Model 8: Home Rehab Company

Lisa Trevino Cummins, who began the Faith Based Initiative in the White House, gives a clear look at why faith based housing is not only a viable model, but perhaps the only model of housing that brings the spiritual element of rehabbing the home and the soul.

“The church needs to be about accomplishing the mission statement of Jesus in Luke chapter four,” says Jim Ortiz, pastor of Friend's House, an Assembly of God Church.  Jim preaches Jesus, and lives this mission together with his congregation which was birthed during the Jesus People movement of the 60s and 70s.  In this chapter, Mary Nabor expertly captures his story. He opened his doors to drug crazed kids cruising down Whittier Boulevard. Today, some have expressed their love for Jesus by rehabbing houses that are sold to low-income families. This chapter recounts the story of Alejandro, whose life changed by becoming part of their HUD rehab team. It tells of Jim’s passions and journey to unite the Whittier area churches for prayer and later putting feet on those prayers. Twenty-five area churches demonstrated visible unity by holding a Convoy of Hope—giving out 110,000 pounds of free groceries, medical services and the gospel –ministering to almost 7,000 people in one day. The next dream big enough to capture the hearts of the pastors, lead Jim to connect with HUD. His church began to buy homes and form a rehab company, where members of his congregation could develop skills and obtain employment.  After their twelfth home purchase and rehab, they became more seasoned with stories worth telling.

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