May 5, 2008
Contact: Erin Angell
202-220-6317
202-870-3584 (cell on site)
eangell@nw.org
Carissa Poroko
202-369-0669 (cell on site)
carissa@tricomassociates.com
NeighborWorks Training Institute Hosts National Symposium
on Neighborhood Stabilization in the Wake of Foreclosure
More than 600 Foreclosure Counselors to Be Trained in Foreclosure Intervention
Cincinnati, OH –Cincinnati, OH – NeighborWorks® America, the nation’s leading non-profit organization developing solutions, partnerships and trained counselors to combat the rising level of foreclosure, is hosting a national symposium on neighborhood stabilization at its NeighborWorks Training Institute here this week. Speakers include Federal Reserve Board Governor Randall S. Kroszner and FDIC Director Thomas J. Curry.
The symposium – “Weathering the Storm in the Wake of Foreclosure” – will examine a range of issues affecting neighborhoods where homeowners are facing foreclosure. Highlights include:
- A speech by Federal Reserve Board Governor Randall S. Kroszner, “The State of the Homeownership Industry: Today’s Landscape and Projections for the Future”
- A panel moderated by FDIC Director Thomas J. Curry: “What Happens Next? Challenges and Opportunities For Communities with REO Properties”
- A speech by Michael Stegman, of the MacArthur Foundation, “What Does the Tightening of Mortgage Credit Mean for the Next Generation of Borrowers?”
These and other break-out sessions at the symposium will take place during one of the largest and most important NeighborWorks Training Institutes (NTI) in years. With the number of foreclosure filings increasing, trained counselors are needed more than ever to help homeowners understand their options. It’s expected that more than 600 people will take foreclosure intervention and related training courses at the NTI, attracting more than 1,900 registrants, and significantly increasing the supply of qualified professionals just when the housing market needs them most.
“This infusion of new foreclosure counselors will enable more at-risk homeowners to identify the best solutions available in today’s ever-changing housing environment,” said Kenneth D. Wade, CEO of NeighborWorks America. “More counselors than ever before will receive advanced foreclosure intervention education which will help create long-term stability for homeowners and not just a quick fix.”
More than 20 training courses are available for beginning and advanced-level counselors, including individual professional certification in foreclosure intervention and three other related content areas.
“Options overwhelm homeowners and they don’t know whom to trust,” said Wade. “Through this training, NeighborWorks will significantly increase the number of educated and certified counselors adhering to standards that homeowners can go to with confidence.”
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. NeighborWork America is the nation’s leading trainer of community development and affordable housing professionals. www.nw.org.
