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Spotlight On...
Community Development
Organization: Pro-Home
Main
Office: Taunton, MA
Pro-Home is located in
Taunton, Massachusetts, and was formed for "the
protection and production of affordable housing" and has been approved
as a housing counseling agency by 3 major housing-related agencies: HUD,
Citizens Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA), and the Mass. Housing
Finance Agency
(MassHousing).
Pro-Home has expanded its programs from pre-purchase housing counseling,
to include post-purchase counseling, financial literacy education using the
FDIC Money Smart curriculum, acquisition and rehabilitation of abandoned housing
(housing development), and establishment and operation of a regional fair
housing commission. Pro-Home conducts Money Smart courses for adult students
and has expanded its Money Smart financial education program into an adjoining
city.
Organization: The Housing Authority
of Kansas City (HAKC)
Main
Office: Kansas City, MO
The Housing Authority
of Kansas City, Missouri (HAKC) assists in the development, rehabilitation
and management
of safe, sanitary and affordable,
quality
housing. HAKC maintains affordable housing that, meet the long-term
needs of low-income households and serve as viable community resources
that promote
economic independence and self-sufficiency for their residents. The
HAKC is also committed to promoting economic self-sufficiency and improving
residents’ quality
of life via its Resident Services department. An integral component is financial
education and FDIC’s Money Smart curriculum serves as the core instructional
element for six programs within HAKC. Hence, HAKC has trained staff
members teaching an average of three classes per week and overseeing
three computer-based
instruction (CBI) classes. One program utilizing Money Smart is the
Youth Build program for individuals, ages 18-23 pursuing their General
Education
Degree (GED); students are required to complete an average of 36 hours
of Money Smart year round. Other HAKC programs that incorporate Money
Smart
are: Public Housing Homeownership; Section 8 Homeownership; Public
Housing Family Self-Sufficiency, Section 8 Family Self-Sufficiency
and Resident.
Organization: Northwest Assistance Ministries
Main Office: Houston, Texas
Northwest Assistance Ministries is a multi-program social service agency supported by 50 congregations, 17 service organizations, over 160 business Community Partners and approximately 2,000 volunteers. Resources are pooled and leveraged to meet basic needs and to help individuals regain their self-sufficiency. For example, the Rotary Learning Center provides individual and community empowerment by working with area partners in GED Test Preparation, English as a Second Language workshops, referrals to grant-funded college certification programs, legal seminars, and nutritional and computer classes for area residents who would otherwise not be able to afford or attend classes.
In 2010, recognizing that financial education was vital to the efforts of helping clients prepare and improve themselves and the communities, NAM began offering Money Smart training. For example, utilizing community volunteer educators, they provided 28 financial literacy classes in English and in Spanish during 2010, totaling more than 300 hours of services, and impacting over 100 households. The Money Smart classes are permanently integrated into NAM’s educational curriculum, and they continue to encourage individuals and groups to participate in the classes and educate others.
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