Faith and Foundation: How a South LA Church is Building a New Blueprint for Affordable Housing

LOS ANGELES, CA – May 27, 2026 – On a patch of land once serving as a parking lot in South Los Angeles, a new form of hope is taking root. Logos Faith Development, a for-profit impact developer, and St Rest Friendship Baptist Church officially broke ground this week on a 138-unit affordable housing community, marking a pivotal moment in the city's struggle against its deepening housing crisis.

The ceremony at 709 W. Manchester Ave. celebrated the start of Phase One, a 62-unit building that represents more than just new apartments. It embodies an innovative and rapidly growing model where faith-based organizations unlock their most valuable, underutilized asset—their land—to tackle one of society's most pressing needs. For Logos, it also marks its first major project completed without co-developers, signaling the firm's maturation as a key player in the space.

Local leaders, including representatives from Council District 8, were present to champion the project, which stands as a testament to a unique public-private-faith partnership. "Addressing our housing crisis is something everyone in Los Angeles should be invested in, and I look forward to the success of this project," said Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who represents the district.

A Response to a Deepening Crisis

The St Rest development is not being built in a vacuum. It rises directly in response to the dire circumstances faced by residents in Council District 8 and across Los Angeles. In this district, a majority of the population is rent-burdened, and the average annual wage of just over $25,000 makes affording a home a near impossibility. The area has also seen staggering increases in homelessness, with a disproportionate impact on the Black community.

Against this backdrop, the 138 new homes—with roughly 90% designated for low-income tenants under Section 8 standards—are a critical lifeline. The project's approval and construction have been accelerated by new legislative tailwinds. It is among the first wave of developments to benefit from California's Senate Bill 4 (SB 4), the “Yes in God’s Backyard” law that streamlines 100% affordable housing projects on land owned by religious institutions. It also leverages Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass's Executive Directive 1, designed to fast-track affordable housing and shelters.

This legislative support is crucial, as it allows mission-aligned projects to bypass some of the bureaucratic hurdles and environmental reviews that can delay or kill affordable developments, enabling a faster and more cost-effective response to the urgent need on the ground.

The For-Profit Developer with a Mission

At the heart of this new wave of development is Logos Faith Development. Founded in 2017 by Pastor Martin Porter, the firm operates on a unique model: a for-profit developer with a faith-based mission. It partners with churches, providing the real estate expertise and financial structuring they often lack, to transform parking lots and aging buildings into thriving communities.

This isn't just a charitable side project; it's a rapidly growing business model. Logos boasts a development pipeline valued at approximately $700 million, with plans for over 2,000 affordable units in partnership with more than 30 faith organizations across Southern California and beyond. By focusing on a privately funded model that leverages Section 8 vouchers for residents rather than complex tax credits for construction, Logos has managed to keep its cost per unit under $325,000—a fraction of the city's typical cost, which can exceed $1 million per unit.

This financial sustainability is attracting significant attention from impact investors. The firm recently secured an $11 million strategic capital commitment from a private family foundation, bolstering its ability to bring more projects to the construction phase. The St Rest project, financed with a construction loan of roughly $15 million from Sunflower Bank for its first phase, serves as a proof of concept for this scalable approach.

Pastor Porter's vision extends beyond the financial and architectural. “This project is not simply about developing a building, it’s about my passion and vision for people to live in housing that has world-class interior design that inspires them on a daily basis,” he stated. “We are not simply developing projects, we are developing people.”

More Than Walls and a Roof

This philosophy of “developing people” is central to the St Rest project. Phase One, a four-story building on land owned by the church at 706 W. 85th St., will feature 53 one-bedroom and nine two-bedroom apartments, a second-floor courtyard, and 27 covered parking spaces. But the vision includes integrated life and vocational coaching, aiming to provide residents with pathways to stability and purpose, not just shelter.

For St Rest Friendship Baptist Church, the partnership is the fulfillment of a long-held calling. For decades, the church has served as a community anchor, and this development deepens that commitment. “This project reflects our calling to serve our community in tangible ways,” said Pastor Torrey N. Collins of St Rest. “By partnering with Logos Faith Development, we are transforming our land into a place of opportunity, dignity, and hope. Today’s groundbreaking is a testament to what can happen when faith, vision, and expertise come together.”

Phase One is slated for completion in the fourth quarter of 2027. The full, two-phase plan will not only create 138 homes but will also include a new, modern worship and ministry space for the church, ensuring its spiritual mission continues to thrive alongside its new role as a housing provider. As the first shovels of dirt were turned, it was clear that this was more than a construction site; it was the groundbreaking for a new model of community-led, faith-driven urban renewal.