Bricks and Mortals’ Faith-Owned Property Summit Brings Together 250+ Leaders in New York City

Houses of faith play a vital role in solving the ongoing housing crisis in New York City. However, congregations are often forced to navigate financial, administrative, and zoning barriers without assistance.

On October 21, more than 250 leaders from faith communities, housing organizations, real estate, and policy sectors gathered in New York City for the third Bricks and Mortals Faith-Owned Property Summit. The day-long convening created space for meaningful dialogue, practical learning, and new partnerships focused on unlocking the potential of faith-owned property to serve communities.

Prior to this event, Bricks and Mortals has hosted two previous city-wide summits in partnership with the Mayor’s Working Group on Affordable Housing and Community Development and the Mayor’s Office for Faith-Based and Community Partnerships. The 2025 event expanded both reach and impact, and included top-level government leaders from the Comptroller’s Office, the NYC Department of Finance, and Housing Preservation & Development. Participants explored how faith-owned properties can be activated to address urgent needs, from affordable housing to community services.

“This summit exceeded our expectations in every way,” said Kate Toth, Executive Director of Bricks and Mortals. “We brought together an incredible group of leaders who are united by a shared commitment to stewarding faith-owned property for the common good. The energy in the room was palpable.”

The day began with an opening plenary highlighting Bricks and Mortals’ Sustainable Solutions for Sacred Sites initiative, underscoring how preservation and community development can go hand in hand. From there, attendees chose from a robust agenda of panels and breakout sessions designed to meet the unique challenges of operating in New York City.

Highlights included All Eyes on Faith Properties, a plenary discussion examining legislative initiatives, and What’s Space Got to Do With It?, an expert roundtable exploring creative and practical uses of faith-owned property. Participants also engaged in focused breakout sessions, including “Space Use Deep Dives” on immigration services, community space-sharing models, and housing development strategies.

Technical Assistance sessions provided practical guidance on property management and maintenance, insurance considerations, and expense and revenue strategies. Each of these sessions equipped congregations and strategic partners with tools to move their ideas from vision to implementation.

Throughout the day, the summit fostered interfaith connection and collaboration. Attendees shared lessons learned, discussed common building challenges, and explored new opportunities to leverage underutilized space in service of their neighborhoods.

“Our goal was not only to raise awareness of the challenges faith communities face with their buildings, but to provide real, actionable resources,” Toth reflected. “The conversations we heard happening across sectors and faith traditions demonstrate that this work is gaining momentum across New York City.”

Following the event, participants were surveyed to better understand which sessions were most valuable and where additional support is needed. Early feedback suggested strong interest in continued technical assistance and peer learning opportunities, both of which will be incorporated into Bricks and Mortals programming for members and supporters in the year ahead.

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