November 27, 2007

Contact:

Erin Angell, 202-220-6317, eangell@nw.org
Lynn Long, 504-669-0576, l2media@cox.net

NeighborWorks America Partners with the New Orleans Hornets to Help New Orleans Teachers Return to Their Homes

 

From left, NeighborWorks staff James Ross and Don Phoenix; NHS Executive Director Lauren Anderson; NeighborWorks staff Tom Deyo and Sharon Kent; NBA Hornets star Tyson Chandler; New Orleans teacher Molly McKinney, and NeighborWorks staff Wes Miller

Washington, DC – Today NeighborWorks America announced its partnership with the New Orleans Hornets and the team’s Hoops for Homes initiative. Now in its third year, Hoops for Homes aims to help New Orleans metropolitan area teachers return to the area’s schools by providing funding that will be used to repair their homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

NeighborWorks America gave a $250,000 grant to the Hoops for Homes initiative.  Additional funding partners in phase three include the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation, The Salvation Army, and Hornets star Tyson Chandler. The funding will be administered by Neighborhood Housing Services of New Orleans, a member of the NeighborWorks network. 

“Rebuilding the communities and the spirit of the Gulf Coast continues to be our priority,” said Ken Wade, CEO of NeighborWorks America. “A strong educational system is essential to the efforts to revitalize the region. We are helping educators repair their homes so they can continue to focus on shaping the minds of New Orleans’ future generations.” 

Funding is available to qualified applicants who are certified public and private school teachers throughout the Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, Plaquemines, and St. Tammany parishes, who are still short of funding needed to complete repairs to their storm-damaged homes.

NeighborWorks America, a leader in affordable housing and community development, has had a long-standing presence in the Gulf Coast region. Following the 2005 hurricanes, NeighborWorks America committed to expand its presence and increase financial support for organizations in the region to address the overwhelming demand for affordable housing and financial and homeownership counseling and education. To date, NeighborWorks America has contributed nearly $8 million in direct investments and in-kind support and technical assistance, providing pre-development and development support for more than a thousand affordable housing units across the region.

For more information about Hoops for Homes, please visit www.hornets.com. 

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 235 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.