Across Canada, thousands of faith-built properties—churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples—are increasingly underutilized or at risk of closure. These spaces have long functioned as more than places of worship. They are gathering places, anchors of social infrastructure, and carriers of local identity. As communities face rising housing costs and eroding civic space, there is growing recognition that these properties can be reimagined to serve new and urgent public purposes.
The Canadian Urban Institute’s (CUI) latest report, Sacred Spaces, Civic Value, offers a timely and thoughtful exploration of how sacred sites can be repositioned as community assets. From its mapping of national trends to its analysis of successful reuse models, the report resonates deeply with the mission and ongoing work of Releven—an organization dedicated to supporting the transformation of underutilized faith properties into affordable housing and community hubs.
Here are five key insights from the report that closely align with our own approach to faith properties:
1. A Crisis That Demands Action
CUI estimates that up to one-third of Canada’s 27,000 faith properties could close in the next decade. This forecast underscores the urgency of developing frameworks that prevent the loss of these buildings—and the community benefits they provide.
2. Sacred Sites as Civic Commons
The report highlights how many faith spaces already support public services like food programs, childcare, and cultural gatherings. We share this belief in the civic value of sacred spaces and work to ensure they remain sites of belonging and social connection, even as their uses evolve.
3. Unlocking Systemic Solutions
While one-off success stories exist, the report calls for the development of scalable, systemic policy and financing solutions. This directly reflects our work in helping congregations and municipalities transition from ad hoc responses to coordinated, mission-driven redevelopment.
4. Cross-Sector Collaboration is Essential
Adaptive reuse requires engagement across faith groups, local governments, nonprofits, and developers. Releven’s model is built on these partnerships—recognizing that sustainable transformation happens when diverse voices and priorities are brought to the table.
5. Housing, Heritage, and Equity Can Coexist
CUI’s case studies show that heritage preservation and community benefit can go hand in hand. We have seen firsthand how respecting and preserving the architectural legacy of a space can enhance its role as cultural space, service hub, or add to the broader community as a housing development.
The report is a valuable contribution to a growing conversation: what do we do with the spaces that once brought us together? And how might they bring us together again in new ways?
📘 Read the full report from the Canadian Urban Institute:
https://canurb.org/publications/sacred-spaces-civic-value
