NeighborWorks America welcomed Southern Mutual to the network with a $300,000 grant.

NeighborWorks America's recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast region were bolstered in June, with the addition of a charter member and the opening of a homeownership center in Louisiana. NeighborWorks also held a four-day Gulf Coast Community Leadership Institute (CLI) in New Orleans that provided training, opportunities for relationship building, and leadership development for more than 300 residents from a variety of Gulf Coast grassroots and nonprofit organizations. In addition, NeighborWorks America staff partnered with the East Biloxi Coordination and Redevelopment Agency on a volunteer project in East Biloxi, Mississippi.

Southern Mutual Self Help Association Joins the NeighborWorks Network
On June 19, NeighborWorks America officially welcomed Southern Mutual Help Association (SMHA), one of the most recognized rural community development corporations in the country, as a member of the NeighborWorks network. As part of the official designation, NeighborWorks provided a $300,000 grant to the New Iberia, Louisiana-based organization.

 “To know that Southern Mutual Help Association meets NeighborWorks high standards for membership makes us very proud of our acceptance into the network,” said SMHA Executive Director Lorna Bourg. “We look forward to partnering with NeighborWorks in making rural Louisiana communities better places for families to live, work and grow.”

As part of its community economic development efforts, new charter member Southern Mutual Help Association helped revive the local shrimping industry.

SMHA has received numerous awards including Fannie Mae Foundation’s Sustained Excellence Award as one of the 10 best housing and community development nonprofits over a 10-year period, and National Community Reinvestment Coalition’s (NCRC’s) Hon. James A. Leach Award, given to one rural nonprofit nationwide for outstanding contributions to economic justice and community development.

“The process of becoming a NeighborWorks network member is highly competitive, and organizations applying must meet high organizational health and performance standards and undergo a rigorous review and audit to attain and keep their membership status,” said NeighborWorks America’s Southern District Director Donald Phoenix. “I’m proud to say that SMHA met all these standards and they now have access to a powerful battery of training, research, technical assistance and funding opportunities that can only enhance their organization’s work.”

NeighhborWorks Member NHS of New Orleans Opens New Homeownership Center

NeighborWorks awarded $100,000 to its other charter member in Louisiana, Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) of New Orleans, to support its new Housing Resource Center of Mandeville. The NHS of New Orleans officially opened the doors of the new center on June 20, in partnership with St. Tammany Habitat. With the opening of the new housing resource center, NHS of New Orleans will bolster its counseling and financial assistance to low- and moderate-income residents hoping to purchase a home. 

“We are thrilled to be opening a Northshore location,” said Lauren Anderson, executive director of NHS of New Orleans.  “We look forward to continuing our home ownership assistance programs for all potential homeowners on both the South Shore and the North Shore.”

NeighborWorks America CEO Ken Wade and Southern District Director Don Phoenix mingle with guests during an event celebrating the opening of NHS of New Orleans' new homeownership center.

NHS Housing Resource Center will provide homeownership services to residents of the North Shore and surrounding communities. Like its sister organization NHS of New Orleans, HRC will offer training and information sessions to first time home buyers, from pre- qualification counseling to financial fitness workshops. Also available will be low interest loans to qualified buyers and assistance with closing costs and down payments. 

“It is an honor to be collaborating with so many groups who have already made a presence for themselves helping residents of both St Tammany and Washington Parish,” said James Ross of NeighborWorks. “We will continue to support NHS and HRC and other groups along the Gulf Coast with rebuilding strategies and training programs for residents.”

NHS of New Orleans will operate the center in partnership with Habitat St. Tammany West. Funding will be provided through NeighborWorks America and Habitat for Humanity International, with additional financial support from the Northshore Community Foundation and The United Way.

NeighborWorks Hosts Special Gulf Coast Community Leadership Institute

As part of their training, residents are divided into teams and asked to develop action plans to address priority issues facing their communities.

Ensuring resident input into the rebuilding process is an integral component of NeighborWorks America's commitment in the Gulf Coast. As part of the Gulf Coast Recovery Initiative, NeighborWorks seeks to train 1,000 community residents to be better equipped to plan, organize, and lead community-based rebuilding activities.

On June 19-22, more than 300 participants representing 50 organizations attended a special Gulf Coast Community Leadership Institute. The residents were predominantly emerging community, resident, and volunteer leaders of low- to moderate-income communities across the gulf coast. As part of their training, residents are divided into teams and asked to develop action plans to address a priority issues facing their communities.

"We look forward to exciting, impactful action plans with measureable outcomes from this new network of partners in the Gulf Coast, " said NeighborWorks Training Consultant Reemberto Rodriguez, who organized the event. The action plans would not only be used to effect positive change in their communities, they can also be submitted to NeighborWorks America for funding.

About Mutual Help Association, Inc SMHA

SMHA is a not-for-profit community development corporation dedicated to building strong, healthy and prosperous rural communities in Louisiana. Since its founding in 1969, SMHA has developed 922 new or renovated affordable homes in rural Louisiana (including homes recovered through SMHA’s Rural Recovery Response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita) and helped nearly 300 low-wealth families become first-time homeowners. SMHA’s work in housing development has generated over $298 million in local income and an additional $44 million in local tax and government revenue. Through its affiliate Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Southern Mutual Financial Services, Inc., SMHA has invested over $4.4 million in affordable mortgage, consumer and business loans directly to low-wealth families, women and people of color. www.southernmutualhelp.org

About Neighborhood Housing Services of New Orleans

Neighborhood Housing Services revitalizees New Orleans neighborhoods by increasing the number of homeowners and reducing the number of substandard or vacant houses through renovation into sustainable and productive homeownership. In addition to its citywide efforts, NHS engages in comprehensive community development within targeted neighborhoods to improve the quality of life and promote commercial redevelopment. NHS
is a member of the nationwide NeighborWorks network of more than 230 community development organizations working in more than 4,400 urban, suburban and rural communities across America.

About NeighborWorks America

NeighborWorks America creates opportunities for people to improve their lives and strengthen their communities by providing access to homeownership and to safe and affordable rental housing. To date, we have assisted nearly 850,000 low- to moderate-income families with their housing needs. Much of our success is achieved through our support of the NeighborWorks network ― more than 230 community development organizations working in 4,400 urban, suburban and rural communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. In the last five years, NeighborWorks organizations have generated more than $12.4 billion in reinvestment in these communities. NeighborWorks America is the nation’s leading trainer of community development and affordable housing professionals. www.nw.org.