It’s a big, big house, with lots and lots of rooms.

Or maybe it’s an apartment complex, a multifamily living property that can serve as a model for this big heavenly house, full of people from all walks of life who share a community.

Today, about 37% of the population lives in multifamily communities. That number is likely to skyrocket due to shifts in multifamily living and even more as Gen Z-ers graduate from college and move to new cities. This presents an opportunity for FDIs in multifamily to increase their impact and reach people of all nations, ages, and family situations.

David Snyder, founder of Apartment Life, explained that among the most significant changes in multifamily living are the increased tenure of residency, diversity, and motivations for apartment living. These differences pose interesting opportunities for organizations like Apartment Life to reach a broader range of residents over a longer period of time.

Multifamily living used to be a predominantly short-term, needs-based living arrangement. Now, more singles and families are choosing multifamily, apartment life, over a house in the suburbs. A significant portion of this population is the millennial generation who for personal preference, rather than economic need, remain in apartments. Reasons include access to public transportation, walkability to work and groceries, and the community that tends to bustle in downtown areas.

But one thing auspiciously missing from this list of apartment-living pull-factors is a local church. Not coincidentally, this surge in long-term apartment-dwelling directly corelates to an unfortunate trend of unchurched Millennials and Gen Z-ers.

Taking into account the negative reality of gentrification that pushes some of the needs-based multifamily residents into different communities, there is still a high level of diversity in multifamily living. This leads to communities blended with singles, marrieds, parents, and retirees of a plethora of nationalities and races, coming from different economic and faith backgrounds.

How then, can this increasing—and increasingly diverse—population be met with the gospel? While churches can reach out and have occasional touchpoints with multifamily residents, property management has constant opportunity to engage in their daily lives. Regardless of socioeconomic status, education, or family style, residents of multifamily living have universal needs that FDIs know can only truly be met through a relationship with Jesus.

But FDIs also know that multifamily residents have tangible needs that as believers, they are called to address. The diversity of residents provides incredible opportunities for the Church (the body of believers, rather than just the local parish) to actively be the Church and really live out the call of its origin story in Acts 2:42-45

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and are together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

This may mean that for some residents, a weekly Bible study or community group is the most pressing need. For others, childcare or a cooking class. Others may simply need prayer. While the local church may play a part in this, it is the call on every believer to live out both the Great Commission—make disciples, teach, baptize—and the Great Commandment—love God and love others.

Being known and loved and knowing the saving grace of the gospel is the most foundational need of every person. As FDIs step into the evolving culture of multifamily living, they will continue to find unique opportunities to be the hands and feet of Jesus to an increasingly diverse community of people. In this way, multifamily living mirrors the picture of a big, big house—with room for many and all kinds of people—where residents believe they are known and cared for by loving and true (land)Lord.

Meeting People Where They Live