United States

The Archdiocese of Baltimore raised nearly $10 million from church sales as it closed parishes, but a bankruptcy judge ruled the proceeds belong to parishes and are not available to more than 900 abuse survivors.

The Archdiocese of Baltimore raised nearly $10 million from church sales as it closed parishes, but a bankruptcy judge ruled the proceeds belong to parishes and are not available to more than 900 abuse survivors.

A Chattanooga Baptist church will ground-lease its land for 53 rental cottages for seniors and families, the first project under the city’s new flexible zoning programme, with construction due in 2027.

Raleigh congregations including St Paul AME, the city’s oldest Black church, Edenton Street United Methodist and St Michael’s Episcopal are exploring homes on church parking lots and land, helped by the city’s 2022 end to minimum parking rules.

A Chattanooga Baptist church will ground-lease its land for 53 rental cottages for seniors and families, the first project under the city’s new flexible zoning programme, with construction due in 2027.

A Wisconsin village has confirmed that a Baptist church’s parsonage no longer qualifies for property tax exemption and voted against refunding back taxes, though it could qualify again if circumstances change.

A Wisconsin village has confirmed that a Baptist church’s parsonage no longer qualifies for property tax exemption and voted against refunding back taxes, though it could qualify again if circumstances change.

Kingston Parish in Mathews County, Virginia, is converting its vacant historic rectory into two rental homes for teachers and other moderate-income workers, at a cost of about $360,000 funded by grants and donations.

The City of St Petersburg and the Florida Housing Coalition have begun training faith leaders to use Florida’s new Yes in God’s Backyard law, which lets places of worship bypass some zoning red tape to build affordable homes on their land.

A Jamaican minister told a Miami hotel investment summit that outdated perceptions, not current conditions, are the real obstacle to more foreign hotel investment.

Manhattan’s St Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery won approval to sell 27,000 square feet of air rights to a housing project, the first such approval for a faith group under New York’s new zoning, with proceeds reserved for maintenance.

Manhattan’s St Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery won approval to sell 27,000 square feet of air rights to a housing project, the first such approval for a faith group under New York’s new zoning, with proceeds reserved for maintenance.

A Jamaican minister told a Miami hotel investment summit that outdated perceptions, not current conditions, are the real obstacle to more foreign hotel investment.

A Jamaican minister told a Miami hotel investment summit that outdated perceptions, not current conditions, are the real obstacle to more foreign hotel investment.

A Maryland resort town that fined an Episcopal church $1,000 a day for sheltering homeless people in its hall has countersued, claiming the shelter has never been a permitted use under the zoning code.