The Building and Leveraging Opportunities (BLO) Foundation Ð known by its fraternal name Beta Lambda Omega Ð is a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming lives and revitalizing communities through impactful initiatives. They recently unveiled its second completed affordable housing project. The group partnered with Ready Life and its Ohio Pilot Program, which brings refurbished and newly built homes to low to moderate-income families. Named the Gus Gold Door Initiative in honor of Cuyahoga Land Bank founder Gus Frangos, who unexpectedly passed away in August, the project was supported by a grant from Cuyahoga Land Bank Charities.

The home renovation was made possible with assistance from plenty of partners, including Ready Life and CEO Ashley Bell, Cuyahoga Land Bank, Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc., Cuyahoga County Council Members Meredith Turner, Cheryl Stephens, Yvonne Conwell, and Martin Sweeney, and Humble Design Cleveland. The Cuyahoga Land Bank also provided a formerly abandoned home for the project together with the Cuyahoga Land Bank Charities’ $50,000 in grant funding to renovate the house. The home will be sold to individuals who might not have traditional mortgage banking credentials but have a good history of renting who don’t need a credit score to be eligible to purchase this home.

“The Building & Leveraging 501c3 Foundation is thrilled to move forward into the next phase of our project, which aims to create new pathways to homeownership for current renters,” says Orlando Grant, BLO’s Board Chairman. “This initiative, in collaboration with Ready Life and the Cuyahoga Land Bank, will set a new standard in the affordable housing market. We expect the program to increase housing availability, reduce blight across neighborhoods in the county, and provide homeownership opportunities based on consistent rental payment history rather than traditional credit scores.”

You can see the final outcome and learn more about BLO and its mission HERE. The Ready Life website has more information, qualifications and a pre-approval application.

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