NeighborWorks America Recognizes Third Round of Green Organization Designees

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwired - Oct 20, 2014) - Nineteen nonprofit community development organizations were recognized today for their excellence in sustainable business and housing practices by NeighborWorks America. To date, 61 network members have earned the NeighborWorks Green Organization designation.

This is the third annual round of designations for the NeighborWorks Green Organization program, which celebrates community development nonprofits that demonstrate a comprehensive commitment to sustainable operations -- both the lines of business they conduct and the corporate operations that they run. Together, these green organizations demonstrate that when sustainable practices are comprehensively applied, people are healthier, homes are more affordable, employees have a better work environment, communities thrive and organizations are more prepared for the future.

"Everyone benefits from green, sustainable living -- families, businesses and communities," said Chuck Wehrwein, acting chief executive officer of NeighborWorks America. "The organizations that receive this designation from NeighborWorks America show that green business practices improve people's health and well-being."

NeighborWorks America, which creates opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve their lives and strengthen their communities, supports a network of more than 240 nonprofits, located in every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The new members that are receiving the NeighborWorks Green Organization designation are:

• Affordable Homes of South Texas (McAllen, TX)
• AHC (Arlington, VA)
• Cabrillo Economic Development Corp. (Ventura, CA)
• Champlain Housing Trust (Burlington, VT)
• Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corp. (Dorchester, MA)
• Community Concepts (Lewiston, ME)
• Community Housing Initiatives (Spencer, IA)
• Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Cleveland (Cleveland, OH)
• Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven (New Haven, CT)
• Neighborhood Housing Services of Southwest Wisconsin (Richland Center, WI)
• NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley (Woodsocket, RI)
• NeighborWorks Great Falls (Great Falls, MT)
• NeighborWorks Orange County (Orange, CA)
• New Directions Housing Corp. (Louisville, KY)
• Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency (Traverse City, MI)
• Self-Help Enterprises (Visalia, CA)
• St. Joseph's Carpenter Society (Camden, NJ)
• Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corp. (San Francisco, CA)
• The Neighborhood Developers (Chelsea, MA)

The 61 NeighborWorks Green Organizations together own more than 50,000 affordable apartments and have built or rehabilitated more than 7,100 green rental and for-sale homes in the past two years. Through the organizations' participation in this program, 4,200 employees are experiencing a healthier, greener working environment. Last year, they educated more than 9,500 households seeking to purchase or owning a home on the core elements of healthy and sustainable homes.

For more information about the green designation, visit NeighborWorks.org/Green.
For more information about NeighborWorks America, visit neighborworks.org.

About NeighborWorks America
For 35 years, NeighborWorks America 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 $19.5 billion in reinvestment in these communities. NeighborWorks America is the nation's leading trainer of community development and affordable housing professionals.