By Tony Manolatos, May 2025
San Diego’s innovative YIGBY initiative — short for “Yes In God’s Backyard” — is on the verge of completing its first affordable housing project, setting a powerful precedent for faith-based solutions to the region’s housing and homelessness crises. Located on Imperial Avenue in the Grant Hill neighborhood, the development transforms church-owned land near Bethel AME Church into 26 one-bedroom units for formerly homeless veterans.
This milestone project is a collaboration between YIGBY and Bethel AME Church.. Originally envisioned as a 16-unit complex, the plan was reimagined by AVRP Founder and CEO Doug Austin and his team into a more cost effective and impactful 26-unit community. Austin, who also serves as Chair of the YIGBY Advisory Board and YIGBY Steering Committee, emphasized the project’s urgency and purpose.
LPA was hired to complete the Architectural work and serve as the Architect of Record.
“I have a heart for homelessness and a passion for YIGBY's mission," said Austin, whose firm did their work pro bono. "When I was on the San Diego Planning Commission, I was a strong advocate more housing. Homelessness is a housing problem. We need more housing."
A Local Crisis in Urgent Need of Solutions
San Diego’s need for more housing — particularly deeply affordable units — has never been greater. According to the 2025 Point-in-Time Count, no less than 9,905 people were experiencing homelessness throughout San Diego County. A portion of this population includes veterans, many of whom face complex challenges such as trauma, mental illness, or chronic illness, and are in urgent need of supportive, stable housing.
At the same time, San Diego continues to face a dire housing shortage. According to the San Diego Housing Commission, the city needs over 100,000 new affordable units by 2030 to meet projected demand. But the barriers to development — including high land costs, lengthy entitlement processes, and reliance on limited government subsidies — often stall or stop projects altogether.
Faith-Based Land, Community-Driven Development
This is where YIGBY offers a compelling alternative. The former site of a duplex, the Grant Hill property exemplifies the YIGBY model: unlocking the potential of underutilized faith-owned land — such as church parking lots or vacant parcels — for affordable housing without relying on government subsidies.
“If we did this project with government subsidies, each unit would cost much more to build, and we would have less flexibility,” AVRP’s Austin explained. “Without the subsidy, you don’t have the red tape, and it doesn’t cost as much to build.”
AVRP’s reconfiguration of the project from 16 to 26 one-bedroom units demonstrates how thoughtful design and efficient construction can stretch resources to maximize impact — without sacrificing quality or mission.
The YIGBY movement, which originated in San Diego and is now gaining traction across California, offers faith-based organizations a roadmap to convert their land into housing. YIGBY provides both financial resources and development expertise to churches, bridging the gap between mission-driven intent and practical execution.
“There’s a huge opportunity for our faith-based community to assist with closing the affordable housing gap,” said Evan Gerber, Director of Housing for YIGBY. “They own a bunch of properties, but development is risky and it’s not what they’re set up to do. So that’s where YIGBY comes in — to help the churches with the financial resources and development expertise needed to make housing a reality on faith properties.”
More Projects on the Horizon
With the success of the Grant Hill project, YIGBY is poised to expand its impact. Two more San Diego developments are already in the pipeline: one adjacent to the veteran complex and also owned by Bethel AME Church, and another located in the Grantville/Allied Gardens area, on land owned by Ascension Lutheran Church. These upcoming projects will serve seniors, teachers, veterans, or other vulnerable populations in need of stable housing.
“We’ve shown that we can do this,” Austin said. “We now have a model for doing it, so we think we can now raise a bunch of money to build more of these projects — not just in San Diego, but all over the state.”
By turning “God’s backyard” into homes for those most in need, YIGBY is not only addressing urgent social problems — it’s also pioneering a scalable, community-first solution that other cities can replicate.
To learn more about the YIGBY movement and support its mission, visit yigby.org.
Tony Manolatos is a San Diego-based public relations professional who works with several market rate and affordable housing developers.
A rendering of the first YIGBY project. Located on Imperial Avenue in the Grant Hill neighborhood of San Diego, the development transforms church-owned land near Bethel AME Church into 26 one-bedroom units for formerly homeless veterans..