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NeighborWorks Launches New Resource to Help Homeowners Locate Foreclosure Counselors
NeighborWorks America has created a Web site to make it easier for homeowners to find a counselor who can help them with their foreclosure needs and explain the Obama Administration's Making Home Affordable modification and refinance options.
Findaforeclosurecounselor.org enables users to search for a foreclosure counseling agency by state or zip code. All agencies in the database offer free counseling services and are funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program administered by NeighborWorks America.
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| NeighborWorks America Launches Networking Site for Community Development Professionals |
| NeighborWorks recently launched a new professional networking site for leaders in the community development field to connect with each other and share knowledge, resources, tools and job opportunities. It is designed to facilitate communication across all types of community development organizations, and among people with diverse backgrounds and skill sets. There is no cost to participate, and members can access and post job listings, participate in discussions, join affinity groups, and share and view resources, links and events recommended by peers. Join LeadersforCommunities.org today to grow your effectiveness and your career. |
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NeighborWorks America Names Linda Cotton Perry
Director of Development and Communications Division |
| NeighborWorks America named Linda Cotton Perry its Division Director of Development and Communications on February 23. As director, Cotton Perry has management responsibility for resource development in the private sector, and for marketing communications, which includes media relations, publications and NeighborWorks Web sites.
Before joining NeighborWorks, Cotton Perry served as the Vice President for Programs at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, where she was responsible for program and resource development and strategic management. Prior to that, Cotton Perry was Assistant Vice President for External Relations in the Division of Development at The George Washington University, supporting an annual $80 million campaign. Read announcement.
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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 and its Member Organizations Cited in the News |
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On the heels of the announcement of the Obama Administration’s Mortgage Relief plan, NeighborWorks America and its network organizations have been cited in the news for their expertise on the matter.
In a March 27 interview with CNNMoney.com [video], NeighborWorks America's Homeownership Programs Director Marietta Rodriguez provided advice to struggling homeowners on the administration's mortgage relief plan and was forceful in warning homeowners to avoid foreclosure rescue scams. Rodriguez reiterated her warning about these scams in an ABC News segment on the topic. Reuters also called on Rodriguez for her expertise in homeownership matters in a March 16 article,
"Fed Move Helps Homeowners But Problems Remain."
Time Magazine also spoke to NeighborWorks America about the foreclosure crisis. In the March 9 cover story, “House of Cards: The Faces Behind Foreclosures," NeighborWorks America's Applied Research Manager Lee Higgins projected that the U.S. may see as many as 2.5 million foreclosures in 2009.
Meanwhile NeighborWorks organizations have been cited in news reports across the country for the work they have been doing with homeowners in trouble. News outlets such as the Dayton Daily News in Ohio, the Los Angeles Times in California, and the Chicago Sun Times in Illinois, have all mentioned NeighborWorks organizations as providing free and needed support to homeowners in trouble. In these challenging times, NeighborWorks America and its network organizations have ramped up their services to help homeowners keep their homes or find other alternatives when necessary.
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| Network Members Excel in Green Building |
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Many organizations in the NeighborWorks network are out front in bringing the benefits of green building to the affordable housing industry. Just recently, homes built by two member organizations earned
high rankings for sustainable design and construction from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
- Columbus Housing Partnership in Columbus, Ohio earned Platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from USGBC for a home built in the North of Broad neighborhood in Columbus. The home is the first Platinum-certified residential dwelling in the state of Ohio and the first in the Midwestern United States. Read press release.
- Community Housing Partners in Christiansburg, Virginia, was awarded LEED Silver Certification from USGBC for designing and constructing the Tekoa Boys’ Home, a 20-bed therapeutic residential facility for at-risk youth. The facility is one of the first LEED certified new construction projects built in southwestern Virginia. Learn more.
Visit nwgreen.org to see more award winning examples of green building in the NeighborWorks network.
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| Mortgage Fraud at An All Time High |
| The number of reported incidents of mortgage fraud has reached an all-time high, even as the number of home loans being issued has shrunk, according to a report released earlier this month. Cases of reported fraud surged 26 percent from 2007 to 2008, according to the Mortgage Asset Research Institute (MARI), a LexisNexis Service, which compiled the report for the Mortgage Banker's Association. The study indicates that desperation caused by the economic downturn, combined with tightening lender requirements are leading more people to try to commit mortgage fraud. Read more at CNNMoney.com. |
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| Foreclosure Counselors at NeighborWorks Member Los Angeles Neighborhood Housing Services Undergo Suicide Prevention Training |
| The number of people coming into Los Angeles Neighborhood Housing Services for free foreclosure-prevention counseling has more than doubled over the past year or so. Last year, more than 5,500 homeowners sought foreclosure help there. More people facing foreclosure means more people who are emotionally distraught. That's why the nonprofit recently put its workers through suicide-prevention training. Listen to a report by KPCC, Southern California's Public Radio Station. |
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| 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Summary |
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On Tuesday, March 10, President Obama signed the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 (H.R. 1105) that will fund most federal agencies for the balance of the fiscal year (until September 30, 2009). NeighborWorks America has developed a summary of housing-related provisions in the bill, including NeighborWorks' appropriation amount. View summary [PDF].
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| Enterprise Green Planning and Construction Grants, Deadline April 20 |
| By mid-June, the Green Communities initiative of Enterprise will award a total of $500,000 to developments committed to providing green affordable housing. Grant awards will range between $20,000 and $75,000 per project. The online application is due by April 20. Find out more about eligible applicants, target projects and the review and approval process. |
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Smart Growth Implementation Assistance 2009 Request for Applications
Deadline April 23 |
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The Development, Community, and Environment Division in EPA’s Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation is seeking applications for technical assistance from communities that want to incorporate smart growth in their future development to meet environmental and other community goals. Eligible entities are tribal, local, regional, and state governments, and nonprofit organizations that have a demonstrated partnership with a governmental entity. EPA plans to assist three to five communities over a period of 12 months. The Agency anticipates announcing the selected communities in fall of 2009. Applications are due at 5 p.m. EST, April 23, 2009. View more information and application materials. Find out more about the SGIA program.
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| Online Registration Ends Soon for the Phoenix NeighborWorks Training Institute |
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Online registration closes April 13 for the NeighborWorks Training Institute in Phoenix, AZ — don’t miss your chance to take part in this great training opportunity! The Training Institute runs from May 4 – 8, 2009, and will feature the Green Symposium, Greening Your Roadmap to Success in a Changing Landscape, being held Wednesday, May 6, along with one-day green clinics being held May 4 and 5. The Phoenix Training Institute will feature nationally renowned courses on community building, neighborhood revitalization, green building, affordable housing, homeownership education, management and leadership and much more. Register Today.
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| Go Green at the Phoenix Training Institute |
| Whether you’re a seasoned professional or new to green building, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to hear how your peers in community development are adopting green concepts and delivering valuable returns. Join your colleagues in Phoenix for the Wednesday symposium, Greening Your Roadmap to Succeed in a Changing Landscape, and Monday and Tuesday for special one-day green clinics. Hear from leading experts and practitioners from across the country. Interested in learning more about the keys to economic success for going green? Visit the Phoenix Training Institute Web site and register today! |
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| Cursos españoles/bilingües que son ofrecidos en Phoenix (Spanish/Bilingual Courses Being Offered in Phoenix) |
| HO229sp —"Métodos de Educación para Compradores de Casa: Entrenando a los Instructores" is being offered at the Phoenix Training Institute this May. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn Homeownership counseling skills in an environment that fosters bilingual communication for counselors who work in predominately Spanish-speaking communities. Aproveche la oportunidad de aprendermétodosde la consejería de cómo comprar vivienda en un ambiente que fomenta la comunicación bilingue. Estos cursos están diseñadospara consejeros que trabajan en comunidades predominantemente de habla hispana. ¡Infórmese en líneaeinscríbase hoy! |
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| School of Community Economic Development (SCED) at Southern New Hampshire University and NeighborWorks America Announce Scholars Program |
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The NeighborWorks America/SCED Scholars Program expands and strengthens a pre-existing agreement between two of the nation’s preeminent community economic development organizations. Originally launched in 2006 as a “pilot program,” it has supported 11 students and leveraged $75,000 in direct scholarship support towards their graduate studies.
The Scholars Program builds upon previous scholarship opportunities provided by SCED to graduates of the NeighborWorks Training Institute’s Professional Certificate Programs. The Scholars Program provides substantial scholarship monies for NeighborWorks America staff who wish to attend any SCED Masters program.
Scholarship opportunities are also available to employees of NeighborWorks network organizations and NeighborWorks Training Institute faculty interested in a Masters Program offered at SNHU’s School of Community Economic Development representing similar substantial tuition reductions.
Please contact Anthony Poore, Assistant Dean, School of Community Economic Development, Southern New Hampshire University, at 603.644.3123 or a.poore@snhu.edu for additional information. Information is also available at www.snhu.edu/ced |
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| Additional REO Courses One Way NeighborWorks Responds to Your Needs |
| The current economy has brought REO properties to the forefront of our attention with tens of thousands of foreclosed affordable properties appearing in our communities. Community organizers and affordable housing practitioners are looking for ways to address these properties, which are often left sitting vacant for long periods of time, leaving them vulnerable to vandals and the elements. REO courses are in high demand, and NeighborWorks is addressing this demand by adding to our community stabilization course offerings to respond to the growing need. At the upcoming Phoenix Training Institute, NeighborWorks is adding new sections of AH291, AH292 and AH293 after the original courses filled quickly. We continue to address your needs and respond to current trends in our communities and economy by bringing you the courses you need today. To take one of these courses in Phoenix, you can register online today. |
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| Making Home Affordable- HASP Resources for Counselors |
| On March 4, the Obama Administration released new details of Making Home Affordable, the Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan. NeighborWorks America has gathered information to help housing counselors assist eligible homeowners under the new plan. See resources |
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| Community Outreach Strategies That Work |
| NeighborWorks Community Building and Organizing Initiative presents case studies on outreach to communities hard hit by the foreclosure crisis, providing organizations with new tools and strategies. The five case studies describe real organizations addressing the real challenges of reaching the constituencies they serve. Download the report. |
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| NeighborWorks Reports and Studies |
| NeighborWorks America has partnered with IssueLab, an online
publishing forum for nonprofit research, to give broader reach to NeighborWorks reports and studies. NeighborWorks America's work is now part of IssueLab's broad body of knowledge and will be disseminated through IssueLab's RSS feed, enewsletters and online communities. NeighborWorks at IssueLab has been seamlessly integrated into the NeighborWorks Web environment and can be accessed by going to reports and studies in the publications section of the Web site. |
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| Removing Market Barriers to Green Development |
| The Environmental Protection Agency has released a report on Removing Market Barriers to Green Development. It documents the state of green building practice in the U.S. today and provides a detailed set of recommendations for leadership and policy incentives to help mainstream more sustainable building practices. |
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| Nonprofit Leaders Offer Resources on Weathering the Economic Crisis |
| The National Human Services Assembly convened 40 top leaders in the nonprofit sector for a roundtable meeting in February regarding the economic crisis. Through sharing stories of challenges and successes, the assembly was able to come up with many actionable solutions to get nonprofits through the rough times. See resources from Weathering the Perfect Storm: The Nonprofit Leaders' Roundtable on the Economic Crisis. |
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