As the number of foreclosures continues to rise to unprecedented levels nationwide, NeighborWorks network organizations are aggressively building their capacity to respond to homeowners in crisis. In states such as Maryland, Florida and Minnesota, network organizations are working with financial institutions, as well as state and local agencies to ensure consumers have a range of options available to them. These include training and hiring more counselors and offering assistance such as no-interest loans to give immediate relief.

While foreclosure counseling has been a priority, many network organizations are also ramping up their efforts to prepare homebuyers for sustainable homeownership. In San Jose, for example, NeighborWorks member South County Housing has launched a campaign that helps low- to moderate-income people establish multi-year savings plans and guides them through fixing credit problems. (Read Mercury News.com article.)

Meanwhile, NeighborWorks America CEO Ken Wade is working with all levels of government to respond to the mortgage crisis. Most recently, at the January 23-25  Winter meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington D.C., Wade urged the mayors to contact their State Housing Finance Authorities to ensure their cities' counseling agencies are aware of funding available through the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling program. He also offered mayors the opportunity to partner with NeighborWorks to film public service announcements as part of our foreclosure awareness campaign with the Ad Council, and informed them of NeighborWorks' effort to develop a model by which Real Estate Owned properties can be strategically returned to the market, and targeted to a pipeline of mortgage-ready customers. 

In a visit to Neighborhood Housing Services of Western Pennsylvania, the first NeighborWorks organization in the country, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) announced the $180-million National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling program to help families avoid foreclosure and stay in their homes. Senator Casey also announced a drive to educate nonprofits in Pennsylvania about the availability of and the need to apply for these funds.

"The mortgage crisis is threatening the American Dream for too many families and hurting our economy,” said Senator Casey. “This mortgage counseling assistance will help keep families in their homes and help to stabilize our neighborhoods and economy."

The $180 million initially supported by Senator Casey, Senator Chuck Shumer (D-NY) and Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) was signed into law in December as part of the Consolidated Appropriations bill. NeighborWorks America administers the program. Learn More.

NeighborWorks America Great Lakes District Director Paul Poston was recently appointed to the local board of directors for the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, with offices in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, serves the Fourth Federal Reserve District, which includes Ohio, western Pennsylvania, eastern Kentucky and the northern panhandle of West Virginia. Poston will remain in his current position at NeighborWorks America. Read Cincinnati Business Courier article.

The Bank of America Charitable Foundation has announced the fifth year of the Neighborhood Excellence Initiative (NEI), its signature philanthropic program. This year NEI will be expanded to Detroit, Michigan, bringing the program's reach to 45 communities.

Over five years, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation has committed over $90 million globally to the NEI program and will give over $20 million in 2008 alone. NEI recognizes organizations, individuals, and students who have shown a commitment to improving and revitalizing their communities.

The Bank of America Charitable Foundation is currently accepting nominations for these awards. Submissions for Student Leaders are due no later than February 29, 2008. Submissions for nonprofit organizations and individuals are due no later than June 27, 2008. Learn more.

The Home Depot Foundation is accepting applications for funding to support projects that result in the production, preservation, or financing of housing units for low- to moderate-income families that address as many of the following considerations as possible:

• resource efficiency in design, construction, and operations
• minimizes the depletion of natural resources, including timber and water
• designs and installs landscaping features such as trees and shrubs, that minimize demand for water and synthetic chemicals and reduce heat island effect
• reduces maintenance costs using innovative and durable materials
• uses more environmentally friendly building materials
• site planning with minimal environmental impact
• energy-efficiency and renewable energy use
• indoor air quality improvement, including moisture control and proper ventilation
• ensures smart site planning and land use

Letters of intent should be received by March 1, 2008 and full proposals are due by May 15, 2008.  Learn more.

• Leverage foundation support with other funding sources;
• Can be replicated;
• Focus on small to medium-sized businesses in business sectors that traditionally employ low-wage workers (ie. health care, hospitality, food service, apparel, other manufacturing).

NeighborWorks America recognizes the critical role professional homeownership educators and counselors play in stemming the foreclosure crisis. Throughout 2008, the NeighborWorks Center for Homeownership Education and Counseling (NCHEC) will deliver a significantly increased amount of time-sensitive training to counselors on the front line – at NeighborWorks Training Institutes and locally, in cities across the country.  Course topics target the needs of all counselors, from fundamental classes such as Foreclosure Basics and Introduction to Housing Counseling to Advanced Foreclosure: Case Study Practicum and Advanced Residential Lending. Practitioners can also obtain certification through a series of courses beginning with the 5-day Foreclosure Intervention and Default Counseling Certification, Part I. (A pre-entrance exam is required.)  Numerous scholarships opportunities are available. Stay in the loop about upcoming training sessions.

Space is still available in many popular courses offered at the NeighborWorks Training Institute in Atlanta. View our complete online course grid of over 100 classes for details.

Don’t forget to also sign up for the symposium on February 27 — Go Green Now: Embracing Energy Efficiency, Healthy Housing and Green Building. The symposium will offer a comprehensive introduction to the green building movement, which is quickly going mainstream in the affordable housing and community development industry. Participants will explore a wide range of topics related to sustainability and discuss how they apply to housing rehabilitation, rental housing development and management, community and economic development, and homeownership.

Learn more or register for the NeighborWorks Training Institute in Atlanta, Georgia.

NeighborWorks America's Achieving Excellence Program is looking for the next group of inspired individuals to lead their organizations and communities into performance-driven change. Approximately 50 experienced leaders from community development organizations will be selected to participate in this highly innovative and challenging program, made possible by a grant from Fannie Mae and created in collaboration with Harvard University. Accepting applications until January 28, 2008. Learn more.

NeighborWorks America has made materials available from the December symposium, Taking Shared Equity to Scale: An Innovative Method to Grow and Preserve Affordable Homeownership. Experienced community developers, homebuilders, lenders, city housing staff and policy leaders convened in Portland, Oregon for the full-day symposium about innovative endeavors to expand homeownership opportunities for moderate and lower-income families and individuals. Get resources.