Step 1. Identify Interested Congregations. 

The Greater Pasadena Affordable Housing Group (GPAHG) has spent decades building relationships with churches and religious institutions across the San Gabriel Valley. These relationships have led to an understanding that many churches in our area are exploring housing. 

At the same time, you can fill out our online Intake Form, and we will contact you with next steps. 

From time to time, we may also hold events designed for interested parties to gather more information. Information will be placed on this website, or register here to receive updates. 

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Step 2. Initial Meeting with Key Person(s). 

We’ll sit down with you and other like-minded leaders from your congregation (if appropriate) to gain a better understanding of your perspective and provide some initial information about the affordable housing development process. We’ll want to hear about your missional goals or aspirations, your financial goals or needs, and your ongoing property needs, among other items, and we’ll share relevant information about the types and populations that affordable housing serves, needs in your community, the development process, what you can get out of affordable housing, and potential ownership models. 

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Step 3. Feasibility Study. 

Based on our initial meeting (Step 2), we’ll perform an initial feasibility study determining what type of affordable housing development could be built on the site. This involves study of the zoning, local attitudes toward development, the physical characteristics of the site, considerations of funding availability for different target populations, and all of the church’s goals and needs expressed in the initial meeting. We’ll produce a short document outlining at least one rough site plan for affordable housing on the site and the approval process necessary to obtain entitlements. 

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Step 4. Internal Consideration. 

Armed with basic information, the church enters into a period of discernment which is largely driven by the leadership and the congregation itself. However, our team can support your congregation by: 

• Presenting information and helping to facilitate discussions among members of the congregation 

• Providing relevant information and answering questions from church leadership, including denominational leadership 

• Conducting initial community outreach with neighbors to gauge attitudes and identify win-win scenarios 

Through these processes, adjustments may be made to the initial development concept(s) outlined in the feasibility study. 

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Step 5. Developer RFQ/RFP 

Once the church has committed to pursuing development of their property, we’ll assist you in putting together a Request for Qualifications or Request for Proposals and distributing it to qualified developers, ensuring that you get a qualified development partner that provides for the church’s goals and needs as the development is entitled, built and leased up. 

 

During Development. 

The development process, through the entitlement/underwriting, construction, leasing/sales and operations phases, is complex and there are typically asymmetries in the level of experience of churches and affordable housing developers. If the church so desires, our team can stay on board as an Owner’s Representative for the church, coordinating and negotiating on behalf of the developer to ensure that the original plan is fulfilled.