Church to Give $500,000 to Nehemiah West Project

The Rev. Frederick H. Borsch, bishop of the Los Angeles diocese of the Episcopal Church, on Tuesday announced a pledge of more than $500,000 in loans by the church to help construct Nehemiah West, a townhouse-style development of 316 low-priced homes in South-Central Los Angeles.

Borsch said the five-year, no-interest loan is one of several he expects to be made by Los Angeles-area churches to the project’s nonprofit developers. The developers hope that Nehemiah West will help turn around one of the city’s most rundown neighborhoods. The church also will give the project developers $2,000 a month in support funds.

“One would like to believe the church has always been involved,” in affordable housing, Borsch said. “What is needed oftentimes is seed money and the people to get these projects off the ground.”