PHILADELPHIA, PA--(Marketwired - August 12, 2015) - An $8.5 million boost is coming to the Philadelphia economy when more than 2,200 community development professionals from around the country convene in the city for the NeighborWorks Training Institute (NTI) Aug. 17-21. 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 America's Training Institute in Philadelphia provides unique and exciting training opportunities for community development professionals," said Paul Weech, chief executive officer of NeighborWorks America. "NeighborWorks is especially looking forward to bringing a national conversation on how to implement financial capability strategies for low-income people to the City of Brotherly Love."
This is the third time that NeighborWorks America has brought its NTI to Philadelphia during the past five years.
"Philadelphia is the ideal location for NeighborWorks to hold its Training Institute," said Mayor Michael A. Nutter. "Philadelphia is a national leader in strengthening the financial capabilities of its residents. Our programs have helped more than 8,500 homeowners save their homes from foreclosure -- and offered financial training to help them stay in their homes -- and assisted more than 7,500 people reduce their personal debt by $6.4 million through our Financial Empowerment Centers."
There are five NeighborWorks organizations working in Pennsylvania: Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Berks (Reading); Neighborhood Housing Services of Lehigh Valley (Allentown); NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania (Scranton); NeighborWorks Western Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh); and NKCDC (Philadelphia). In 2014, these NeighborWorks organizations generated more than $37 million in total investment and served more than 3,000 individuals and families.
Included in the many courses and workshops at the NTI is an Aug. 19 symposium, sponsored by JPMorgan Chase Foundation, focusing on "Building Pathways to Financial Resilience." The event will explore how best practices in financial capability programming can help individuals and families stabilize their financial situations and achieve goals.
A recent survey from NeighborWorks America showed that approximately one in three U.S. adults has no emergency savings, despite the improving economy, and nearly half (47 percent) have savings that would last three months or less.
Among the speakers at the symposium are Mayor of Philadelphia Michael A. Nutter; Alexandra Bastien, senior associate for PolicyLink; Jonathan Mintz, founding president and CEO for Cities for Financial Empowerment; and Jonathan Morduch, professor of public policy and economics at NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.
The NeighborWorks Training Institute in Philadelphia is supported by a variety of partners, including Wells Fargo Housing Foundation, Citi and Citi Foundation, HUD, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Bank of America, BB&T, Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, and Fannie Mae.
In 2014, NeighborWorks awarded more than 20,000 training certificates to individuals from more than 3,200 organizations across the United States. Almost 4,500 of these certificates were awarded to learners who participated in online training; the rest were earned by those who attended the organization's NTIs, its national Community Leadership Institute or more than 130 regional and local "place-based" training events.
For more information about NeighborWorks America, visit www.NeighborWorks.org.
About NeighborWorks America
For more than 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 $24.5 billion in reinvestment in these communities. NeighborWorks America is the nation's leading trainer of community development and affordable housing professionals.
Contact Information:
Contact:
Lindsay Moore
202-760-4059
lmoore@nw.org
@neighborworkspr