More than 100 local households are living the American Dream of homeownership, thanks to Project Build a Future — an organization that builds quality, affordable housing and helps people toward a path to financial success.
Project Build a Future is now looking forward to 2024 and its first-phase launch of the most ambitious project in its history.
About PBAF
The not-for-profit Project Build a Future builds homes in areas north of Broad Street in LakeCharles and helps people qualify to own them.
“Our mission is simple —engage in quality, affordable homeownership initiatives that will revitalize and beautify our target area,” said Charla Blake, executive director. “Affordability is a cornerstone of our mission, but that’s not what solely defines our work. We also pride our selves on providing quality services to the community and building quality homes for our clients.”
Project Build a Future homes provide pride and hope for potential homebuyers as well as an opportunity for a stable financial future.
The agency’s homebuyer counseling program and other financial education programs are intended to lay a solid foundation for financial success for its clients. In that regard, not a single home has gone into foreclosure since the agency’s efforts began in 2001.
Comprehensive services
Project Build a Future is a nonprofit organization committed to revitalizing our target area — the sections north of Broad Street in Lake Charles — through quality, affordable home-ownership initiatives.
Its programs include:
- Home-buyer counseling.
- Home-buyer education classes.
- Lease-to-purchase arrangements.
- New construction of high-quality homes.
Quality, affordable homes
The agency’s New Construction program builds homes that are intended to be an asset both to the neighbourhood and to the homebuyer. Homes are generally three bedrooms and two baths. They are built to hurricane standards and include energy-efficient features, crown molding, ceiling fans and open floor plans. Client homebuyers can help pick flooring, interior paint colors, the finish on electrical fixtures and other details.
Personal finance coaching
Program participants begin the path to home-ownership with the Homebuyer Counseling and Education program. Home buyer counselors meet individually with homebuyers to work on budgets, examine income and determine how much home a family can afford. For participants with credit or debt issues, homebuyer counselors work closely with the homebuyers to help them repair their credit, reduce their debt, start saving—and ultimately get in to a position to obtain mortgage approval and to purchase a home.
Next: ‘Even more homes’
Next up is a development of multiple adjacent homes.
The agency will make a major announcement about this effort at the turn of the year — but so far, Project Build a Future has alreadyprojectbuildafuture.org • 337-439-7191 • Office: 2306 Third Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601suggested that this will be the most ambitious undertaking in its history.
Provided by Project Build A Future