In March, we asked student applicants supported by our Guarantor Waiver Program to share what home meant to them. Lorvellie, one of our applicants, answered from a place that most of us never have to understand: for about eight months, she had lived in her car.
Describing it as one of the loneliest times of her life, she shared that there was no safe refuge at the end of the day, which conditions you to watch your surroundings with caution.
Lorvellie’s story is a powerful reminder of why Leap exists: to make renting accessible for everyone. Now the second-place winner of the Leap Live and Learn 2026 Scholarship, she begins her video on December 22, 2022, day 54 of living without a home. “I felt a lot of guilt. I felt so much shame,” she said, while sitting in her car. Even saying the word homeless took time.
But somewhere in that season, her idea of home changed. “Home is a state of mind,” she says, “one that fosters hope and faith.” Home can be a safe place. It can be your best friend, or even your dog.
The experience also opened her heart to others. She now feels deeply for people facing homelessness and hunger, and for people who can’t advocate for themselves. Her conclusion is one we keep coming back to:
“Home is not defined by who you are, but home is a place that makes you feel more like who you are.”
Lorvellie’s story is about far more than a lease, but it highlights just how vital a safe, stable home is—and how difficult the path to achieving that necessity has become.
For many prospective residents, the hardest part isn’t finding an apartment they love; it’s getting approved for the lease. Traditional income and credit requirements, the need for a personal guarantor, and large upfront security deposits consistently block first-time renters, students, and those rebuilding their credit.
For rental housing owners and operators, each of these barriers represents a lost lease. A qualified, motivated renter who can’t meet one specific requirement walks away, and an apartment sits empty longer. Making renting more accessible isn’t just a mission-driven goal—it’s good business.
That’s where Leap comes in. We empower rental housing operators to remove the barriers that keep good renters from signing, all while keeping their communities fully protected.
How Leap works for your community
- More approved applicants: Renters who would otherwise fall just short of your criteria can qualify with Leap acting as their apartment guarantor. You can say “yes” to more applicants without asking them to rely on family or friends.
- Protection you can count on: Leap’s coverage protects your bottom line against unpaid rent and damages, so your leasing team can approve conditional applicants with confidence.
- Faster lease-ups: By offering a security deposit alternative and removing the friction of finding a cosigner, you lower upfront costs for the renter and streamline the approval process, reducing the days a home sits empty.
- A better move-in experience: A smooth, simple online process helps your new residents start their stay on the right foot, boosting resident satisfaction from day one.
When more renters can seamlessly say yes to a home, our partners fill more units. That’s how community impact and business results grow together.
Lorvellie taught us that home is more than a roof. It’s hope, faith, and the people and dreams we carry with us. Our mission is to help more renters reach a home that makes them feel more like who they are.
The Live and Learn Scholarship is one way we invest in that mission. Empowering rental housing operators with Leap is another. Together, we can open more doors for renters and fill more apartments in your communities.
Thank you, Lorvellie, for your courage and for sharing your story. Congratulations on your scholarship.