The Church of England is being urged by a Christian charity to free unused land in order for affordable homes to be built.
The Church, according to Housing Justice, has an untapped resource valued at £2billion – 105,000 acres of land.
In regards to leasing church land for five years or more, the charity states that talks have already begun in order for the building of ‘pop-up’ homes or modular housing to occur.
The deputy director of Housing Justice, Jacob Quagliozzi, commented on the available resources potentially including unused religious buildings as well as land. However, due to the control over these stemming from the 42 individual dioceses, utilising them for conversion may prove difficult.
Nevertheless, he highlighted the vital impact the church land could have on the growing demand for housing.
“Church land is an untapped resource, and if we are serious about doing something about the housing crisis and still protecting the character of Britain – the green belt and open spaces – it could be looked at to make a positive contribution.
“We estimate small church-led development could make a significant impact on rural housing need, delivering as much as a third of the level of housing required.”
