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| NeighborWorks America Releases Working Together for Strong Communities: Annual Report 2009 |
| Despite an environment that remains very challenging, NeighborWorks America and our network of affiliates continued to deliver strong results in 2009 — developing innovative solutions and new tools to help community development organizations across the country address the impact of foreclosure and a weak national economy. We are pleased to share with you the results of this work in 2009. View Working Together for Strong Communities: Annual Report 2009. |
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| Top Producers in the NeighborWorks Network Recognized With 2010 CEO Award |
| NeighborWorks America announced the 2010 honorees for the NeighborWorks America CEO award for outstanding performance in homebuilding, rental housing development, residential rehabilitation, housing counseling, homeownership promotion, volunteering and resident participation.
“These organizations exemplify the high caliber work that all of the more than 235 organizations in the NeighborWorks network do each day to create strong, vibrant and sustainable communities,” said NeighborWorks America CEO Ken Wade. “We are proud of their accomplishments and thankful for their exemplary contributions to NeighborWorks America’s mission to create opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve their lives and strengthen their communities.”
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| NeighborWorks Works with Realtors to Develop New 'Green The MLS' Toolkit for Marketing Green Homes |
The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) released in time for Earth Day a new “green” tool kit to help Realtors® market and identify green homes for homebuyers and sellers. Its development was a collaborative effort by a team of individuals, associations and organizations, including NeighborWorks America.
“By identifying which homes contain energy efficient and environmentally friendly characteristics, the Greening MLS Tool Kit will help all home buyers – especially first-time and low- and moderate income home buyers – make more informed choices about the cost of their housing and where upfront payment may lead to long-term saving,” said Ken Wade, NeighborWorks America CEO.
Learn more about the Green MLS Toolkit at http://www.greenthemls.org/. More information, including other participating organizations, is also available in NAR's press release. |
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| Community Strategies represent the shared experience of NeighborWorks America and its member organizations in various topics of community development and affordable housing. |
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| The
NeighborWorks Training
Institute is dedicated to providing the highest quality training
for community development practitioners. Learn about the latest
classes and symposia on leading-edge topics. |
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| NeighborWorks Marked Earth Day by Reaffirming Its Commitment to 'Go Green' |
| As the nation celebrated Earth Day 2010, NeighborWorks America reaffirmed its commitment to help low- and moderate-income communities across the nation go “green” and become healthy, sustainable places for people to live and work. NeighborWorks also highlighted
green community development projects throughout the nation and nonprofit green training opportunities available. Learn more. |
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| Loan Modification Scam Alert Campaign Empowers Rhode Island Homeowners |
| For the growing number of Rhode Island homeowners who face the possibility of foreclosure, the Loan Modification Scam Alert public education campaign is providing vital information to guard against loan modification scams, find trusted help and report illegal activity to authorities. Marietta Rodriguez, director of National Homeownership Programs and Lending at NeighborWorks America, was joined by Rhode Island state officials and other local and national partners to launch the campaign in Rhode Island. |
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| NeighborWorks America Offers Tips to Help Consumers Get Their Financial House in Order |
| Many families are struggling to make ends meet in these challenging economic times and financial education provides consumers with the information and practices they need to take control over their finances, create and manage a monthly budget, pay down debt, and build a financial cushion. Educated consumers also are better able to protect themselves from loan scam artists who are preying on homeowners in today’s tough economy. To help consumers get their financial house in order, and in recognition of Financial Literacy Month (April), NeighborWorks America shared these tips with consumers. |
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| Are You Planning Volunteer Events This Spring and Summer? Make Them More 'Social' with Online Networks |
| If you’re not already integrating social media into your volunteer events, now might be a good time to start. Whether your neighborhood project is a fix-up, paint-up, plant-up or even a fundraising event like a 5k race – online social networks are where people are hanging out in growing numbers, and not just tech-savvy teens and 20- or 30-somethings, but older folks too.
These websites not only include popular channels like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, but also websites that match volunteers to opportunities. View these pointers on how local community development nonprofits can use online social networks to attract more people, particularly those starting their careers, to local activities that are transforming communities. |
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| How Community Development Organizations Can Educate Youth About Money Matters |
| Financial literacy programs across the country are reaching out to youth in a variety of creative ways to promote economic achievement. These programs use approaches that understand and appreciate youth involvement, youth popular culture, and positive peer influence.
Inner city youth, in particular, are faced daily with predatory financial services and need knowledge beforehand to avoid being caught in “money traps.” Learn more about what community development organizations can do to educate youth about money matters, including how they can partner with banks and schools to put youth on a sustainable financial path. |
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| HUD Expands Abandoned and Foreclosed Definitions Under NSP |
HUD has announced changes to its Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), which helps communities acquire, rehabilitate and re-sell foreclosed and abandoned properties more quickly and helps prevent further decline in hard-hit neighborhoods.
Effective immediately, HUD will classify a property as “foreclosed” if the owner is at least 60 days behind on the mortgage or is 90 days or more delinquent on tax payments. HUD is also expanding the definition of an “abandoned” property to include homes where no mortgage or tax payments have been made for at least 90 days. A property is also abandoned if a code enforcement inspection has determined that the property is uninhabitable and the owner has not taken corrective action within 90 days.
HUD says these expanded definitions will increase the reach of NSP by allowing more properties to qualify, remove existing barriers caused by market conditions, and help state and local grantees to meet a Congressional requirement that they obligate all of their NSP1 funding by September of this year. More information is available on HUD’s website. |
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| Home Star Retrofit Rebate Program Legislation Advances in Congress |
On April 14, legislation to establish the Home Star Retrofit Rebate Program, HR 5019, passed in the House Energy & Commerce Committee. Soon after the committee passed the bill, President Obama issued a statement applauding their efforts and urging the fast passage of the bill. In the Senate, the Home Star bill, S 3177, has been referred to the Finance Committee. Both the full House and Senate still need to consider their respective Home Star bills. Currently, more than 1,100 companies and organizations from all 50 states have registered their support for Home Star legislation.
The Home Star initiative seeks to establish a $6 billion rebate program aimed at providing incentives for energy-efficiency improvements to residential properties. Some of the applications for the program encourage immediate investment in energy-efficient appliances, building mechanical systems and insulation, and whole-home energy-efficiency retrofits. Home Star is expected to rapidly create jobs in both construction and manufacturing and save families money on their energy bills. |
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| New E-Learning Course HO322el Coming This Summer |
| HO322el Using Effective Practices to Improve Your Foreclosure Counseling Program will be added to NeighborWorks’ growing online learning opportunities this summer. This course begins with an organizational self-assessment that offers an initial examination of the overall status of your foreclosure intervention program, and then explores common themes and lessons learned from a wide variety of programs from around the country. Executive directors, foreclosure program directors, counseling supervisors and experienced certified foreclosure intervention counselors will appreciate the convenience and flexibility of this online learning experience that allows them to continue with their important work while improving their knowledge and skill base. Bookmark the NeighborWorks E-Learning website to stay on top of the latest offerings in NeighborWorks’ e-learning. |
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| Video Contest Entries Featured at Volunteerism Symposium |
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Volunteerism and Community Development Symposium participants at the Phoenix Training Institute next month will share videos of their ideas and experiences describing how volunteerism builds the capacity of organizations and neighborhoods. Join your peers at the Volunteerism symposium at the Phoenix Training Institute to view the videos, take part in engaging workshops and discussions on volunteerism, and hear national experts discuss the role of volunteerism in today’s organizations and neighborhoods. The winning video will also be featured on the NeighborWorks YouTube channel. Registration is still open for the Training Institute and the Symposium. Use the faxable registration form found at the Phoenix Training Institute website.
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| Early-Bird Registration for the Philadelphia Training Institute Starts Next Week |
| Registration opens next week for the Philadelphia Training Institute, Register by July 1 to save $50 off registration! Philadelphia is sure to inspire you as you take part in some of the many courses being offered. Check out the Affordable Housing Symposium, A New Era in Affordable Housing: Investing for Impact in Sustainable Communities. Step back in time to reflect on the founding of the country as you learn the latest skills and tools to forge a stronger future. Philadelphia's NeighborWorks Training Institute will delight your senses from the local arts scene and ethnic foods to the rich history and thriving community service focus. Come for the nationally renowned training, and leave with an experience steeped in significance. Register online next week. |
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| Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Offers Community Revitalization Conference; Chairman Ben Bernanke Headlines Event |
Fifty-eight nationally recognized practitioners, researchers, and plenary speakers,including Federal Reserve Bank Chairman Ben Bernanke, will be featured at the Rethink. Recover. Rebuild: Reinventing Older Communities conference, May 12-14, in Philadelphia.
Topics covered at the conference include foreclosure prevention, sustainable homeownership, investor-owned properties, ways to increase the middle class, the financial crisis facing cities and towns, and the reform of the housing finance system. The conference includes tours of the Navy Yard, Temple University Neighborhood Revitalization Initiatives and Mastery Charter School. |
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| New Reports Show Programs That Promote Homeownership Among Low-Income Buyers Work As Intended |
Two new studies add to the emerging evidence that low-income homebuyers who receive homeownership counseling and financial education are better able to avoid foreclosure.
Weathering the Storm: Have IDAs Helped Low-Income Homebuyers? found that low-income homeowners who participated in programs providing extensive financial education and matched savings on their down payments were two to three times less likely to lose their homes in the recent wave of foreclosure than similar families in the same communities. The report was released by CFED (Corporation for Enterprise Development) and the Urban Institute, with funding from NeighborWorks America and the Ford Foundation.
Homeownership Done Right: What Experience and Research Teaches Us, released by the Center for American Progress, reviews the considerable evidence that lower-income and minority homeowners benefit from well-designed affordable homeownership programs and that those who participate in these programs are weathering the foreclosure crisis reasonably well. |
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Guide to
Federal Resources Available for Sustainable Communities Initiatives Released |
| The Partnership for Sustainable Communities has released a guide to help communities identify resources available to support their efforts to promote livable and sustainable communities. The guide offers a comprehensive listing of resources available from the U.S. Department of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and the Environmental protection Agency. Download this guide. |
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| New Website Offers Financial Tools to Help Nonprofits Serve Their Communities |
AssetPlatform.org is a new resource for staff at nonprofit organizations that provide financial education, coaching and asset development services. AssetPlatform delivers high quality products and services to the desktops of front-line staff, so they can more effectively serve their communities.
AssetPlatform was developed by the Aspen Institute in partnership with the Center for the Study of Social Policy and several of the most innovative programs in the field. NeighborWorks America was among more than a dozen partner organizations that collaborated on the development of the site.
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