Beautifying Your Property Can Start a Chain Reaction in Your Neighborhood

Construction Specialists Dave Murnen and Pat Beaty with NeighborWorks of Grays Harbor County in Aberdeen, Washington, published a great article in their local newspaper about how we can all roll up our sleeves and make a difference in our communities – starting with our own surroundings.

“By getting rid of junk in our yards, washing or painting our houses or even just edging a bad lawn, we can start a wonderful chain reaction in our neighborhoods,” they wrote. “This isn’t wishful thinking on our part. It’s documented over and over again by all 200 plus NeighborWorks organizations across the country that fixing up a single house in a neighborhood stimulates surrounding owners to spruce up as well.”

Every year, NeighborWorks organizations mobilize tens of thousands of volunteers, businesspeople, neighbors, friends and local and national elected officials in a week of neighborhood change and awareness through community service. Many of these NeighborWorks Week activities include projects to clean up and revitalize neighborhoods. This year’s volunteer events will take place June 5-12, but the work can begin right now.

“Just get started!” Murnen and Beaty said. “Know your efforts will make a difference and give you — and your neighbors — a lift.” Read more about what you can do.

A Family’s Journey to Avoid Foreclosure Gains National Attention

For over four years, Frank and Judi Viola struggled with a number of personal setbacks that nearly cost them their home near Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Frank suffered an injury that kept him from work for six months and he was dropped from the payroll. Then the mortgage adjusted upward and the Violas fell behind on their payments. They saw the sheriff put the dreaded foreclosure notice on their front door and their home of 22 years went up for sale.

Their story has a happy ending due to the help they received from Neighborhood Housing Services of Lackawanna County, a NeighborWorks America member organization. Now The Story, a national news program has called on them to share their good news with others.

Listen to their first-hand account of how their children and a community — and ultimately their lender — helped them avoid foreclosure.

More background is available here.

CitiMortgage Pilot Aims to Stop Destruction of Foreclosed Homes

A new pilot program launched by CitiMortgage allows homeowners facing foreclosure to remain in their homes for six months – free of charge. They also receive $1,000 to cover moving expenses. In exchange, the homeowners must agree not to trash the home before they turn over the keys to the bank.

Michael Van Zalingen with NeighborWorks member Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, said in an interview with NBC news that this program will help relieve a much greater problem. Vacant, looted and destroyed homes are not only less attractive to buyers, they also drive down property values in the surrounding community and encourage crime.

For the at-risk homeowners, the program allows them leave with greater dignity, and their credit scores won’t be as damaged as with a true foreclosure Zalingen said.

NBC Chicago’s article and video on the CitiMortgage program are available here.

NeighborWorks America’s stable communities initiative helps local nonprofits respond to the community challenges that arise when foreclosed homes remain vacant or abandoned. Find out more about those efforts here.

NeighborWorks America Helps Communities 'Go Green' by Awarding 170 Training and Education Certificates

NeighborWorks America, the nation’s largest trainer of community development professionals, recently awarded 170 certificates of completion to nonprofit leaders from around the country. The certificates were awarded in a range of disciplines including how to improve the energy and environmental footprint of multifamily and single-family housing, and how to engage community residents on behalf of greener living. The classes, offered at the NeighborWorks Training Institute (NTI) four times each year, are part of NeighborWorks America’s broader Green Initiative for communities.

“This was our largest number of certificates earned since we began a gradual roll-out of green courses in 2005,” commented Paul Kealey, director of training. “These are exciting times for housing developers and community leaders. Energy efficiency and better health through the use of greener products is on everyone’s mind. While the courses directly enhance the knowledge of the participants, the community-wide benefit of their learning touches thousands of people.”

The NeighborWorks America Green Initiative is a multi-faceted effort involving professional education, community outreach, targeted grants for the development and rehabilitation of housing, and participation in coalitions working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while lowering the energy and resource bills for families.

Professional education can lead to designation as Green Building and Healthy Homes Specialist upon successful completion of nine integrated courses offered by NeighborWorks America. The next NeighborWorks Training Institute that will offer courses that lead to the Green Building and Healthy Homes Specialist certificate is May 3-7, 2010 in Phoenix, Ariz.

More information is available in the NeighborWorks Newsroom.

NeighborWorks America to Distribute $119 Million in Grants in 2010

At a time when communities need resources most, thousands across the nation will receive a much-needed affordable housing and community development boost as NeighborWorks America distributes more than $119 million in flexible grants to its national network of more than 230 local nonprofit NeighborWorks organizations.

The $119 million that will be distributed in 2010 is a $38 million increase from 2009, and reflects the increased need for community development as the foreclosure crisis and recession continue to make headlines in 2010.“The need for nonprofit community development organizations has never been greater,” said Ken Wade, CEO of NeighborWorks America. “Communities are challenged by high foreclosure rates and near-record unemployment at a time when municipal and state budgets are stretched thin and private resources are growing scarce. These grants provide critical funding that strengthens local NeighborWorks organizations’ ability to serve their communities during this difficult economic time."

The 2010 grants will help NeighborWorks organizations:Provide quality counseling for struggling homeowners at risk of foreclosure;Stabilize communities hard-hit by the current crisis by putting vacant properties back into productive use;Empower consumers through financial and homeownership education and counseling;Create homeownership opportunities for low- and moderate-income families; andProduce and manage affordable, high-quality rental properties.

For more information about the 2010 grants, visit the NeighborWorks newsroom.