More Than 2,000 Community-Development Professionals Expected to Attend Detroit Conference and Inject Nearly $3.3 Million Into Local Economy

DETROIT, MI--(Marketwired - August 02, 2016) - An estimated $3.3 million boost is coming to the Detroit economy when more than 2,000 community development professionals from around the country convene in the city for the NeighborWorks Training Institute Aug. 8-12. The conference is hosted by NeighborWorks America, a national, congressionally chartered nonprofit that creates opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve their lives and strengthen their communities.

"NeighborWorks Training Institutes provide community-development professionals with the knowledge and skills to help them build strong communities everyone is proud to call home," said Paul Weech, chief executive officer of NeighborWorks America. "Additionally, the Institutes provide top-notch peer sharing and networking opportunities."

"This is our second Training Institute in the Detroit area and it couldn't come at a more pivotal time," explained Weech. "Government, business and the nonprofit sector all are working on solutions to improve neighborhoods and jump-start economic activity in the city and in similar places across the United States. NeighborWorks America is excited to be in Detroit to help share what works."

Included in the many courses and workshops is an Aug, 10 symposium focused on "Creating Places of Opportunity: Investing in Neighborhoods (ML924)." This is the third in a year-long, four-part series, Creating Economic Opportunity.

The Aug. 10 symposium, sponsored by JPMorgan Chase Foundation, will examine how strategic investments in places-and the people who live there-can lead to increased competiveness, greater prosperity, and inclusive growth. The dynamic and interactive agenda will highlight innovative ways that communities are bolstering entrepreneurial businesses, job-creating industries, physical place-making projects and local housing markets.

Among the symposium speakers are the Honorable Mike Duggan, mayor of Detroit, Conrad L. Mallett Jr., chief administration officer for the Detroit Medical Center, James Fallows, national correspondent for The Atlantic, Tonya Allen, president and CEO of the Skillman Foundation, Tim Thorland, executive director of Southwest Housing Solutions and Sandy Baruah, president of the Detroit Regional Chamber.

Additionally, a series of mobile tours will provide the opportunity to visit promising community development efforts underway in Detroit, highlighting initiatives aimed at stabilizing housing markets, revitalizing commercial corridors, promoting entrepreneurship, and rejuvenating public spaces through arts and creative placemaking,

The NeighborWorks Training Institute in Detroit is supported by a variety of partners, including JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Wells Fargo Housing Foundation, Bank of America, HUD, Citi Foundation, Bank of the West, BB&T, Capital One, and Fifth Third Bank.

In addition to the training institute, NeighborWorks America supports organizations working to serve the Detroit community throughout the year. In 2015, NeighborWorks organizations in Michigan generated nearly $45 million in total direct investment and assisted 3,117 individuals and families with affordable housing.

The NeighborWorks organizations in Michigan are Dwelling Place (Grand Rapids, MI); Habitat for Humanity of Michigan (Lansing, MI); Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services (Kalamazoo, MI); Lighthouse of Oakland County (Pontiac, MI); Southwest Michigan Community Development Corp. (Battle Creek, MI); Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency (Traverse City, MI); and Southwest Solutions (Detroit, MI).

To read more about NeighborWorks organizations' impact in Detroit and other areas of the country, view the NeighborWorks America interactive map.

For more information about NeighborWorks America, visit www.NeighborWorks.org.

About NeighborWorks America
For more than 35 years, NeighborWorks America, a national, nonpartisan nonprofit, has created opportunities for people to improve their lives and strengthen their communities by providing access to homeownership and to safe and affordable rental housing. In the last five years, NeighborWorks organizations have generated more than $27.2 billion in reinvestment in these communities. NeighborWorks America is the nation's leading trainer of community development and affordable housing professionals.