In January 2021, NeighborWorks America started its Stop Home Scams initiative to raise awareness about housing scams, which often become more prevalent during times of economic hardship. Focusing on regions with high foreclosure rates, NeighborWorks® America engaged network organizations to help spread the word. With the ending of pandemic evictions and foreclosure moratoria, network leaders continued to be concerned about a rise in scams. As new crises hit the landscape, the concerns continue.

 In the counties surrounding the Way Finders offices in Springfield, Massachusetts, the need for resident support was growing rapidly. With the spread of COVID-19 and the loss of jobs and income, more people needed rental and other assistance. The NeighborWorks network organization responded swiftly, adding new programs and hiring dozens of staff members to meet those escalating needs. How much did they scale up? 

Before the pandemic, when Junie Celestin, student loan counselor at Urban Edge, saw clients with loan debt, she was helping them get out of default. During the pandemic, with a moratorium on student loan interest and payments, the questions she's getting have changed.

Energy awareness, weatherization and home repairs can make a difference in a resident's power bill. William Achnitz, vice president of home improvement and optimization for Community Development Corporation of Long Island (CDCLI), has a list of improvements his organization makes that have a significant impact. "Insulation, air sealing, window replacement, caulking, weather stripping, door sweeps, fans to increase ventilation, heating system repairs," he begins.

September is National Preparedness Month, a time to prepare for disasters or emergencies that could happen at any time. Neighborhood Housing Services of South Florida (NHSSF) is spending the month putting the finishing touches on a new loan program that will help families prepare their properties for emergencies, says Juan Carlos Gordillo, marketing and communications manager for the NeighborWorks network organization.

In 2019, Gloria Ortiz-Fisher, executive director of Westside Housing, was considering new ways to help clients. That's when she learned about a program helping residents establish credit by formally reporting on something they already did each month: Pay rent.

"We've been kicking the can down the road," explains Christopher Spence, a housing expert who has worked in the industry since 1992. He's referring to rent and fees some tenants are delaying paying off, due to pandemic-related hardships. Protections have kept them housed, but the rent will eventually come due.  "Just because landlords are not moving forward with eviction doesn't mean tenants don't have fees accruing," Spence says. 

One of the most effective ways NeighborWorks America's financial counselors help clients at NeighborWorks network organizations is by playing matchmaker. They identify the programs that can best lead their clients toward financial stability and independence. Programs like rent reporting to build credit and incentivized savings can make a real difference, says Molly Barackman-Eder, director of financial capability at NeighborWorks America. Those programs can be found throughout the NeighborWorks network.

On Track in Vermont

Prestamos CDFI, a division of NeighborWorks network nonprofit Chicanos Por La Causa, has funded billions of dollars in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans during the pandemic, with more than three fourths of those loans going to minority-owned businesses. By the end of June, the Community Development Financial Institution funded $7.6 billion in loans, supporting hairstylists, artists, custodians and more.