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| NeighborWorks America Reaches Out to the Vietnamese Community |
| NeighborWorks America held its first-ever Vietnamese Community Leadership Institute (CLI) in Seattle in September. It was sponsored by NeighborWorks Community Building and Organizing Initiative, at the request of its member organization HomeSight, Inc. NeighborWorks sponsors national community leadership institutes each year, but this was the first time a member organization has held an in-language, ethnic-based institute.
“We look forward to sharing the materials and learnings from this event with other organizations across our network,” said Susan Naimark, acting director of NeighborWorks Community Building and Organizing Initiative.“It's a great model for working with non-English speaking communities, giving them tools to engage with each other and the broader community.” Learn more about this effort. |
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| Nearly 1.5 Million Take Advantage of the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit |
| With the help of NeighborWorks Green Bay, Lori Guns was one of nearly one-and-a-half million first-time home buyers nationwide who have taken advantage of the $8,000 federal tax credit. It took the Wisconsin resident nearly two years to achieve her dream of homeownership, but on September 22 she was handed the keys to her first home, according to local ABC news affiliate WBAY. The IRS estimates that the first-time homebuyer tax credit program, set to expire in November, has helped nearly 1.5 million people like Guns purchase their first home, and some are calling on Congress to extend the program. Read about and view video of Guns’ success story. |
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| National Collaboration Turns Foreclosures Into Opportunities |
| Leaders from the nonprofit sector, philanthropic community, financial industry and government have joined forces in creating a new approach to reclaim neighborhoods devastated by high concentrations of foreclosed and abandoned property. The new nonprofit organization, the National Community Stabilization Trust, will provide local government and local housing providers with two critical services that are currently missing to effectively stabilize neighborhoods – easy access to foreclosed properties and access to flexible financing to renovate these properties. The collaboration is backed by six leading nonprofits including NeighborWorks America. Learn more. |
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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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| Unemployment Fueling the Next Wave of Foreclosures |
| NeighborWorks America Homeownership Programs Director Marietta Rodriquez told CBS Evening News recently that rising unemployment is leading to more housing foreclosures. She said recent reports from foreclosure counselors indicate that 50 percent of the time job loss is the stated reason for mortgage delinquency. Rodriguez was part of a newscast on growing foreclosure troubles among prime, fixed rate borrowers who are out of work. View CBS Evening News video. |
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| Massachusetts Teens Honored for Their Work in Foreclosure Prevention |
| A group of teenagers who spent their summer helping struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure recently received Congressional honor for their work. The teens, who were part of a summer youth program with NeighborWorks HomeOwnership Center of Worcester, were trained in personal finance and budgeting, sustainable homeownership and foreclosure prevention. They then used that newfound knowledge to help homeowners struggling to meet their mortgage payments to avoid foreclosure and remain in their homes. They were honored at the center for their service on September 8, during a visit by U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern. "This organization is a model to the nation in how to involve young people in community service," McGovern said. "Their work here has resulted in families keeping their homes." Read more at Telegram.com. |
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| NeighborWorks COO Tells Congressional Committee That Working with Servicers Continues to be a Challenge for Counselors |
| NeighborWorks America COO Eileen Fitzgerald recently told the Congressional Committee overseeing the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) that while a number of improvements are being made to the Making Home Affordable Program, counselors continue to face difficulty working with servicers. In testimony before the committee on September 24, Fitzgerald described several factors that continue to limit the success of the program, including difficult and inefficient communications between servicers and counselors, servicers’ disregard for the guidelines of the program, and frustrations with the system as a whole. Fitzgerald said, for example, that it can take as long as two hours to reach a mortgage servicer. Some homeowners send in documentation, but are asked to do so again. And at times, Fitzgerald said, mortgage servicers are reluctant to disclose the full terms of the new loan. Read AP coverage. View testimony. |
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| At Congressional Black Caucus Conference NeighborWorks America Executive Discusses Foreclosure in Black Communities |
| On September 24, National Initiatives and Applied Research Director Nelson Merced was part of a Congressional Black Caucus panel discussion on the current economic recession that has destabilized rates of black homeownership and the economic fates of many African Americans. The panel examined the current scope of the housing and foreclosure crisis in the black community and implications for homeowners and renters, as well as policy solutions critical to fostering housing and economic security among African Americans. View presentation summary. |
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| HUD Awards More than $600 Million in Recovery Act Grants to Support Community Development and Job Growth |
| On September 23, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan awarded $620 million to over 500 communities across the country through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act).
The Recovery Act made available a total of $1 billion through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. On July 16, HUD announced the first round of grants under this program to nearly 700 communities, totaling $360 million. With the September 23 announcement, all $1 billion is now disbursed in communities, working to create jobs and revitalize neighborhoods. Read more.
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| OCC Releases Consumer Advisory on Reverse Mortgages |
| The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued a consumer advisory to help consumers better understand reverse mortgages. Reverse mortgages generally are available to consumers who are 62 or older, and can be used to supplement retirement income or meet health care or other financial needs. The information developed for consumers discusses basic facts about reverse mortgages, which are complex, home-secured loans. The advisory also reviews the costs and benefits of reverse mortgages, and provides basic “rules of thumb” for consumers who are considering this type of loan. The OCC urges consumers to consult with a qualified, independent housing counselor before entering into a reverse mortgage, and explains how consumers may obtain additional information about reverse mortgages.“Reverse Mortgages: Are They for You?” is available on the OCC’s website, www.occ.gov. |
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| Green and Healthy Homes Technical Studies Program, Deadline November 17 |
| HUD has announced the availability of $2.4 million in funding that will be awarded to improve knowledge of the effects residential green construction has on both indoor environmental quality and occupant health, with a particular focus on children and other sensitive populations. The goals are to improve knowledge of the benefits of residential green building methods on indoor environmental quality and occupant health. Individual awards will range from $350,000 to $700,000. Eligible applicants include: state (includes District of Columbia, public institutions of higher education and hospitals); local (includes state-designated Indian tribes, excludes institutions of higher education and hospitals); federally recognized Indian tribal governments; private nonprofit institution/organization (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals). The deadline for applications is November 17, 2009. View more details. |
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| Lead Hazard Control Capacity Building, Deadline November 19 |
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HUD has announced the availability of
$1.7 million in funding to develop the infrastructure necessary to undertake comprehensive programs to identify and control lead-based paint hazards. Individual awards will be between $50,000 to $100,000. Eligible applicants include: states, federally recognized Native American tribes, cities, counties/parishes, or other units of local government that have never been a direct recipient or a subgrantee of a Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control or Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration grant. The application deadline is November 19, 2009. View further information.
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| DC-Metro Area Training Institute Open for Online Registration |
| Join us in the Washington, DC, metro area on December 7-11, 2009 for more than 100 courses in community engagement, neighborhood revitalization, green building, affordable housing, homeownership education, management and leadership and much more. NeighborWorks' DC-Metro Area Training Institute will host the Affordable Housing Symposium Rising to the Challenge: Stabilizing Communities in the Wake of Foreclosure, which will focus attention on innovative policy, financing, property acquisition and development strategies. Learn about comprehensive best practices to help us all improve and advance sustainable communities. Policy makers, funders, practitioners, developers and property managers will share the latest and most effective techniques and ideas to get the work done in your community. Check out the complete list of courses for information on courses such as several courses on REO properties solutions and strategies. |
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| Community Stabilization Courses Added to E-Learning Options |
| AH295el Community Stabilization: An Introduction to REO Acquisition, Rehab, Disposition and Management and AM121el Fundamentals of Asset Management have been added to the growing list of e-learning opportunities brought to you by NeighborWorks. Both courses bring the same skills and knowledge offered in the classroom setting to your home or office computer. Courses cost only $195 each with no travel expenses! Register online at www.nw.org/onlinereg. Add to your learning experience by taking one of these online courses at home and be better prepared to fully engage in the Affordable Housing Symposium Rising to the Challenge: Stabilizing Communities in the Wake of Foreclosure at the DC-Metro Area Training Institute this December. |
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| Updated Versions of Realizing the American Dream and Keeping the American Dream Released |
| Realizing the American Dream, 4th Edition, and Keeping the American Dream, 2nd Edition, are now available for purchase. These valuable educational tools are the definitive resources for homeownership training and education. The revised versions are available in two new languages, too! You can still purchase versions in English and Spanish, but now also in Chinese and Vietnamese. Visit the NeighborWorks store, www.nwstore.org, for more information and to purchase your copies today! |
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| NeighborWorks Webinar on Planning and Implementing an REO Program |
| The current economic climate has drawn attention to the issue of Real Estate Owned (REO) properties, with tens of thousands of foreclosed properties appearing in our communities. In addition to a growing number of courses focused on the acquisition, management and sale of REO properties, as well as classes on stabilizing neighborhoods and helping prospective homeowners purchase foreclosed properties, NeighborWorks America is pleased to offer a free, half-hour webinar that guides boards, executive directors and other key decision-makers in planning and implementing a REO program. |
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