Model Z and Logos Faith team up for affordable housing in South LA
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In South Los Angeles, rising rents and persistent housing shortages have led faith-based organizations to rethink how their land is used. Logos Faith Development, a real estate group rooted in community values, is leading a shift by converting church-owned properties into affordable housing. Focused on underused lots, the organization aims to provide long-term benefits to neighborhoods often overlooked by the market.
Logos Faith has partnered with Model Z, a modular construction company founded by Gray Lusk and Martin Muoto, to speed up delivery while lowering costs. Their first joint project will rise at the corner of 105th Street and Central Avenue. The five-story complex will include 91 units and is scheduled to begin site work in 2026.
The promise of Model Z lies in its speed, cost control, and reduced waste
Model Z’s modular system borrows from automotive and aerospace processes. Units are built off-site at a controlled facility in Watts, then delivered and assembled on location. The approach shortens timelines, cuts waste by more than 30 percent, and creates predictable budgets for developers.
At the core of this system is the Z/Suite platform, which integrates design, engineering, and assembly. Units are steel-framed, ADA-compliant, and built to meet both HUD and state standards. By centralizing production, Model Z reduces the labor volatility and delays common in traditional projects.
Backed by $19 million in federal tax credit funding, Model Z’s South LA factory is built to produce thousands of units each year. The focus is on scale and consistency, making the method particularly attractive for housing providers on tight timelines.
The 105th and Central site will be a test case for modular housing at scale
The 91-unit build planned for 105th and Central is part of a larger plan to use church properties for low-income housing. Scheduled to break ground in 2026, the five-story project is designed to serve households priced out of market-rate developments.
Churches often occupy land with long-term stability, but limited use. By using modular construction, Logos Faith is reimagining how these parcels can meet public needs without long delays or financial risk.
Pastor Martin Porter, founder of Logos Faith, said, “This is about creating dignity and access through design. By using Model Z’s modular process, we’re not just saving time, we’re setting a higher standard for what affordable housing can look like.”
Shared values drive the partnership between Logos Faith and Model Z
Porter and Muoto have worked together for more than five years on South LA development efforts. Their partnership brings together nonprofit mission and private-sector delivery. While Logos focuses on land stewardship and community alignment, Model Z offers a repeatable system built around cost control and delivery speed.
By leveraging Z/Suite, churches and nonprofits can avoid the unpredictable costs of traditional projects and benefit from a construction model that removes much of the guesswork.
The 105th and Central project is more than a single development, it could serve as a model. Model Z is already scaling, with a 188-unit complex at 43rd and Vermont now in motion. Funding from tax credits, private equity, and mission-aligned investors is supporting the company’s push to deliver 1,500 units over the next two years.
Logos Faith, meanwhile, is exploring additional partnerships on church-owned land in wildfire-affected areas. With modular production reducing timelines and budget risk, the model may appeal to congregations looking to support their communities in a tangible way.
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