As Churches Empty, Religious Groups Adopt New Role: Housing Developers

Elsdon started working in this space while serving as the executive director of a campus ministry center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he helped oversee the construction of student housing. Since he helped launch RootedGood in January 2020, he’s talked to faith-based groups across the country.“It’s just in the air,” said Elsdon. “Even churches that are doing well should be thinking about using their resources better.”