Friends and supporters of Building Hope in the City (BHITC), a Christian mission organization focused on the renewal of urban Cleveland, gathered on Saturday, June 29 for prayer and dedication of its new faith-based home for soldiers journeying together in recovery. The house on Trowbridge Avenue in Cleveland is the nonprofit’s fourth home renovation in the Clark-Fulton and Stockyards neighborhoods.

BHITC partnered with Community Service Alliance (CSA) on this project. CSA provides affordable, short-term housing and support for independent housing for those in need, including Veterans. Area benefactors and church groups contributed the funds for the renovation, and hundreds of volunteers spent thousands of hours renovating the two-family house into a therapeutic group home for veterans in recovery. Eight veterans starting the next chapter of their recovery move into the home in August.

“We believe a safe, stable place to live is essential for folks in poverty to move forward with their life goals and dreams,” says Brian Upton, BHITC’s Executive Director.  “In addition to housing, BHITC is leading community development efforts in the neighborhood to strengthen it in other ways, including partnering with local public schools on tutoring for students, and facilitating resident-led neighborhood improvement projects.”

Over the next 10 years, the group hopes to renovate or build new at least 60 homes that will provide supportive, below-market rent and rent-to-own housing options for people connected to one of its programs or partners.

“We are proud to be a partner in the efforts of Building Hope in the City on this special project,” says Gus Frangos, Cuyahoga Land Bank President and General Counsel. “Our Veterans deserve recognition and respect for their service, but more so, they deserve to live fulfilling lives. We were very pleased to provide this home to BHITC for $1.”