Newport News, Va. (WAVY) — A new Virginia state law, named “Yes in God’s Backyard,” will allow churches with unused property to sell that land to benefit both the church and the community. Beginning next year, the city of Newport News plans to take advantage of this legislation.
The law was passed by the Virginia General Assembly this year and is designed to address the decreasing church populations and the growing need for affordable housing.
The new state law aims to solve two problems simultaneously. Across Hampton Roads and the country, many parishioners have switched to teleworshiping, a trend Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones has been monitoring for its impact on neighborhoods…