Thirteen community groups from across north Belfast have joined forces to urge church leaders to return the prime site at the junction of North Queen Street and Frederick Street.
Earlier this year the Irish News revealed the Catholic Church was given a 10,000-year lease on the site in 1985, however, the Housing Executive retains a freehold interest on the potentially lucrative parcel of land.
Local campaigners want the site to be made available for social housing amid claims the Catholic Church has put a £2m price tag on the property.
The Housing Executive supports plans for new houses on the site.
Energy infrastructure firm SONI has expressed an interest in the site.
St Kevin’s Hall, which was located on the plot of land, was demolished in 2015.
In a statement, 13 local housing and community groups said a series of potential social housing sites in north Belfast have been “snatched up by private developers who saw the demand for student accommodation”.
The groups say that a previous parish administrator had intended to build sheltered accommodation on the site “specifically for parishioners of St Patrick’s and St Joseph’s”.
Campaigners add that SONI plans to install “two massive electrical transformers to benefit the city centre”.
“This is being done without any consultation with local residents,” they say.
The community groups have now called for the site to be turned over for local use.
“We call on all interested parties and organisations to get behind a campaign to retain St Kevin’s Hall site for the needs of the people of the parish and that need is social housing,” the groups say.
“A call that is also endorsed by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.
“We now call on the church to return the land to the its rightful owners the Housing Executive for the needs of those unfortunate enough to be on a waiting list of over 4,000 people to be housed.”
A spokesman for the Catholic Church previously said: “The Diocese can confirm that the parish is currently exploring a number of proposed plans for this site, including the sale of the leasehold.”
“Any such plans will be fully compliant and carried out in accordance with the ‘The Property (Northern Ireland) Order 1997’ and the ‘Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2022’.”
The statement has been signed by St Patrick’s and St Joseph’s Housing Committee, Carrick Hill Residents Association, New Lodge Housing Forum, Upper Long Streets Association, Lancaster Area Residents Group, Seven Towers Residents Association, Greater Whitewell Community Surgery, Trinity and New Lodge Senior Citizens Group, Star Neighbourhood Centre, Our Club Our Community, Sailortown Regeneration Group, New Lodge Safer Streets Committee and Bawnmore and District Residents.