October 16, 2008
Contact: Douglas Robinson
202-220-2360
drobinson@nw.org
More than 1,000 People Complete NeighborWorks America’s On-line Foreclosure Intervention Counseling Course
NeighborWorks America On-line Resources Grow
Washington, D.C. –
NeighborWorks® America, the nation’s leading certifier of housing counselors today announced that as of October 1, 1,078 people have completed the company’s first on-line certificate foreclosure intervention training course. Total registrations since the course was launched in May 2008 exceed 1,800 with registrations coming from nearly one thousand different HUD-approved housing counseling organizations, state housing finance agencies and other government agencies. The course has been available at no charge to qualified persons since launch and will remain free of charge until the end of the year for a select audience.
“We have seen tremendous and widespread demand for this training, a clear sign that the need for certified foreclosure intervention counselors to help slow the foreclosure crisis is still growing,” said John McCloskey, deputy director of Training at NeighborWorks America.
Persons interested in registering and taking the on-line foreclosure intervention course can go to http://nw.org/network/training/elearning.asp.
In another move to provide foreclosure related services on-line, NeighborWorks America launched www.stablecommunities.org on October 7. Stablecommunities.org is a new online information hub for nonprofit organizations and their public and private partners working together to stabilize their communities in the wake of the foreclosure crisis.
Also included in the more than $4 million in HUD grant support is $1,056,325 for comprehensive housing counseling, which will be distributed as grants to affiliated NeighborWorks organizations. Finally, $641,903 will be used for counseling and training related to Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM) or reverse mortgages.
“The home foreclosure crisis is at the center of the larger financial turmoil that we see in the markets today,” said McCloskey. “By offering these tools we’re taking steps that help the housing sector move back onto firmer footing.”
More information about NeighborWorks America’s various on-line resources – training opportunities, research and consumer outreach efforts -- to prevent home foreclosure and to promote stable communities can be found at www.nw.org.
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.
