A framework we are building beyond housing.
The Loft Community Standard is a guided system designed to help people move from simply staying sober to building a stable, healthy, and productive life. It brings core resources into one place so individuals can see the next step and actually take it.
What is the Loft Community Standard?
The Loft Community Standard is a practical framework that organizes the pieces people need to move forward in life: work, life skills, education, basic needs, finances, support, and more. Instead of scattered information and guesswork, it creates one simple, guided system.
It is especially built for individuals who face real barriers — addiction, mental health conditions, reentry, limited life experience, or lack of direction. The goal is simple: help people see that they can succeed, and then give them the steps to do it.
Who this is for
- Residents in recovery or sober living.
- Individuals reentering the community after incarceration.
- Those with mental health or addiction histories.
- People who did not grow up with strong life-skills guidance.
- Anyone who wants a clearer path to the next level of living.
Housing gives a roof. The Community Standard focuses on everything that comes next: steady work, practical decisions, wise stewardship, community, and growth over time.
Built on a simple framework: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
The Loft Community Standard follows the core layers of Maslow’s hierarchy, because growth is stronger when it is built in order:
- Physiological: basic stability — shelter, food, water, rest, safety.
- Safety: IDs, employment, income, transportation, health and financial security.
- Belonging: healthy community, support, mentorship, and connection.
- Esteem: skills, confidence, achievements, financial literacy, independence.
- Self-Actualization: purpose, education, calling, career, and long-term growth.
When these layers are supported, people can genuinely say: “I can do this. I can actually thrive.”
The portal will turn this framework into clear pathways: job and resume tools, help with IDs and licenses, guides for buying a car and insurance, education steps, financial tools, and more — all in one place.
How the Community Standard will work.
The vision is a single digital portal that cuts through confusion. Instead of searching in ten different places, an individual can open the Loft portal and find clear, updated steps for real-life goals.
Core areas the portal will support
- Jobs and resume building.
- IDs, licenses, and basic paperwork.
- Buying a car and getting insurance.
- Budgeting, banking, and financial tools.
- School and certification pathways.
- Local support, recovery, and community resources.
Over time, this will grow into a shared navigation hub for residents, churches, employers, and programs who want to help people move to the next level of living.
Development phases
- Phase 1: Planning, pathway design, and funding.
- Phase 2: Framework and content build-out.
- Phase 3: Portal development and pilot testing.
- Phase 4: Launch, refinement, and scaling into the wider community.
Why we build this way.
At The Loft, we believe that people are more than their past. There is real value in every person, and when people thrive, communities thrive. That conviction shapes how we design the Community Standard.
We also recognize the importance of spiritual growth and healthy community. The Standard is influenced by the words of Christ:
“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
The goal of this work is not just survival, but a life an individual can grow into — emotionally, relationally, spiritually, and practically.
Partner with The Loft Community Standard.
We are in Phase 1 — planning the system, mapping pathways, forming partnerships, and securing funding to build the full portal.
If you are a community leader, church, employer, agency, or individual who wants to support this work, we would love to connect.