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| NFMC Program to Release Its Fifth Report to Congress May 28 |
| NeighborWorks America will release its fifth report to Congress on National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling (NFMC) Program activity on May 28. The report covers counseling activity reported by program Grantees and counselor training provided by NeighborWorks between March 1, 2008 and January 31, 2010. The report also details the NFMC Program’s role in the Making Home Affordable program and the successes and challenges counselors face when helping homeowners avoid foreclosure. Check www.nw.org/nfmc on May 28 for the report. |
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| NeighborWorks America Named a Top Builder by Builder Magazine |
| NeighborWorks America was recently named one of the nation’s largest residential home builders, according to Builder Magazine’s 2009 Builder 100 list. NeighborWorks America debuted on the 2009 Builder 100 list at No. 82, with 302 units of for-sale housing completed by its network of local NeighborWorks organizations. Find out more here. |
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| Rockefeller Foundation Awards NeighborWorks America $1 Million for Housing Counseling and Foreclosure Prevention |
| NeighborWorks America has received $1 million from The Rockefeller Foundation in support of infrastructure development and upgraded technical support for nonprofit housing counseling organizations. The grant will help to strengthen and supplement nonprofit housing counseling capacity and increase their efficiency and ability to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. Get details in the NeighborWorks newsroom. |
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| NeighborWorks Fights Mortgage Modification Scams During National NeighborWorks Week, June 5-12 |
| NeighborWorks organizations around the U.S. are holding more than 150 events during national NeighborWorks Week (June 5-12, 2010) to inform tens of thousands of homeowners on how to avoid and report loan modification scams. “More than 7,700 loan modification scams have been reported to the authorities since our campaign started in October, and we believe that the number of homeowners who have been victimized is significantly greater," said NeighborWorks America CEO Ken Wade. Wade explained that national NeighborWorks Week — a celebration of vibrant, healthy and strong communities — is an ideal time for NeighborWorks organizations to raise awareness about mortgage scams. View more information in the NeighborWorks newsroom. |
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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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| Forensic Mortgage Loan Auditing is Latest Scam Targeting Homeowners |
| The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a consumer alert about the “forensic mortgage loan audit,” the latest scam to exploit financially strapped homeowners. In exchange for an upfront fee of several hundred dollars, so-called forensic loan auditors offer to review the homeowner’s mortgage loan documents to determine whether the lender complied with state and federal mortgage lending laws. If a violation is found, the “auditors” say their findings can be used to avoid foreclosure, accelerate the loan modification process, reduce the loan principal, or even cancel the loan. Nothing could be further from the truth, according to the FTC and its law enforcement partners.
Forensic loan audits often don’t help homeowners with loan modification or any other foreclosure relief. Learn more about it from the FTC. |
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| U.S. Treasury Awards $2 Million to Benefit Organizations Serving Prospective Homebuyers |
| NeighborWorks member Resources for Residents of Communities (RRC) of Georgia, is one of five organizations nationwide that will split $2 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Treasury to
establish and expand financial education and counseling services for prospective homebuyers. Each organization will receive $400,000 under a pilot program from Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund). Three other Georgia-based NeighborWorks organizations collaborated with RRC on the proposal:
NeighborWorks Columbus, Cobb Housing, and The IMPACT! Group. Congratulations to them all! |
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| NeighborWorks Congratulates Gulf Coast Partner PPCDC on Bringing Homes Back to Historic Pontchartrain Park, New Orleans |
| When actor Wendell Pierce and other former and current residents of Pontchartrain Park in New Orleans banded together to form the Pontchartrain Park Community Development Corporation, they had a vision of completely restoring their historic community after it was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. At a recent ribbon-cutting event, the organization celebrated completion of the first of 250 homes it plans to reconstruct in the area. At the event, Pierce thanked NeighborWorks America for providing $200,000 in grants
cover the pre-development expenses associated with the project. “When others said no, NeighborWorks said yes and we are sincerely thankful to them as a valued partner,” said Pierce. Congresswoman Maxine Waters of California and actress Alfre Woodward also attended the celebration.
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| Bringing Green Benefits to Low- and Moderate-Income Families |
| How can homes be efficient and healthy while remaining affordable? “It’s about paying careful attention to the basics — thoughtful design, smart choices and good building,” says The Home Depot Foundation President Kelly Caffarelli, in an article on how families of modest incomes can reap the economic and health benefits of environmentally friendly homes. Caffarelli cited Community Housing Partners (CHP) — a NeighborWorks member organization in Christiansburg, Virginia — as a prime example of how nonprofit developers are building green, affordable homes as a matter of practice. Read
"Green affordable housing protects pocketbooks, people and the planet,"on Mother Nature Network's blog. CHP is just one of several NeighborWorks organizations that are building green, award-winning properties. Visit www.nw.org/green to learn more about them. |
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| Fannie Mae Relaxes Rules to
Help Some Troubled Borrowers Get Back into Home Market
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| In a recent bulletin to lenders, Fannie Mae said it is relaxing rules that prevented loan applicants who have participated in short sales or deeds in lieu of foreclosure from obtaining a new mortgage for extended periods of time.
Under the new rules, which are scheduled to take effect July 1, these people can requalify to purchase a new home in as little as two years, instead of the typical four or five years. Marietta Rodriguez, director of homeownership and lending for NeighborWorks America, said Fannie Mae's new help for homeowners facing foreclosure is a positive move. "We all know that there are many people who through no fault of their own have to sell," she said, but they were blocked from buying a house again for four years or longer, even though they had rebuilt their credit, had qualifying incomes and were fully capable of handling a mortgage responsibly." |
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| Home Depot Foundation Accepting Letters of Inquiry for Affordable Housing Built Responsibly Grant Program, Deadline July 1 |
| The Home Depot Foundation is accepting applications for the second round of its Affordable Housing Built Responsibly Grant program. Through the grant program, the foundation administers millions of dollars in each year to nonprofit organizations
that are dedicated to creating and preserving healthy, affordable homes. Preference is given to proposals that include community engagement that results in the production, preservation, or financing of housing units for low- to moderate-income families. The most promising proposals incorporate a number of "green" building design practices. The deadline for the LOI submittal is July 1, 2010. More information is available here. |
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| 2011 Lodestar Foundation Collaboration Prize, Deadline July 16 |
| The 2011 Collaboration Prize, created and funded by the Lodestar Foundation, is a national award presented to nonprofit organizations that collaborate effectively to gain greater impact. This prize will award a total of $250,000 to the collaborations that best exemplify the impact that can result from working together. Each of the eight finalists will receive $12,500 and the winner will receive an additional $150,000. Applications open June 1 and close on July 16. They may be submitted by any individual familiar with the collaboration, including an employee of any entity involved in the collaboration. View more information. |
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| Angela Glover Blackwell and Preston D. Pinkett, III to Speak at Affordable Housing Symposium |
| Angela Glover Blackwell, founder and chief executive officer of PolicyLink, and Preston D. Pinkett III, director of Global Impact Investing Network and vice president of Social Investment Program, Prudential Financial, will be providing key presentations at the affordable housing symposium, A New Era in Affordable Housing: Investing for Impact in Sustainable Communities, being held in Philadelphia, PA, August 18.
Register online. |
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| New ELearning Course Released |
| NeighborWorks just launched its latest e-learning course, HO102el Mortgage Lending Fundamentals for Homeownership Professionals, which provides the basic foundation of mortgage principles and procedures used in the lending industry in a convenient online course. Learn more and register for this and other online courses. |
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| Early-Bird Registration Open for the Philadelphia Training Institute |
| Registration is now open for the Philadelphia Training Institute, and those who register by July 1 will save $50 off the cost to attend. Philadelphia is sure to inspire you as you take part in some of the many courses being offered. Check out the Affordable Housing Symposium, A New Era in Affordable Housing: Investing for Impact in Sustainable Communities. Step back in time to reflect on the founding of the country as you learn the latest skills and tools to forge a stronger future. Philadelphia's NeighborWorks Training Institute will delight your senses from the local arts scene and ethnic foods to the rich history and thriving community service focus. Come for the nationally renowned training, and leave with an experience steeped in significance. Register online. |
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| New YouTube Video Captures the Spirit and Message of the Rural Symposium in New Orleans |
| A video of the Rural Symposium held during the NeighborWorks Training Institute in New Orleans, LA, captures experts and practitioners from across the country discussing the capacity of rural and small cities to both absorb and make the most of their precious resources. Also online now is the full script of the opening plenary speech presented by Michael Swack, professor, University of New Hampshire. |
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| NeighborWorks to Provide Resources for National Homeownership Month in June |
| NeighborWorks America will be conducting a series of
consumer outreach efforts to support affordable, sustainable and healthy homes and neighborhoods during the 2010 National Homeownership Month in June. Look out for updates to our National Homeownership Month web page, where NeighborWorks America will share daily tips, resources, videos and stories around foreclosure prevention, financial capability, green living and more. |
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| Video for Homebuyers Available from NeighborWorks UNHS HomeOwnership Center |
| Those in the market to buy a home for the first time are often unsure about the home inspection process. In a video just released by UNHS HomeOwnership Center in New York, homebuyers are provided with some insight about what the professionals look for. It is the fourth in the center's educational series about homeownership and the home buying process. Share it with prospective homebuyers at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8eAFJnbUAQ. |
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| Online Policy Toolbox Helps Nonprofit and Government Entities Make Homes More Resistant to Natural Disasters |
Hurricane Katrina, the Iowa floods and other recent natural disasters have emphasized the need for greater pre-disaster mitigation measures for homes: technologies, services and practices to help reduce the likelihood of property damage and loss of human life from natural disasters. The Center for Housing Policy has developed on online toolbox of strategies and policy nonprofit and government entities can implement to make homes more resistant to natural disasters.
For a broader look at how community development organizations can
help communities prepare for and recover from disasters, go to nw.org/disaster.
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