One of the most pressing needs in North St. Louis is housing. There are multiple facets to this issue that make it complicated for any organization to tackle. First of all there is an overwhelming amount of abandoned and vacant houses. This can lead to destabilized communities, unscrupulous developers, and higher crime. Secondly, the majority of neighbors do not own and have no means for ever purchasing. This can lead to a feeling of hopelessness and a the transient lifestyle of renting but never owning. 

 

LOVEtheLOU seeks to see these two needs reversed in one program. Our STL|LIVE program invites groups like churches, businesses, and universities to be a part of the solution. We find able teams of people and match them with houses to fix up. Then we find People of Peace within North St. Louis, with little access to ownership of a home, and we present them with a renovated house and a "rent to own" lease. 

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In 2019 we completed our first home on Enright Avenue. This was one of our most exciting projects to date because our teams not only stabilized a home that had fallen into disrepair, but also kept an amazing neighbor and her family in the neighborhood as new owners. It is our goal to see North St. Louis built up from within and one great way to do this is by home ownership. 

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If you have a team interested in making this kind of serious investment into our neighborhoods

please reach out at info@lovethelou.com

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