On a quiet street in Columbia, a once-forgotten house hums back to life. Fresh paint catches the light, the porch feels sturdy underfoot, and inside, the space holds the promise of something deeply personal: a first home. For many families, this moment would have felt impossible just months earlier. Credit challenges, rising rents, and uncertainty about the buying process can make homeownership feel like a locked door. Arise Dwellings of Mid-Missouri exists to help open it.
For co-founders Scott Claybrook and Nick Timberlake, the work began not as a formal initiative, but as a response to real stories unfolding around them. Friends, neighbors, and community members were facing sudden evictions, unaffordable rent increases, and limited pathways to stability.
“We saw a bottleneck of problems living at the intersection of rising rents, real estate instability for the working class, knowledge gaps, and a lack of upward mobility through quality housing,” Claybrook said. “These weren’t abstract issues. They were affecting people we knew and cared about.”
That urgency led to action. Launched in 2023 with a single home, Arise Dwellings has grown quickly, completing 26 homes by early 2026. Its model is focused: renovate existing homes and prepare them for first-time buyers with built-in equity from day one.
For many first-time buyers, the challenge isn’t desire, it’s access. Financial setbacks, limited savings, or unfamiliarity with the process can prevent families from moving forward with homeownership. Arise Dwellings addresses these barriers through a relational approach that prioritizes long-term readiness over quick transactions.
Families connect with Arise in a variety of ways: through referrals from local churches, nonprofit partners, community relationships, or direct outreach. From there, each journey is tailored.
“When a family approaches us, we take a tailor-fit approach to see what they need and how we can help,” Claybrook said. “Some families are six, nine, or even 12 months out from readiness, and we walk with them through that.”
Preparation often includes financial coaching and homebuyer education, particularly through a close partnership with Love Columbia. That organization’s coaching programs and homeowner classes help families build credit, understand the buying process, and access down payment assistance through HUD-supported programs and other grants. Arise Dwellings has also expanded this effort through its First-Time Homebuyer Collective, a structured, multimonth program designed to equip families for sustainable homeownership.
Still, the organization’s goal is broader than selling its own homes.
“Our goal is not necessarily to sell one of our homes,” Claybrook said. “Our goal is to help families take the next best step for them.” That might mean purchasing an Arise home, working with another nonprofit developer, or finding the right opportunity in the open market.
Support doesn’t end at closing. Arise continues to check in with homeowners, offering guidance on maintenance and helping them stay connected to a growing network of first-time buyers. That long-term investment reflects a commitment not just to access, but to stability.
Bringing New Life to Existing Homes
A defining feature of Arise Dwellings’ work is its focus on renovating existing housing stock rather than building new homes. In Columbia’s central neighborhoods, vacant lots for new construction are increasingly rare, while many older homes remain underutilized or in disrepair.
“The availability of existing housing stock creates a great opportunity for neighborhood stabilization,” Claybrook said. “It allows us to step into a space that isn’t being widely addressed and bring new life to homes that already exist.”
This approach complements, rather than competes with, other local housing efforts. Organizations like the Anderson Homes Foundation, Central Missouri Community Action, Job Point, and the Columbia Community Land Trust are actively building new construction homes throughout the city. Arise Dwellings intentionally focuses on restoring existing properties to expand access to housing and strengthen established neighborhoods.
“These are complicated projects,” noted Claybrook. “They’re not cookie-cutter, but we’ve built relationships with experienced renovators who help us create consistency and quality while keeping prices accessible.”
The impact of this work is especially visible in the North Central neighborhood. In 2023, Arise Dwellings acquired 17 properties in a concentrated area that had long struggled with neglect and safety concerns. Many homes were severely dilapidated, and vacant spaces contributed to instability.
“The result has been an entirely changed experience for that part of the neighborhood,” Claybrook said. “We’ve seen new homeowners step in and a renewed sense of strength take hold.” The effort built on existing momentum in the area, including nearby developments like the Cullimore Cottages led by the Columbia Community Land Trust and partnerships with the Anderson Homes Foundation, which continued development on several of the lots.
A Collaborative Model for Lasting Impact
Collaboration is central to how Arise Dwellings operates. Claybrook emphasizes that the organization’s progress is rooted in partnerships across the community.
“It’s all about relationships,” he said. “None of what’s been accomplished has been because of our own merit. It’s been through community collaboration.”
Local churches provide a backbone of support, offering volunteers, funding, and relational connections that help identify and support families. Nonprofit partners like Love Columbia play a foundational role in education and mentorship, bringing experience and stability to the homebuyer preparation process.
Arise also works alongside more than 50 local contractors who carry out renovations. These partnerships extend beyond construction. “We see the building up of local contractors and their businesses as part of the broader transformation,” Claybrook said. “It’s about strengthening the local economy as well as the homes themselves.”
Financial support from donors, investors, foundations, and local banks helps make the model sustainable. As Claybrook noted, “Every time someone contributes, whether it’s materials, funding, or low-interest capital, it directly lowers the cost for first-time homebuyers.”
As Arise Dwellings continues to grow, its focus remains on steady, sustainable expansion. The organization aims to renovate 10 to 12 homes each year, with plans to increase capacity while maintaining quality and affordability.
Beyond construction, there is a growing emphasis on education and community impact.
“We believe an equipped community will equip others,” Claybrook said. “When families gain access to homeownership and equity, it creates a ripple effect through economic development, neighborhood stability, and long-term opportunity.”
For Claybrook, Timberlake, and the broader Arise Dwellings team, the vision extends far beyond individual homes. It’s about creating pathways for families to invest in their futures and contribute to stronger neighborhoods.
In a housing market that often feels out of reach, Arise Dwellings offers a different model — one rooted in relationships, collaboration, and practical care. Each restored home represents more than a renovation; it marks the beginning of a new chapter for families and communities alike.
Arise Dwellings of Mid-Missouri, Inc.
As a faith-based nonprofit, we’ve set out to build a pipeline of transformation through home renovation capable of touching neighborhoods, generations, business owners, and diverse cultures through the platform of the home.
We are committed to the deep work of restoration. Working deeply into homes, neighborhoods, families to see transformation inside and out.
Board of Directors
- Nick Timberlake, president, Movement Custom Homes
- Reuutasha Belcher-Harris, secretary, Columbia African American Business Alliance
- Julian Jackman, vice president, Peace Program
- Brandon Kalista, treasurer, Mid-America Bank
- Robyn Lefler, board member, Columbia House of Brokers
- D’Markus Thomas-Brown, board member, City of Columbia
- Scott Claybrook, executive director
From left, Scott Claybook, co-founder and executive director, and Nick Timberlake, co-founder and board president, stand with new homeowner Caritas Habimana to demonstrate the life-changing goal of The Arise Dwellings of Mid-Missouri.
