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| Thousands of Volunteers to Clean Up, Fix Up Neighborhoods, June 3-10, for NeighborWorks Week |
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NeighborWorks organizations nationwide will mobilize thousands of volunteers to work on clean-up and fix-up activities, such as making repairs for the elderly, beautifying community spaces, and putting a fresh coat of paint on wooden fences.
This is also a week about neighborhood change and awareness and recognizing the contributions of partners, residents and friends of NeighborWorks.
The Home Depot Foundation
is the national home improvement sponsor of National NeighborWorks Week 2006, featuring hundreds of events across the country. In addition, the foundation will sponsor major volunteer events in 10 cities. Check out National NeighborWorks Week volunteer opportunities in your state at the 2006 National NeighborWorks Week Web site.
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| National Mortgage Lenders and NeighborWorks Partner to Avert Foreclosures |
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Twelve major mortgage lending institutions are joining forces with the NeighborWorks Center for Foreclosure Solutions to launch a national partnership to avert foreclosures in demographic and geographic foreclosure hotspots. These are areas where decades of gains in minority homeownership and neighborhood revitalization are being threatened.
View news release.
Ohio continues to be a hot spot for foreclosures. Learn how NeighborWorks member Columbus Housing Partnership is providing solutions. View article.
Home HeadQuarters, a Syracuse, New York, NeighborWorks organization has devised a multifaceted community-based approach to foreclosures. View article.
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| New NeighborWorks Annual Report and Magazine |
NeighborWorks America recently published its 2005 annual report as well as its newly designed quarterly magazine. The theme for the annual report is "Leverage, Innovation, Peformance, and Excellence." The Spring edition of NeighborWorks Bright Ideas focuses on "Disaster's Challenge: Redefining the Roles for Community Nonprofits."
Download annual report. [PDF] Download Bright Ideas. [PDF] |
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| Community
Strategies represent 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. 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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NeighborWorks Hurricane Rebuilding Work Gets a Boost
from Sears and ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition |
NeighborWorks hurricane rebuilding efforts are receiving welcome support from Sears and ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Throughout April, Sears and ABC encouraged viewers and customers to make donations at more than 2,000 Sears stores and on the NeighborWorks Web site.
All donations will benefit NeighborWorks' Gulf Coast region rebuilding efforts, which includes providing repair and construction expertise, and financial and homeownership counseling — particularly help in avoiding the predatory contractors and lenders that are so prevalent after disasters. View news release. |
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| National Network of Rural NeighborWorks Groups 'Bust A Billion' |
| A national network of 78 rural NeighborWorks organizations surpassed its $1 billion goal of rural investments to improve housing, economic development and financial literacy, and empower families to get the most out of their home purchases. More than 32,000 families nationwide benefited from the effort. View news release. |
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Massachusetts NeighborWorks Organization Announces Plans to Invest $9 Million in
Main Street Mixed-Income Housing; HUD and NeighborWorks Help Finance |
| The Twin Cities Community Development Corporation in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, announced its plans to purchase an historic Main Street building and invest approximately $9 million dollars to develop the upper floors of the building into much-needed housing.
TD Banknorth Massachusetts President Christopher Bramley said the bank, which has a branch in the first floor of the building and approached the Twin Cities CDC with the concept, is “pleased to be working with the Twin Cities CDC in creating mixed income housing for the downtown Fitchburg area." Congressman John Olver, who helped secure a HUD grant to jumpstart the project, said he is sold on the concept because it helps the city meet its goal for downtown and will increase the number and quality of rental housing in the area. NeighborWorks America contributed $50,000 to the project, and CEO Ken Wade was on hand for the check presentation. View article and photos. |
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| Rhode Island 'Housing Heros' Award Goes to Woonsocket Neighborhood Development Corporation for its 43 New Affordable Condos, Office Space
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Citizens Bank honored the Woonsocket Neighborhood Development Corporation (WNDC) with its 2006 Housing Heroes award, according to the Providence Journal. The annual Housing Heroes award, now in its second year, honors an innovative housing development — one that shows a creative use of financial resources and leadership in creating affordable housing. The prize includes a $50,000 grant from the Citizens Bank Foundation, $10,000 of which must be used for beautification purposes at the new development.
WNDC, a Rhode Island NeighborWorks member, plans to put its $10,000 toward a community center at Heritage Park, which will include a computer lab and an after-school facility for children.
Executive Director Joe Garlick said the organization will direct the rest of the money toward the goal of building 300 new units throughout Northern Rhode Island in the next five years.
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| NeighborWorks America to Partner with Local Governments |
| International City/County Management Association and NeighborWorks America are partnering to help bring about more innovative collaborations between local governments and community development groups across the country. View news release. |
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Arizona NeighborWorks Group Wins Regional Achievement Award
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NeighborWorks member The Primavera Foundation, Inc., located in Tucson, Arizona, recently won an achievement award for its Casa Paloma Women's program. The organization received an unrestricted cash award of $5,000 at a luncheon sponsored by Tucson Electric Power.
The program includes a drop-in center for women only and transitional housing for up to nine women. This is a flexible program designed to address the needs of special populations, such as older women, those not immediately employable, and others who might fall between the cracks of existing programs.
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Pembridge Square Makes Children's Programs Part of Its Mission
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| Montgomery Housing Partnership, a NeighborWorks member in Wheaton, Maryland, did more than renovate its 135-unit Pembridge Square apartment complex, reports the Washington Post. When it installed individual heating and air conditioning units, MHP converted the old boiler room into a community center. The homework club and other programs at the community center help parents connect with kids and give all residents the chance to build skills. The apartments, located in an inner-ring suburb, just north of Washington, D.C., are within walking distance to a Metro station and major shopping center. View article in the Washington Post.
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| NeighborWorks America Comments on Amendments to the Federal Home Loan Banks' Affordable Housing Program |
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NeighborWorks America supports the efforts of the Federal Housing Finance Board and the Federal Home
Loan Banks to increase the Affordable Housing Program's flexibility and responsiveness to the needs of its member institutions and its
nonprofit and public entity sponsors. But NeighborWorks America is concerned with the proposed rule to make homeowner and homebuyer education
optional for an individual or family involved in the purchase or rehabilitation of an owner-occupied
home using AHP subsidies. In addition,
NeighborWorks America is urging approval of the proposed rule change that would explicitly
authorize Federal Home Loan Banks, at their discretion, to allow AHP funds to be used for revolving loan funds and loan pools. View rule. View
NeighborWorks America comment letter to the Federal Housing Finance Board [PDF]
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Nominations Sought for NeighborWorks
Government Service Award
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This August, at the NeighborWorks Training Institute in Washington, D.C., three government officials will be honored with a NeighborWorks Government Service Award for their significant contributions toward strengthening communities and expanding the supply of affordable housing. Nominations will be accepted for three categories (federal, state and local) from NeighborWorks organizations. The officers of NeighborWorks America will select honorees that tirelessly support the network’s efforts through public policy arenas. Please take this opportunity to nominate someone who demonstrates commitment to the NeighborWorks mission and has made a profound difference in your community.
View more information and download application. |
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| CDFI Reports Results on its New Markets Tax Credit Program |
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The Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund reported that in 2004 almost $1.3 billion was invested into the nation's low-income communities through its New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program. Ninety percent of the loans and investments went to communities that have higher levels of distress than the program's threshold requirements. In addition, all of the loans and investments were made at better than market rates and terms. "We are very pleased with the reports on the initial investments made using the NMTC Program," said CDFI Fund Director Arthur A. Garcia. "The investments being made are reaching underserved communities and making needed investments to improve the prospects for jobs and prosperity in those communities." View press release. [PDF]
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| Fannie Mae Foundation: James A. Johnson Fellowship, May 31 |
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The Fannie Mae Foundation is seeking nominations for its 2006 James A. Johnson Community Fellows Program. The
Fellowship Program recognizes and rewards leading community-based urban and
rural affordable housing and community development professionals.
The Fannie Mae Foundation will
award Fellows with a $70,000 grant and up to a $20,000 educational
travel/study stipend to pursue a self-designed, professional-development
track. The idea is to enhance the individual's skills and field experiences so they can offer new solutions to current affordable housing and community
development challenges. The deadline for submitting completed nomination packages is May 31. View more information.
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| Bank of America Charitable Foundation — Neighborhood Excellence Initiative, June 30 |
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Bank of America Charitable Foundation — Neighborhood Excellence Initiative is offering up to $200,000 in grants to: recognize, nurture, and reward organizations, local heroes, and student leaders helping to rebuild and revitalize communities in 38 of the bank's major markets across the United States. View more information.
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NeighborWorks Training Institute ~ Kansas City, Missouri ~ June 26-30
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At this NTI we are offering almost 90 professional courses ranging from affordable housing to community development. Other courses include the Native American Community Development Training Program, Green Building and Healthy Homes, a new Resident Services course, and a Spanish-language version of our Homebuyer Education Methods: Training the Trainer course - Métodos de Educación para Compradores de Casa: Entrenando a los Instructores. Register for courses by May 15 and save $50! For a full list of course offerings and registration information, visit us online at www.nw.org/training.
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SYMPOSIUM - All in Good Measure: Building Your Toolkit to Evaluate Capacity, Performance and Impact ~ June 28 ~ Kansas City, Missouri
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Join us on Wednesday, June 28, for All in Good Measure: Building Your Toolkit to Evaluate Capacity, Performance and Impact. As part of the NeighborWorks Training Institute in Kansas City, this one-day symposium will bring together funders, practitioners and other community development stakeholders to demystify the many evaluation options, and help you discover which tools might best suit your needs. During this interactive and informative day, participants will also explore and contribute to a one-of-a-kind map, which graphically depicts the many evaluation approaches and tools available and take home a smaller version for future reference. For more symposium details, including the agenda and registration information, please visit online at http://nw.org/training/KCsymposium.asp.
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Native American Community Development Training Program,
June 26-30 ~ NeighborWorks Training Institute ~ Kansas City, Missouri
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Don’t miss this learning opportunity specifically tailored to the professional needs of Native American community development practitioners and others working to serve Indian Country. Though the scholarship deadline has passed, space is still available. Visit us online at www.nw.org/training for more information.
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| 2006 National Main Street Conference June 4-7 ~ New Orleans, Louisiana |
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The National Trust for Historic Preservation invites you to attend their 2006 National Main Street Conference, focusing on projects, activities and strategies for preservation-based commercial district revitalization. Professionals and volunteers alike, from small towns, urban neighborhoods and mid-sized cities, will benefit from the ideas, solutions and networking opportunities offered at this event. For more information, visit the conference Web site at http://conferences.mainstreet.org.
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| NeighborWorks Offers Disaster Preparedness and
Recovery Resources for Community
Development Organizations |
| NeighborWorks America convened a symposium on disaster preparedness and recovery at the NeighborWorks Training Institute in Dallas in April. Including participants from the private, public and nonprofit sectors, the symposium generated lively discussion and surfaced a number of important resources on the topic, including a manual for community development organizations. The resources can be downloaded at www.nw.org/disaster. |
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| New OCC Publication Focuses on Preventing Foreclosures |
A new OCC publication provides strategies and recommendations aimed at preserving homeownership by preventing mortgage foreclosures.
It includes an article on homeownership preservation written by Comptroller of the Currency John C. Dugan. He said a home foreclosure is more than a personal tragedy: "Foreclosures can destabilize communities, creating vacancies that mean lost property tax revenues and that can become magnets for crime in addition to lowering adjacent property values." View publication.
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| Will Hurricane Katrina Change the Way Intermediaries Do Business? |
| A recent article in Shelterforce explores the role of NeighborWorks America, Enterprise, and the Local Initiatives Support Coalition in the massive effort underway to help individuals and communities recover from Katrina. View article. |
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| Easing the Affordability Crunch: The Inclusionary Housing Option |
The pressure on state and local government intensifies to provide affordable housing. Faced with this challenge, many local governments (at times with the help of the state) have turned to inclusionary housing. More than 200 local governments, including large cities, small cities, and suburbs, are making inclusionary housing strategies a central component of their efforts to meet community development needs. Download new study from the Fannie Mae Foundation.
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| Optimizing Driver/Pedestrian Interaction by Design |
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Pedestrian safety should be an important consideration when designing affordable housing. www.designadvisor.org/updates
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| Katrina Recovery Jobs |
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The National Fair Housing Alliance is looking to fill a couple positions in the Gulf. The deadline for application is May 12. View jobs. YouthBuild also has some positions to fill quickly. www.youthbuild.org
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