affordable housing developers, and service providers. Workshop 2 focused on affordable housing site design trade-offs and engaged participants in a collaborative charrette, where five diverse teams explored how to maximize density and balance amenities on two San José sites owned by faith-based organizations interested in building housing.

Rosalynn Hughey, Deputy City Manager for the City of San José, stated, “Homelessness transcends locality—it demands a unified effort and resource commitment. The ULI Homeless to Housed program empowered the City of San José to launch a transformative platform for listening and sharing. Drawing upon voices from across the Bay Area, it’s evident that we have many ideas ready to mobilize. We are particularly excited about the two faith-based organizations in San José—St. Paul’s United Methodist Church and Urban Sanctuary—that were featured in the charrette exercise. Even if this work unleashes barriers and brings just one project to market, it brings us closer to solving the housing and homelessness crisis. This work is not the end but the start of the conversation in the Bay Area.”

A report summarizing the key findings from these workshops and implementable actions that can be taken to develop affordable housing on underutilized faith-based lands can be found here.