The Ministry of Housing Conference Recording | January 18, 2024 San Francisco, CA

We are delighted to share this recording of “The Ministry of Housing: Real Estate Development Fundamentals for Houses of Worship in San Francisco.” We are proud to have partnered with the San Francisco Interfaith Council on the production of this event and thrilled to have the generous support of the San Francisco Foundation. This event was hosted at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church San Francisco and took place on Thursday, January 18, 2024.

 

Watch the video above to see the entire Ministry of Housing: Real Estate Development Fundamentals for Houses of Worship or click on the links below to jump directly to each session on YouTube. Alternatively, you can scroll down to view some details about each session.

• 0:00:00 – Introductions and Welcome
• 0:12:40 – The Ministry of Housing Panel: Exploring our Why
• 1:04:00 – Master Class Part I : Creating the Vision
• 2:09:53 – Master Class Part II: Vision to Reality

 

Goals of The Ministry of Housing Conference Series

• For houses of worship to better understand how to journey through the development process
• To empower houses of worship to show up fully as key partners during the development process

 

Highlights & Event Summary

We assembled a team of experts to share best practices for residential development on property owned by houses of worship. Pastor LJ Jennings served as the host for the two Master Classes

• Introductions and Welcome

  

   

  Lauren Jennings, Vice President, DCG Strategies
  Michelle Chambers, Director, Faiths Programs, San Francisco Foundation

 

• “The Ministry of Housing Panel: Exploring our Why”

  

   

  Moderator:
  Megan MacIver, Vice President, DCG Strategies

  Participants:
  Christina Alvarez, Executive Director, Episcopal Impact Fund
  Rev. Phil Brochard, Rector, All Souls Episcopal Parish
  Shannon Cheng, President, Saint Mark’s Square Board of Trustees
  Rev. Staci Current, Pastor, Temple United Methodist Church

  Summary:
  During this session, we ‘take a step back’ and explore the idea of housing as a ministry. Experts and practitioners share their lessons learned and review best practices and strategies that can be used to discern and determine whether congregations are called to develop housing on their properties at this moment in time. The session also considers how to assess both congregational readiness and real estate factors. We consider what role a pastor or congregational leader should play in the development process and consider ways we can ensure housing remains a ministry of the congregation.

 

• Master Class Part I: Creating the Vision

  

   

  Moderator:
  LJ Jennings, Senior Pastor, Kingdom Builders Christian Fellowship

  Participants:
  Lauren Jennings, Vice President, DCG Strategies
  Caroline McCormack, Vice President of Lending and Policy, San Francisco Housing Accelerator Fund (SFHAF)

  Summary:
  In Part I of the Ministry of Housing ‘Master Class,’ we explore how to create the vision of a housing development on congregational property. First, we consider how to explore general development feasibility. Additionally, we consider the basics of housing development financing, including how to build a capital stack. We explore various loan products as well as how to work with lenders.

 

• Master Class Part II: Vision to Reality

  

   

  Moderator:
  LJ Jennings, Senior Pastor, Kingdom Builders Christian Fellowship

  Participants:
  Ramie Dare, Director of Real Estate Development, Mercy Housing California
  Carly Grob, Senior Planner, San Francisco Planning Department
  Dianne Jackson McLean, Attorney, Goldfarb & Lipman

  Summary:
  In Part II of the Ministry of Housing ‘Master Class,’ we focus on how to move from the initial vision of a housing development towards preparing for groundbreaking. We explore best practices for how to work with and select a developer partner. We explore the entitlements process and how to prepare for working with the planning department. Finally, we explore what legal protections are available to congregations wishing to develop housing on their properties.

 

DCG is a consulting firm that works with religious communities to help advance their mission by making the most of their real estate assets. For more information or to explore how we can support your vision, please reach out at [email protected] .