The Church of England has unveiled a new £3.2 million grant scheme to support parishes and dioceses in developing affordable housing projects on church-owned land.
Aimed at tackling the ongoing housing crisis, the initiative offers churches funding capped at £25,000 for expert advice on architectural, consultancy, and planning services necessary to bring the housing proposals to life.
The scheme is part of a broader £4.25 million initiative spread over five years, designed to help churches repurpose underused or surplus land—such as outdated parish halls or vacant car parks—into housing that serves community needs.
The project builds on the recommendations of the 2021 Coming Home report by the Archbishops' Commission on Housing, Church and Community, which urged the Church of England to model the way in responding to the national housing emergency.
Director of Faith and Public Life for the Church of England, Richard Sudworth, framed the initiative as a fulfilment of Christian values: “This housing initiative is a simple response to a biblical mandate to God’s people towards justice: where a true fast involves bringing the homeless poor into our house (Isaiah 58:7), and where serving Christ demands that we welcome the stranger (Matthew 25:35).”
Beki Winter, who leads the freshly created Church of England Housing Project team and previously worked with Housing Justice, emphasised the untapped potential of church land: “Many parishes have issues with their buildings or property, but don’t always realise that these problems could be opportunities to provide some housing.
“There are many creative ways to use church land or property to provide housing for people in need, whilst improving community facilities or bolstering parish finances.”
In addition to financial support, the scheme also includes specialist advice for Parochial Church Councils (PCCs) seeking to rethink how their properties can be used to better support those in greatest need.
A recent example of such transformation can be found at St Martin’s Church in Fulwood, Preston, where a 60-year-old parish hall site was redeveloped into a low-cost housing complex of 14 units and an eco-conscious parish hub.
Canon Andrea Titterington, Project manager, noted that the effort met the Church of England’s dual aims of offering “affordable housing” and “community space for fellowship, service and worship.”
Churches interested in participating are encouraged to contact the Church of England Housing Project team by email to begin exploring how their land might serve a greater purpose in addressing local housing needs.
