August 10, 2020 — CHN Housing Partners has been awarded membership in the NeighborWorks America network. Chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1978, NeighborWorks America is a federally funded, nonpartisan nonprofit that works to create opportunities for people to have affordable housing, improve their lives and strengthen their communities. The national NeighborWorks network has more than 240 nonprofit members that receive support from NeighborWorks through technical assistance, grants, trainings and leadership development and organizational assessments.
“CHN is thrilled to become a part of the NeighborWorks organization,” said CHN Executive Director Kevin J. Nowak. “We are excited to join a network of organizations with enormous capacity and experience to help us pursue our mission.”
CHN Housing Partners, now a member of the national NeighborWorks network, is a nonprofit affordable housing developer and housing service provider. Founded in 1981 in Cleveland, CHN has expanded into Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania to provide homeownership opportunities through partnerships with sister nonprofits.
“NeighborWorks America is pleased that CHN Housing Partners is joining our network. CHN Housing Partners joins a group of outstanding NeighborWorks Organizations in the state of Ohio and across the country,” said NeighborWorks America President & CEO Marietta Rodriguez. “As I learned more about CHN, I am encouraged with the breadth and impact of their work, including the recent pivot in response to COVID-19 to administer a critical rental assistance fund for renters throughout the greater Cleveland area.”
In addition to developing affordable housing, CHN provides a suite of services focusing on housing stability, which includes utility assistance, financial education and counseling and weatherization/ energy conservation services in northeast Ohio. During the COVID-19 pandemic, CHN was chosen to serve as the administrator of the Cuyahoga County and City of Cleveland Rental Assistance Program, distributing millions of dollars in Federal CARES Act money as well as Community Development Block Grant funds.
“On behalf of the CHN Board of Directors, I would like to express our gratitude to the NeighborWorks team,” said CHN Board Chair Mike Griffin. “We know our membership will help us become even better at what we do in Greater Cleveland and beyond.”
This year’s NeighborWorks America housing and financial capability survey found that Americans widely agree that homeownership offers many benefits. Eight in 10 believe it provides peace of mind and a sense of safety and security, and seven in 10 believe it increases financial stability and grows a connection to the community. Obstacles to starting the homebuying process are related to access to information as well as financial resources. About half of Americans say a lack of information makes homeownership too challenging, and less than half know where to find homebuying advice if they wanted it. Just one in three non-homeowners said they were aware of down payment assistance programs in their community. Forty-nine percent of people say the affordability of a home is a factor that may be important to them when choosing a home. Eighty-five percent of people say owning a home would give them a feeling of safety and security.
For more information about CHN Housing Partners, visit chnhousingpartners.org. For more information about NeighborWorks America and its housing and financial capability survey, go to neighborworks.org.
