Origins and foundation The early origins of the nonprofit NeighborWorks America are traced to 1968, when
Dorothy Mae Richardson, a
Central North Side resident of
Pittsburgh, advocated for the rehabilitation of
dilapidated homes. Richardson worked with city bankers and government officials to convince 16 financial institutions to give out conventional loans in the community. Her work was continued in the Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) of Pittsburgh. Later, the NHS became the inspiration for community-based housing initiatives throughout the country. In 1970, the
Federal Home Loan Bank Board became involved with NHS and started expanding the program by training savings and loan officers for urban areas nationally.
Federal charter and national visibility In 1978, Congress chartered the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, with a mission to recreate the NHS housing program throughout the nation. In 1984, the first Neighborhood Housing Week (now called NeighborWorks Week) was congressionally established. President
Ronald Reagan proclaimed a national observance. During the 1980s, the
Ad Council collaborated with Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation (NRC) to create "NeighborWorks." The NRC began doing business as NeighborWorks America in 2005.
Programs and initiatives In 2007, Congress selected NeighborWorks America to administer the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling program. In 2009, as part of continued efforts to assist in recovery from the housing crisis, NeighborWorks launched the Loan Modification Scam Alert campaign and Stable Communities Initiative. In June 2011, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development partnered with NeighborWorks America to launch the Emergency Homeowners' Loan Program to assist homeowners across the country at risk of foreclosure.
Scope There are more than 240 NeighborWorks organizations operating in urban, suburban, and rural communities in 50 states, the
District of Columbia, and
Puerto Rico. In July 2023, NeighborWorks organizations had generated more than $19.5 billion in reinvestment in these communities over the span of five years. NeighborWorks America has assisted more than 1.7 million homeowners through its congressionally funded National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling program. ==Community leaders==