NEW YORK CITY—New York City's Department of Housing Preservation and Development's 2017 Housing and Vacancy Survey concluded with the rental vacancy rate of 3.63%, New York is facing a “housing emergency.” Cities around the country such as Los Angeles are also working to address affordable housing shortages.

Religious institutions are often some cities' largest landowners. They also frequently have a mission to alleviate the affordable housing crises in their communities. Experts recently convened at the New York Athletic Club to brainstorm on how developers, builders and financiers can team up with faith-based organizations to create affordable housing.

NHP Foundation, a leading builder of affordable housing, Goldstein Hall, a law firm which concentrates on community development, Friedman, an accounting firm which serves the affordable housing community, and JPMorgan Chase sponsored the panel discussion. Experts from these organizations were joined by representatives of the New York governor's office, New York City's HPD department, and Temple Builders, a construction company that exclusively builds houses of worship. WNYC's Charlie Herman moderated the discussion.