News Release

July 9, 2009

Contact: Douglas Robinson, 202-220-2360, drobinson@nw.org
Omar Velarde-Wong, 202 220-2461, ovelardewong@nw.org

NeighborWorks America Public Service Foreclosure Prevention Campaign Ranks Number Three in the Nation

Washington, DC – With the foreclosure crisis continuing to surge and millions of homeowners likely to face losing their homes over the next year, media around the country have shown the foreclosure prevention public service advertising (PSA) campaign from NeighborWorks America in partnership with the Advertising Council, donating more than $70 million of free ad space across multiple media platforms. The PSA campaign ranks third among all of the Ad Council campaigns, behind campaigns for parental control of TV sets and the campaign to prevent drunk driving.

The NeighborWorks America campaign, which encourages homeowners to contact a certified nonprofit housing organization or their lender if faced with mortgage difficulty, was paid for in part by contributions from many of  the nation’s financial services companies, with creative services donated by New York-based advertising and marketing company mcgarrybowen. Examples of the campaign can be found at www.foreclosurehelpandhope.org.

To encourage local media to run the ads, NeighborWorks America engaged its national network of nonprofit organizations to co-brand the PSAs, showing grass roots support that the campaign has from community organizations.

In addition, as part of the NeighborWorks America foreclosure prevention outreach efforts, the company joined with local governments to establish outreach campaigns beyond media. As a result of these efforts, hundreds of thousands of homeowners have worked with nonprofit counselors to help prevent home foreclosure.

NeighborWorks America urges everyone to encourage their local media to run these ads so that more people can know what steps they can take to avoid home foreclosure. Home foreclosure hurts the family living in the home, but also the neighborhood at large by depressing property values and costing local governments scarce dollars through reduced property tax revenue, and higher police costs because foreclosed and vacant homes often attract vandals and crime.

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.Since 1991, we have assisted nearly 1.2 million 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 more than 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 $15 billion in reinvestment in these communities. NeighborWorks America is the nation’s leading trainer of community development and affordable housing professionals.