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NeighborWorks Green Agenda Web site Redesigned and Updated with New Resources
The Web site for Think Green, Act Green: NeighborWorks America’s Healthy Green Sustainable Agenda has been bolstered with additional green training and education resources, including videos, as well as redesigned content and graphics. NeighborWorks has also produced a new video based on the NeighborWorks Training Institute’s Green Practices in Owner-occupied Rehab workshop and Green in Action tour.
View new Green Agenda Web site
View Video on YouTube
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| NeighborWorks America Submits NFMC Congressional Update |
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On October 30, NeighborWorks America submitted its report to Congress on the impact of the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling (NFMC) program, which was authorized as part of the FY 2008 Consolidated Appropriations bill and signed into law in December 2007. NeighborWorks America was named to administer the program.
The report reveals that as of September 15, 2008, nearly
$55 million has been disbursed to NFMC Program Grantees, and 105,071 homeowners in all 50 states have been provided assistance to address their mortgage delinquency and foreclosure challenges. The report includes such information as reason for default, monthly mortgage payment, demographic information and geographic location of homeowners who received NFMC counseling.
The report also shows that during the same time period, scholarships have been provided through the NFMC Program to 2,555 nonprofit staff members who provide foreclosure counseling and 4,608 training certificates in foreclosure-related courses have been issued.
Brief Description [PDF, 37 KB]
Executive Summary [PDF, 213 KB]
Full Report [PDF, 5.5 MB]
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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 Launches New Resource for Community Stabilization |
| NeighborWorks America has launched www.StableCommunities.org, 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. StableCommunities.org is the centerpiece of NeighborWorks America’s Stable Communities initiative, a national response to the local challenges that arise when foreclosed homes remain vacant and abandoned, including increased crime, an eroded property tax base, and widespread blight. Visit the site. |
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| NeighborWorks America Marks 30th Anniversary |
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Thirty years ago today, Congress established NeighborWorks America (then Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation) to provide financial support, technical assistance, and training for community-based revitalization efforts. But, the roots of our organization really began 10 years before it was formalized by Congress. The NeighborWorks system goes back to a resident-led, 1968 campaign for better housing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's, Central North Side neighborhood. Dorothy Mae Richardson, a homemaker and community activist, enlisted city bankers and government officials to join with her block club to improve her neighborhood. Together, they persuaded 16 financial institutions to make conventional loans in the community; a local foundation capitalized a revolving loan fund. They rented a trailer, hired staff, and named the effort Neighborhood Housing Services. After a decade of forming successful public/private/community partnerships, the model was recognized by Congress as one to be replicated on a national scale.
View 30-year anniversary video
Read more about our history
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| Products and Services at NeighborWorks America |
| NeighborWorks America offers a number of fee-based products and services aimed at strengthening the capacity of community development organizations to effectively and efficiently manage their operations. NeighborWorks also offers manuals and guides to help bolster the homeownership services and training these organizations provide. A newly created page on nw.org demonstrates what NeighborWorks has to offer. See products and services. |
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| NeighborWorks America Awards Nearly $1.3 Million to NHS of New York |
| NeighborWorks America has awarded $1,276,000 to its member organization, Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) of New York City (NYC) to support its overall operations and capital investments in the city. United States Senator Charles Schumer (NY), a long time supporter of NHS of NYC, joined NeighborWorks COO Eileen Fitzgerald and Northeast District Director Deborah Boatright for the check presentation. The funds
will be used to educate homeowners, help maintain access to credit, renovate buildings and stores, and help to keep communities vital and secure. Learn more.
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| HUD Awards $4.2 Million to NeighborWorks America for Housing Counseling |
| NeighborWorks America announced that it received more than $4 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for housing counseling, an important resource for both prospective and existing homeowners. In addition to housing counseling, the funds will be used for foreclosure intervention, counseling and training related to Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM) or reverse mortgages, and for making grants to NeighborWorks organizations for their housing efforts. Read press release. |
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| HUD Launches 'Hope for Homeowners' Program |
| The Bush Administration unveiled earlier this month additional mortgage assistance for homeowners at risk of foreclosure. The HOPE for Homeowners program will refinance mortgages for borrowers who are having difficulty making their payments, but can afford a new loan insured by HUD's Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The HOPE for Homeowners program was authorized by the Economic and Housing Recovery Act of 2008. The program began on October 1 and ends September 30, 2011. View HUD release. |
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| Bank of America Announces Help for Countrywide Borrowers |
| On October 6, Bank of America announced a three-part program designed to build upon existing home retention solutions available to troubled borrowers who financed their homes prior to December 31, 2007 with subprime loans or adjustable rate mortgages serviced by Countrywide. The centerpiece of the program —which will launch on December 1, 2008—focuses on an aggressive loan modification process, potentially providing an estimated $8.4 billion in permanent payment reductions to Countrywide customers nationwide. Learn more at Bank of America |
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| Community Reinvestment Act is not to Blame for the Financial Meltdown |
| A number of recent news reports have blamed the current financial crisis on the Community Reinvestment Act – claiming that the Community Reinvestment Act (known as CRA) forced banks to give subprime loans to minorities in poor neighborhoods who were credit risks. NeighborWorks America’s Public Policy and Legislative division has launched a new resource to set the record clear on CRA, including fact sheets, reports and news articles, as well as an op-ed from NeighborWorks CEO Ken Wade. |
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| Economic Crisis Updates |
| NeighborWorks America has been posting regular updates on two major pieces of legislation stemming from the foreclosure crisis. See updates on the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 here. NeighborWorks summaries of provisions in the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 can be found here. |
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| 2009 ENERGY STAR Award Applications Now Available, Deadline December 12 |
| Each year, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Energy (DOE) honor organizations that have made outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through energy efficiency. All organizations participating in the ENERGY STAR program are encouraged to apply for a 2009 ENERGY STAR Award. To be considered, an organization must meet the specific eligibility requirements in the award application and submit a complete online application package by December 12, 2008. Learn more. |
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| $50,000 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence, Deadline December 15 |
| The Bruner Foundation offers an annual gold medal award in the amount of $50,000 and four silver medal awards of $10,000 each to "urban places that demonstrate the successful integration of effective process, meaningful values and good design." Last call for applications has been issued. Applications and more information are now available on the foundation's Web site. The deadline to apply is December 15. |
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'The Future of Rental Housing' Symposium Set For December NeighborWorks
Training Institute in Washington, DC |
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The next NeighborWorks Training Institute will be held December 8-12 in Washington, DC, and will feature The Future of Rental Housing: Policy to Preserve Choice for American Families Symposium on December 10, where national policy leaders and practitioners in the area of multifamily housing will be featured.
Juan Williams, senior correspondent and political analyst for the Washington Post, NPR and Fox News, will be the keynote speaker at this symposium, which is geared toward policy researchers, real estate finance executives, affordable housing developers, executive directors and senior management, and government policy affairs staff.
Please join us to hear from national policy leaders and practitioners as we explore new approaches to preserving and developing these important assets, and the benefits that these approaches can provide. The symposium will provide participants opportunities to discuss and assess the state of a wide range of current and proposed policies at the state, local and federal levels.
In addition to the symposium, NeighborWorks is pleased to offer over 100 courses at the Washington, DC, Training Institute, including several foreclosure-related courses. Learn more and register for courses online. Registration is open now! Further information and a downloadable, faxable registration form are also available at www.nw.org/training. |
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| More than 1,000 People Have Complete NeighborWorks America’s On-line Foreclosure Intervention Counseling Course |
| 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 1,000 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. Persons interested in registering and taking the on-line foreclosure intervention course can go to http://nw.org/network/training/elearning.asp. |
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| Video: Organizing in the Face of Foreclosure |
| NeighborWorks has produced a new video featuring community organizers, who give first hand accounts of the impact of foreclosures in their communities and how they are addressing the issue. View video. |
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| Stretched Thin: The Impact of Rising Housing Expenses on America's Owners and Renters |
| The housing woes of America’s families extend beyond higher mortgage payments to include large increases in a wide-variety of other housing expenses, according to a new study titled Stretched Thin: The Impact of Rising Housing Expenses on America’s Owners and Renters. Conducted by the Center for Housing Policy, the research affiliate of the National Housing Conference, the study reveals that the challenge of rising housing expenses is adversely affecting virtually all segments of the housing market – homeowners and renters, new and longtime homeowners, and households with and without mortgages. Learn more about the study. |
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