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| NeighborWorks Honors King’s Legacy of Empowerment with Call for Increased Homeownership and Financial Education
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In honoring Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of empowerment, NeighborWorks America CEO Ken Wade called for increased homeownership and financial education to ensure that homeownership is built on a strong foundation. “As predatory lending in our communities increases, and more families find themselves in risky mortgages, homeownership and financial education becomes imperative for ensuring that families keep their homes and build equity,” Wade said. View news release.
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| NeighborWorks and LaRaza Send AmeriCorps Volunteers to Gulf Coast |
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NeighborWorks America and the National Council of La Raza have collaborated in an effort to send 12 AmeriCorps members to three Gulf Coast NeighborWorks network organizations that are responding to the Hurricane Katrina crisis. The members will be working at three NeighborWorks organizations: Voice of Calvary Ministries in Jackson, Mississippi; Neighborhood Housing Services of New Orleans and Covington, Louisiana; and the Tejano Center for Community Concerns of Houston. Each organization will receive four AmeriCorps members for one year. AmeriCorps members will provide direct support to hundreds of households that need emergency housing assistance.
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| Making Hurricane Evacuees Feel At Home, Houston's Tejano Center
Serves 57 Hispanic Families |
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The Tejano Center for Community Concerns in Houston is assisting 57 Hispanic families from New Orleans who were displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The network organization provides a full range of services including housing, food, clothing and bedding, school enrollment for children, language translation, and job search assistance.
“The biggest hurdle for the people we’re serving is getting employment,” said Manuel Lopez, deputy director of the Tejano Center. “What is impeding that is a lack of transportation and knowledge of the city. With the city of Houston being so large, and all these families spread out all over town, many away from bus routes, many are missing opportunities that could help them bounce back into society.”
View article.
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| Community Strategies represents 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 America produces a wide variety of publications. For a complete listing go to publications. |
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| Ken Wade: Homeownership Will Remain 'Strong Engine' for Wealth Creation |
| In the current issue of Shelterforce, Ken Wade, NeighborWorks CEO, said while
home prices or interest rates rise or fall over the short term, homeownership is likely to remain the strongest engine for creating wealth. "Blacks are more than twice as likely as whites to use their home equity to increase future wealth through investment in business or education," says Wade. "In short, homeownership creates traction for accumulating future wealth, and we must do all we can to keep this hope for the future alive." View Shelterforce article. |
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Two Network Organizations Win 2005 Bank of America
Neighborhood Excellence Awards |
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Bank of America recently honored two NeighborWorks organizations with Neighborhood Excellence Initiative Awards. Corporation to Develop Communities of Tampa, and NeighborWorks HomeOwnership Center Sacramento Region each were awarded $200,000.
CDC of Tampa was recognized under the Neighborhood Builders category for its contribution to the community and commitment to improving neighborhoods. In addition to the grant funding, the Neighborhood Builders program also provides leadership training over two years. NeighborWorks HomeOwnership Center Sacramento Region was cited as a catalyst for community improvement and a true champion of a city in which the bank provides services.
Patrick Sobers, Bank of America president said, “Bank of America's Neighborhood Excellence Initiative was created to honor organizations and individuals who are true champions of the cities and towns in which we live and work.” The bank has committed $30 million to the initiative within 38 of its major markets.
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| Rhode Island Network Member Awarded as 'Champion in Action' |
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Rhode Island television station NBC 10 and Citizens Bank of Rhode Island selected network member West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation as its quarterly "Champion in Action" for meeting basic affordable housing needs and civic involvement. As part of the award, West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation will receive a $25,000 grant, media coverage and extensive promotional and volunteer support for its outstanding work.
“West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation is a leader in strengthening communities through housing construction, rehabilitation and repairs that help grow the local economy, primarily in Providence’s West End,” said Joseph J. MarcAurele, president and CEO of Citizens Bank. View article.
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| Child-Care Initiative Helps Revitalize Rhode Island Community |
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Network member Woonsocket Neighborhood Development Corporation (WNDC) of Rhode Island’s innovative in-home child-care business initiative was featured in a Federal Reserve Bank of Boston publication, Communities and Banking. With the help of NeighborWorks and other partners, WNDC created four day-care centers as part of a larger initiative to revitalize a declining Woonsocket neighborhood. [Read the story, PDF, 166 KB].
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| NCC Loans to Create Affordable Rental Housing in Ohio and California |
Neighborhood Capital Corporation continues to lend money to NeighborWorks organizations for rental and other affordable housing development. South County Housing Corporation received a $150,000 pre-development loan from NCC for 60 affordable rentals and 30 affordable new for-sale units in Gilroy, California. East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation (Akron, Ohio) received $300,000 in combined interim and predevelopment loans to build 30 affordable rental units.
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NeighborWorks America Receives Grant from MetLife Foundation
for Financial Fitness Program |
| NeighborWorks America recently received a $250,000 grant from MetLife Foundation for continuation of its Financial Fitness Program and completion and piloting of a marketing toolkit to increase minority homeownership.
MetLife Foundation’s contribution will provide operating funds that will enable NeighborWorks network organizations in 13 cities to provide community residents with high-quality financial fitness education. The Foundation was one of the initial funders of the Financial Fitness program, which has achieved the following:
• 86 NeighborWorks organizations participating in the program
• 28,141 enrollees
• 20,196 graduates of the program since 2001
• 59% of participants are very low-income households (less than 50% of AMI)
• 39% of participants are low-income households (50%-80% of AMI)
The grant also will provide funding to enable 16 NeighborWorks HomeOwnership Centers to pilot a targeted homeownership campaign for minorities using a newly developed marketing toolbox; produce and distribute the toolbox and its components to more than 1,000 community development professionals; and translate the toolbox into Spanish.
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| At-Risk Youth in Pittsburgh Gain from Financial Literacy Program |
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Nearly 200 at-risk youth in greater Pittsburgh, who participated in the first year of an innovative financial literacy program, are making solid gains, reports the New Pittsburgh Courier in a recent article.
Sponsored by The Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh (FHLBank), the "My Money, My Life" program consists of a series of no-cost, 15-hour after-school classes that lead to the opening of fee-free savings accounts with a complimentary $100 deposit at graduation. Pittsburgh Neighborhood Housing Services, a NeighborWorks member organization, is administering the program for local partners, including youth training. Steering youth away from predatory lenders and early debt is a key component of the curriculum. Almost half of the program's graduates have added deposits to their accounts or seen interest on their account grow.
“Our first-year results are tremendous,” said Eric Dickerson, deputy director of Community Investment at the FHLBank and organizer of My Money, My Life. “Our program partners say the results over the past 12 months exceed their expectations.” View article.
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| Network Member Interviewed by Wall Street Journal for Article on Individual Development Accounts |
Chris Krehmeyer, executive director of NeighborWorks member Beyond Housing/Neighborhood Housing Services in St. Louis, was interviewed by the Wall Street Journal this month for an article about individual development accounts (IDAs). He pointed out how difficult it is for low-income households to save: "Given the struggles of keeping the utilities on, paying your bills, keeping the car running and just dealing with life, even $10 a week is a huge amount."
The Journal reports that Beyond Housing oversees IDA accounts for about 80 adults. One year ago, Charlin Hughes, a 36-year-old single mother of five, was homeless. Now she has $50 a month deducted for her IDA from the $31,000 a year she earns working at an insurance office. With match grants, she could in 30 months get an affordable mortgage of about $85,000, according to Linda Thomson, Beyond Housing accounts manager. |
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| Demolition Jump-Starts Revitalization in Buffalo, New York, Neighborhood |
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The demolition of three dilapidated homes will help kick off the revitalization of a troubled neighborhood, according to the Buffalo News. "It's the beginning of stability," said Dwayne Robinson, the street's block club president. "You've got prostitution, drugs and gangs on Grant Street. It flows into this street," Robinson said. "Today gives me a sense that, after all these years, something good is going to happen."
NeighborWorks member West Side Neighborhood Housing Services bought the three properties with grant money from NeighborWorks America. The city demolished the homes, through the assistance of State Senator William Stachowski and Assembly Majority Leader Paul Tokasz, who supported new legislation allowing communities to borrow money for demolition. Now, Habitat for Humanity, which already has refurbished three homes on the block, will build new homes on the site in the spring.
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| Freddie Mac, NeighborWorks Support Montana Urban Indian Homeownership Program |
| Great Falls NHS/Montana HomeOwnership Network received a $50,000 grant from the Freddie Mac Foundation for an Urban Indian Homeownership Program. The funds will be used with NeighborWorks America funding to provide Native-taught homebuyer education and housing counseling to American Indians in Great Falls. |
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| Primavera Awarded $660,000 to Assist Ex-Offenders in Returning to Their Communities |
| Primavera Foundation, a Tucson, Arizona, NeighborWorks organization, was awarded a $660,000 for its Ex-offender Re-entry Initiative grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. While the focus of the grant is workforce development, Primavera intends to offer financial fitness and homeownership training for the families involved in this initiative. NeighborWorks America helped Primavera Foundation assess capital needs and provided several hundred thousand dollars for improvements to the properties where some of the program participants will be living. |
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FEMA Registration Deadline for KDHAP Extended to March 11
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The FEMA registration deadline for potentially eligible Katrina Disaster Housing Assistance Program (KDHAP) families is extended from December 31, 2005 to March 11, 2006. KDHAP is a HUD/FEMA initiative to aid households that are affected by hurricane damage in the Gulf Coast. Read More
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Updates on Assistance for Hurricane Victims
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The National Low Income Housing Coalition and its partner organizations sponsor a weekly conference call for organizations and advocates assisting with the housing needs of those displaced by the recent Gulf Coast region hurricanes. Between 90 and 400 people participate in the calls, depending on the topic. Participants include Katrina evacuees, policymakers, government workers, and community leaders. All calls will take place on Wednesdays at 2 p.m. EST. Upcoming calls are: January 25: Federal legislative and policy update . February 1: Reports from the field-share your local stories. To participate, call (800) 608-5529 at the scheduled date and time and use passcode number 4561413#. For more information, contact Diane Yentel, National Low Income Housing Coalition, 202-662-1530, extension 230, diane@nlihc.org.
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| NAAHL Urges Regulators to Expand CRA Credit for Financial Institutions Involved in the Gulf Coast Rebuilding |
The National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders (NAAHL) is urging federal regulators to expand CRA credit for financial institutions involved in the Gulf Coast rebuilding efforts.
NAAHL’s CRA Comment Letter, January 10, 2006 [PDF, 161 KB]
NAAHL’s Comments on Joint, Interagency Proposed CRA Rule Changes, May 10, 2005 [PDF, 130 KB] |
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The Corporation for National and Community Service, 2006 Learn & Serve America — Community-Based Grant Program, March 7
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Nonprofits, tribal governments and organizations, and higher education institutions can apply for 16 anticipated awards in the range of $350,000 to $500,000 for community development, jobs and training, disasters and other local activities that promote the development and sustainability of high-quality community-based service-learning programs in youth-serving community organizations. Funds will be used by intermediary organizations involved in curriculum, training, and making subgrants. Service-learning programs to serve ages 5–17, and build the capacity of the local youth-service network. Contact: Brad Lewis / LSAcommunity@cns.gov / 202-606-7510. Grant notice.
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| Woodson Award, March 15 |
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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is accepting nominations for the second annual Robert L. Woodson Jr. Award. This award recognizes exemplary leadership in reducing regulatory barriers to affordable housing. According to HUD, public regulatory requirements, payments, or processes that impede the development and availability of affordable homes without providing a commensurate health and/or safety benefit can both limit the housing supply and increase the cost of new development. Individuals, nonprofits, developers, governments, and others may nominate state and local governments for the award. Applications are due March 15. Winners will be recognized nationally and honored at a ceremony. Last year, 14 communities won awards. For more information, view HUD application [PDF].
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| NeighborWorks Training Institute ~ Atlanta ~ February 20-24 |
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This event — an ideal venue for building your skills and enhancing your career — promises to be an exciting and educational experience, with a fantastic line-up of cutting-edge course offerings and plenty of opportunities to network with your colleagues and peers. Learn more about our featured courses in the following subject areas and enroll today:
Affordable Housing
Asset Management
Community Building and Organizing
Community Economic Development
Community and Neighborhood Revitalization
Construction and Production Management
Management and Leadership
Green Building and Healthy Homes (sponsored by The Home Depot Foundation, which has offered special scholarships to this institute)
Download your training institute registration form here or visit us online at www.nw.org/training for more information.
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Youth Matters: New Voices Energizing Community Development
Atlanta ~ February 22 |
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In this exciting symposium at the NeighborWorks Training Institute in Atlanta, experience the energy and vitality of adults and youth working together on community development issues. Adults will learn how to leverage the skills, insights and energy of young adults in order to make their organizations more effective – and youth will learn how they can create and take advantage of opportunities to make a real impact in their communities. Learn more about the youth symposium, other special youth-related courses at this training institute, and download a registration form online at http://nw.org/network/training/upcoming/youthSymposium.asp. Please note: If you are chaperoning a young adult under age 18, you both must register separately using the special registration form found online.
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| NeighborWorks Training Institute ~ Dallas ~ April 3-7 |
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Registration forms now available online!
In Dallas, NeighborWorks Training Institute is offering more than 80 professional courses in diverse areas of affordable housing and community development along with an unprecedented array of Spanish-bilingual courses.
The April 5 symposium Before Disaster Strikes: Prepare or Beware - The Critical Role of Community Development Organizations in Disaster Preparedness and Response [PDF, 209 KB] will address topics related to the result of recent natural disasters and how to prepare and recover from them.
Enroll in courses before February 21 and save $50 in registration fees.
Get more information on course offerings, registration deadlines, and more online at www.nw.org/training.
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Achieving Excellence in Community Development —
Now Accepting Applications Through March 17 |
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NeighborWorks America, in collaboration with Harvard University's Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations and renowned thought-leader Doug Smith, offers this exclusive leadership and performance program for experienced directors. Built around your unique work challenges, the program provides intensive coursework at Harvard, ongoing consulting from experts, and technology-enabled peer support. The 18-month program will help you achieve your objectives and enable you to take your work to the next level of excellence. Learn more.
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| Refinancing Resources from NeighborWorks |
| Lower-income homeowners are less likely than higher-income homeowners to seek refinancing of their mortgages, even when they are locked into loans that are much higher than the market rate. NeighborWorks America developed a curriculum that fills the void in nonprofit consumer education programs on mortgage refinance and home equity loans. This curriculum can be a useful tool for trainers and counselors to help lower-income households manage their home equity effectively and maximize their potential for building personal wealth. View |
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| New Web Site Feature: Look Up the Closest NeighborWorks Organization by Zip Code |
NeighborWorks organizations now can be located by entering a ZIP code in the search box on the NeighborWorks Web site home page. Click “search,” and a list of NeighborWorks organizations (including contact information) listed from closest to farthest away will appear. Visit www.nw.org.
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Chat: Corporation for Enterprise Development's Report Card for the States,
2 p.m. ET, January 26 |
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This CFED report benchmarks the 50 states against one another in an array of factors that influence economic vitality. Learn which states are succeeding in moving beyond a narrow view of economic development to make investments in people, innovation, and infrastructure. Learn more.
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| Chat: 2006 Voucher Funding Rules, Thursday, 2 p.m. ET, February 2 |
| 2006 Voucher Funding Rules, Funding Levels, and Local Choices — Congress and HUD revise the funding levels and rules for the voucher program annually, and housing authorities must respond. This discussion will focus on the rules for 2006 and the policy choices that housing authorities confront. Guest experts will explore what data and information may help authorities in making choices, the advantage of public participation, and the voucher program's portability feature. Learn more. |
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| Study Examines Manufactured Homes in Rural America |
| A new study by the Housing Assistance Council takes a comprehensive look at manufactured housing in rural America. It covers such topics as the cost and affordability of manufactured homes, financing manufactured homes, home values and appreciation, neighborhood perceptions, federal housing assistance, and manufactured housing as a community development strategy. View Study. [PDF] |
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