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Community: Florida: Miami

posted on July 9, 2007

Housing Partnership of North Miami Holds First-Time Homebuyer Training

The Housing Partnership of North Miami provides a unique homeownership resource to North Miami homebuyers

Thirty-three North Miami residents learned about and discussed money management, credit reporting, mortgage requirements and the process involved in successfully buying and maintaining their first homes, during the eight-hour Homebuyer Education Training that was held at the NANAY Community Center last June 16, 2007.

”I am so proud that the attendees are making an effort to be on the road to homeownership, and taking the responsibility, “says North Miami Mayor Kevin Burns. “I am really excited that we are finally making this a reality, and it will be more exciting when we can hand down the keys and see them walk into their first homes or townhouses in the near future. Sometimes it is easier to get the house, but it is much harder to hold on to it. Foreclosures are at an all-time high right now, but hopefully we can prepare them through NANAY’s great staff and the groups that are working with them to make sure that they have the proper knowledge that they need to own and maintain their homes.”

“We’ve always been talking about affordable housing,” says Bennie Trinidad, NANAY Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer. “It is here. It is real. There are now at least 8 people who have been pre-qualified and ready to purchase,” The Homebuyer Education Training is part of the North Miami Community Redevelopment Agency’s initiative to provide affordable housing to low and moderate income families in the city. The North Miami CRA recently signed a contract with the Housing Partnership of North Miami, made up of NANAY-CDC, Neighborhood Housing Services and Little Haiti Housing Association, now in charge of processing applications for subsidies of up to $50,000 for North Miami residents who are interested in first time homebuyer assistance and purchase of units in Pioneer Gardens, made possible through North Miami CRA’s partnership with Biscayne Landings.
	Natacha Francois (NANAY Social Worker) , Evelyn H. Bruce (NANAY Executive Director) and Joy Bruce (NANAY President/CEO) with the First HBE Class graduates

At least 713 families registered during the one-month open registration period between April 9 and May 8, 2007 that marked the launching of North Miami CRA’s affordable housing program. Of these, 537 requested for first-time home purchase assistance, 168 were interested in getting assistance to purchase a unit in Pioneer Gardens at North Miami, 129 are applying for single family home rehabilitation assistance, and 173 were interested in affordable rental housing.

“Based on the information contained on the registration forms, of the 713 families that registered for North Miami CRA affordable housing services, 401 (56.2%) were Haitian, 217 (30.4%) were African American, 47 (6.6%) were Hispanic, 31 (4.3%) were White and 13 (1.8%) were Asian. More than 91% of the registrants have a household income of $50,000 or less.

“We are all committed to improving the quality of life of North Miami residents by revitalizing the City’s physical, economic, educational and social resources,” says North Miami CRA Executive Director Tony Crapp, Sr.

“This is a great opportunity for us to reach out to the North Miami residents, and give them the tools that they need to attain their American dream of homeownership,” says Marc Williams, Housing Program consultant for NANAY Housing Resource Center.

Subsidies are also available for single family home rehabilitation assistance . Those who are interested in single-family home rehabilitation will be reviewed by the North Miami CRA after it has provided assistance to a group of approximately 54 prior applicants that are on a City of North Miami waiting list for single-family rehabilitation assistance as per a priority status approved by the North Miami CRA Board.

“The Housing Partnership of North Miami provides a unique homeownership resource to North Miami homebuyers because of the combined expertise of NANAY Housing Resource Center, Neighborhood Housing Services and Little Haiti Housing Association in specific homeownership issues of people from African American, Haitian, Hispanic and Asian backgrounds,” says Evelyn H. Bruce, Executive Director of NANAY Housing Resource Center.

The Homebuyer Training Program is an initiative by Housing Partnership of North Miami funded by North Miami CRA through its affordable housing program, and supported by First American Homeownership Foundation, HSBC Mortgage Corporation and M-CAR Consultants and Associates, Inc.

NANAY Community Development Corporation (NANAY-CDC) is an affiliate of NANAY, Inc. (National Alliance to Nurture the Aged and the Youth) that was established in 1994 to promote the health, welfare and well being of elders and youth. NANAY-CDC was incorporated in 2004, and now operates the NANAY Housing Resource Center (NHRC) at 659 NE 125 Street, North Miami, FL 33161 to provide affordable housing and financial literacy programs, and to serve as a one-stop center for people with housing-related needs.

Little Haiti Housing Association (LHHA) launched a Home Ownership Program in 1990, and soon became one of the most successful community development corporations (CDC’s) in the Miami area. As a not-for-profit community development corporation, LHHA provides a continuum of financial, technical, construction and educational services to residents with the opportunity and skills to rebuild and strengthen their neighborhoods.

The Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) was organized in 1978 by residents, lenders, and county government representatives of the West Little River neighborhood of Miami-Dade County. NHS is a 501(c)(3) community development corporation and a member of the NeighborWorks® network, founded by the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, a public corporation chartered by Congress. NHS is committed to promoting neighborhood revitalization and affordable housing for low-to-moderate income residents in Miami-Dade County.