COGIC Urban Initiatives Update:

We all know that without shelter, nothing else is possible. Not only do we have clear empirical data that even a short period of homelessness can damage a child and his or her prospects for education and fulfillment in life, but we have the Word of Christ, who said more than once that our job is to feed the hungry and house the homeless.

This article, from a local newspaper in Palo Alto, one of the centers of wealth and innovation in Silicon Valley, tells the story of one Pastor making a difference in housing for the homeless by lowering the cost of construction of new homes. COGIC Pastor and Dist. Missionary Bains have a proven track record of success by running 11 programs, serving over 5000 people annually in 4 counties and 17 cities in northern California with 101 employees. However, Pastor Bains saw a greater to supply more affordably housing. Many reports say that building a new apartment in Silicon Valley these days can cost as much as $750,000. Not surprisingly given such expense, not much new housing is getting built in California and, as a result, rents are going up, homelessness is going up, and despair is going up. Pastor Bains, as you will see in this article, expects his new modular housing factory, being built in partnership with an industry leader, will lower costs and construction time dramatically, thereby giving more projects the “green light” and creating more units that are affordable for Silicon Valley’s least advantaged residents. As Pastor Bains says, he wants “to bring hope home.”

I hope you enjoy the article!