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Neighborhood
Reinvestment Names New Director
Kenneth D. Wade has been selected as the
new executive director of Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation.
Wade will serve as the corporation’s chief executive,
overseeing its multimillion-dollar grants programs and training
activities in support of the national NeighborWorks® network
of affordable housing and community development organizations.
Wade, who joined Neighborhood Reinvestment in 1990 and has
served for five years as its director of National Programs,
Initiatives and Research, assumed his new responsibilities
earlier this month.
"We just completed
a strategic plan before I came into this position, so I will
be implementing that plan and increasing our visibility and
network [of affiliates]," Wade said after visiting a
ground-breaking ceremony for the Straw Mansion Apartments,
33 units of new affordable housing produced by Manchester
Neighborhood Housing Services, a New Hampshire NeighborWorks
organization.
Press
Release Biographical
Notes Washington
Times Article
Neighborhood
Reinvestment's Section 8 to Homeownership Program Continues
Success
Of the two million Section 8 recipients
in the United States, 250,000 of those are eligible to move
into their own homes, says Marietta Rodriguez, homeownership
specialist with Neighborhood Reinvestment. Since the final
rules governing the Section 8 voucher program were established
three years ago, more than 400 communities have the program
and 2,000 people have moved into homes.
In its last fiscal
year, Neighborhood Reinvestment's Section 8 to Homeownership
program has produced the following results:
* 9,324 eligible
households have shown an interest in becoming homeowners
* 2,204 households have completed training
* 378 Section 8 recipients have become homeowners, and
* 73+ Public Housing Authorities are in partnership with the
60+ NeighborWorks organizations participating in the program.
One new homeowner
is Hattie Biggers, a 59-year-old on a disability and a single
mother of grown children. She was assisted by the Housing
Authority of Columbus and the Columbus Housing Initiative,
a Georgia NeighborWorks organization. "They told me,
'You can own your own home,' " Biggers said. "I
looked at them and said 'You're crazy,' but it happened."
Learn
more about NR's Section 8 Program.
Achieving
Excellence Program for Advanced Practitioners Yields Results;
Next Stage Planned
Achieving Excellence in Community Development,
an offering of The Advanced Practitioner Program (APP), is
part of Neighborhood Reinvestment’s expanding curriculum
for seasoned community development practitioners and their
board members. The 18-month program, which will conclude on
February 26th at the Atlanta NeighborWorks Training Institute,
with the symposium “Achieving Excellence in Community
Development -- Investing in Leaders, Delivering Results”
included three formal sessions through Harvard University
as well as intensive cohort mentoring and coaching under the
direction of Douglas K. Smith, renowned consultant on performance
driven organizational change. Stuart Mitchell III, executive
director or Rural Opportunities, Inc., a Rochester, NY, NeighborWorks
organization reports his experience in the program in a recent
article in The Rochester Business News. View
article and program information.
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| Community
Strategies represents the shared experience of the NeighborWorks
network and Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation 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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| Neighborhood
Reinvestment, working closely with members of the NeighborWorks
network and partners, produces a wide variety of publications.
Most are free and others cost a nominal fee to order.
For a complete
listing and order forms, go to NeighborWorks Publications. |
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| Find lists
and charts on Neighborhood Reinvestment and the NeighborWorks
network organizations. |
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Myths and
Realities In The New Rural America
In December, Neighborhood Reinvestment hosted
a one-day symposium, “The New Rural America: Local Opportunities,
Regional Strategies, National Impact,” at a NeighborWorks
Training Institute in San Francisco. The symposium attracted practitioners
from rural nonprofit organizations, rural political representatives,
and other rural advocates from around the country. It was sponsored
by Freddie Mac.
View
article.
More Banks
Accepting Matricula Cards for Customer ID, According to PBS Report
Matricula Consular Cards, an alternative form
of ID issued by the Mexican Consulate to undocumented and documented
immigrants living in the United States, are gaining in popularity.
Many banks are using these cards as a way to open savings and checking
accounts. This has opened a new door of opportunity to previously
unbanked residents as well as new policy and immigration law debate.
Wells Fargo is one of the largest banks that recently began accepting
Matricula for new bank accounts, according to a PBS Report.
View
transcript: 'Crucial Card'
Community
Housing Partners Corporation Awarded Best Housing Organization in
Virginia
CHPC is a regional, not-for-profit housing and community
development corporation serving communities in Virginia and Florida.
The NeighborWorks organization was chosen for the "Best Housing
Organization" award based on its extensive range of affordable
housing programs and services offered to low-income families and
individuals. View
article.
Atlanta CDCs
Adapt 'Strategy for Survival'
A partnership between SUMMECH and Reynoldstown
Revitalization Corp., a NeighborWorks organization near Atlanta,
is allowing SUMMECH to expand its service area and gain efficiencies.
More CDCs are exploring this kind of strategic restructuring, especially
those organizations whose very existence is threatened by cutbacks
in philanthropic and government funding, says the author of this
Shelterforce article. View article, Strategies
for Survival.
Met Life Grant
to Fund Best Practices, Financial Fitness
Neighborhood Reinvestment received $200,000 from
Metropolitan Life Foundation to fund the development of a new best
practices manual and to support the Corporation's Financial Fitness
program.
Twin
Cities CDC Awarded
The Twin Cities CDC, a NeighborWorks member, was chosen by the Massachusetts
Bankers Association Charitable Foundation, Inc. to receive a grant
of $10,000 for its neighborhood revitalization work in Cleghorn,
one of the oldest neighborhoods in Fitchburg, Mass. Each year the
Foundation awards grants to representative community organizations
nominated by member banks in each of the Association's eight geographic
regions.
NCC
Loans to Two NeighborWorks Organizations
Neighborhood Capital Corporation announced the following loans to
NeighborWorks organizations: Mutual Housing Association of South
Central Connecticut received a $505,000 interim development loan
from NCC for 15 units of affordable housing in New Haven, Connecticut. The
Housing Partnership of Jacksonville received a $390,000 interim
development loan for its Malibu Apartments: 106 units of affordable
housing in Jacksonville, Florida.
$12 Million
10-Year Partnership Funding for Northwest Areas
The Northwest Area Foundation announced last
week that North Central Montana (where NHS of Great Falls is located)
and the Upper Snake River Valley (where Pocatello NHS is located)
are the winners in a competition for foundation-concentrated funding
to make a difference in combating poverty. Both areas are expected
to receive $12 million over the next 10 years. Representatives of
both of the NeighborWorks organizations were part of the planning
process in their areas. View
article.
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Congress
Approves Neighborhood Reinvestment Funding
After months of continuing resolutions,
Congress has approved HR 2673, the Consolidated Appropriations
Act of 2004. The bill funds the Departments of Agriculture,
Commerce, Justice, State, Labor, Health and Human Services,
Transportation, Treasury, Veterans, Housing and Urban Development,
and various independent agencies, such as Neighborhood Reinvestment
Corporation.
The bill recommends funding for Neighborhood Reinvestment
at $115 million, but due to an across the board rescission
of .59 percent for all agencies, the Corporation's actual
FY 2004 appropriation will be $114,321,500. The bill should
arrive on the President's desk in the next few days, and his
signature should come shortly thereafter.
Michael Butchko, NR's advisor on Public Policy and Legislative
Affairs, thanked the NeighborWorks network and NR staff "for
your dedication and unwavering commitment to improving America's
communities. Your hard work is recognized by Congress and
the Administration in their continued support of Neighborhood
Reinvestment." For more information, mailto:mbutchko@nw.org
Affordable
Communities Initiative
In an attempt to increase the availability
of affordable housing nationwide, HUD has recently launched
an initiative designed to remove regulatory barriers to building
affordable housing. Coined “America’s Affordable
Communities Initiative”, HUD is providing incentives
to encourage local entities to work together to remove regulatory
barriers, such as exclusionary zoning. The incentives will
be offered through extra points on funding applications to
HUD for entities that can document efforts and successes in
combating regulatory barriers to affordable housing. Mission
and overview.
Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation has submitted comments
to HUD on this regulatory reform initiative, detailing the
ways in which Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation and the
NeighborWorks network may offer support. View
comment letter.
IRS
Issues Low Income Housing Tax Credit Regulations
The final Low Income Housing Tax Credit
regulations implement changes enacted in 2000. See the January
9th Federal Register at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a040109c.html.
Federal Reserve Studies Fannie Mae and
Freddie Mac
The preliminary draft of a Federal
Reserve Board study contends that implicit government backing
of government-sponsored enterprises like Fannie Mae and Freddie
Mac creates "slightly lower mortgage rates for some homeowners"
and benefits to the GSEs' shareholders, but "does not
appear to have substantially increased homeownership or homebuilding."
The conclusions of the paper do not necessarily reflect those
of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. View
study. See also the GSE response at Fannie
Mae and Freddie
Mac.
Abandoned
Properities Rehabilitation Act Passed in New Jersey
New Jersey Governor James E. McGreevey
signed the Abandoned Properties Rehabilitation Act earlier
this month. The bill expands municipal power to address abandoned
properties. Pat Morrissy, executive director of HANDS, and
other members of the Housing and Community Development Network
were asked to join the bill's sponsors and the mayors of Trenton
and Irvington as the governor signed it.
"Now we need to put the bill to work," said Morrissy,
a leading advocate for the legislation. "Orange County,
NJ (where HANDS operates) will be the first laboratory for
demonstrating its effectiveness."
Read background
article: A
New Jersey Strategy on Problem Properties
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Child
Support Enforcement's Special Improvement Project (SIP) Grants
Deadline: March 3, 2004
The Department of Health and Human Services announced funds
for projects that further their national child support mission
to ensure that “all children receive financial and medical
support from their parents.” Community nonprofits can
apply for grants in the $100,000 to $200,000 range. Thirteen
grants are slated for this next round. Contact: Jean Robinson;
phone: 202-401-5330.
mailto:
jrobinson@acf.dhhs.gov
National
Endowment for Financial Education
Deadline: April 6, 2004
Proposals are being accepted for programs to educate
the public (especially young people and members of underserved,
low-income groups) on how to better manage personal finances.
Proposed projects should encourage personal savings and investment
as a means to financial security.
Average grant is $50,000. http://www.nefe.org/
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Save
the Date: Community Organizer Symposium -- May 2-5
Mark your calendars for the Community Organizer Symposium
taking place May 2-5, 2004 in Minneapolis, Minn. at the Hyatt
Regency Minneapolis! This Community Organizer Symposium, presented
by NeighborWorks Training Institute and Neighborhood Reinvestment's
Resident Leadership Initiative, provides quality skills-building
training, professional development, and creative opportunities
for networking. It supports the needs of those actively involved
in doing community organizing in community development environments.
The theme of the symposium is "Community Organizing in
Community Development: Knowing Our Roots, Embracing Our Values,
Refining Our Strategies." It will feature courses such
as “Organizing in Diverse Communities,” “Creating
and Implementing an Organizing Campaign,” “Technology
as a Tool for Community Organizers,” and “Critical
Analysis of Neighborhood Revitalization.” The symposium
will share insights from the Community Organizing Pilot Program
on strategies and impacts of community organizing in community
development. A brochure for this event will be available soon,
and the information will also be posted on www.nw.org/training.
Questions? E-mail nti@nw.org.
Symposium
on Multifamily Excellence to be Offered at NeighborWorks Training
Institute in Minneapolis
How do we communicate effectively to gain
support for affordable housing? Join us on May 5 at the NeighborWorks
Training Institute in Minneapolis, MN for an interactive symposium
to learn strategies for improving public communications about
affordable housing. The symposium, entitled "Changing
Minds, Building Communities: Advancing Affordable Housing
Campaigns through Communications Campaigns," is designed
for experienced development practitioners, policymakers, national
housing leaders, and marketing professionals. Keynote speakers
will include R.T. Rybak, mayor of Minneapolis and Carl Guardino,
president and CEO, Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group. The
symposium is hosted by Neighborhood Reinvestment and The Campaign
for Affordable Housing and is sponsored by Fannie Mae and
Freddie Mac. More information and registration forms will
soon be available.
View
additional details
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Winning
Strategies: Best Practices in Home Ownership: Volume 2
Volume 2 of the popular "Winning Strategies"
is now available in PDF format from the NeighborWorks Campaign
for Home Ownership, a national initiative of Neighborhood
Reinvestment. View
Winning Strategies.
NeighborWorks
bright ideas (Winter 2003/2004 issue)
Ideas, Issues, and Ingenuity in the Community
Development Field. View
issue [PDF download]
New
Tool From the Fed for Estimating Financial Impact of Projects
The Federal Reserve has launched a new
resource for local community development efforts, offering
a system that estimates the financial impact of projects.
The Fed's "fiscal impact tool" is an automated system
that gauges impact on tax revenues and costs to local government.
The system is based on Microsoft's Excel spreadsheet program
and is aimed at economic development officials in small and
mid-sized communities. "FIT can identify the general
costs and benefits of proposed projects. Alternatively, it
can be used as an aid in decisionmaking by providing information
on the extent of financial support a community or region might
want to provide," the Fed said. For the new tool, along
with other Fed products for community developers, click
here.
Innovative
Housing Design Featured in Professional Builder
Professional Builder magazine
initiated this month what will be a recurring feature on innovative
affordable housing design and related issues. View article:
Affordability
Redefined.
Neighborhood
Reinvestment's 2004 Calendar
View
upcoming events.
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