Orlando Homeownership to Get $6.3 Million Boost

NeighborhoodLIFT program will offer homebuyer education plus $15,000 down payment assistance grants available for eligible homebuyers in Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties; special parameters for veterans, military, teachers and first responders.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Nov. 14, 2018 – Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC), NeighborWorks® America, Orlando Neighborhood Improvement Corporation (ONIC), and Neighborhood Housing Services of South Florida (NHSSF) today announced the NeighborhoodLIFT^® program will launch for  Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties with a $6.3 million commitment by Wells Fargo to boost local homeownership.

“The City of Orlando is committed to ensuring that our residents have access to safe, high-quality housing they can afford, and a key piece of this is to develop new policies and partnerships that remove barriers for residents who would like to pursue the American dream of homeownership,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “That is why we are pleased to welcome Wells Fargo’s NeighborhoodLIFT program to Orlando. Through NeighborhoodLIFT, residents may qualify for down payment assistance grants and educational and counseling services that can help them achieve the goal of owning a home.”

The 2018 Orlando NeighborhoodLIFT program follows the 2012 program that created 205 homeowners in the greater Orlando area. Overall, Wells Fargo has conducted 65 LIFT program events in the U.S. since 2012 that have created nearly 19,000 homeowners.

Registration opens today for free event in Orlando Nov. 30–Dec. 1

Interested homebuyers may register beginning today, at www.wellsfargo.com/lift to attend the free event on Friday, Nov. 30, from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. and on Saturday, Dec. 1, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hilton SeaWorld, located at 10100 International Dr., Orlando. Walk-ins also are welcome while grants are available for reservation. 

To learn more about the eligibility requirements, visit www.wellsfargo.com/lift or call 866-858-2151. Participating homebuyers can obtain mortgage financing from any participating lender, and  ONIC and NHSSF will administer the grants, determine eligibility, and provide homebuyer and financial education. Approved homebuyers will have up to 60 days to finalize a contract to purchase a home in Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties.

“The NeighborhoodLIFT program is another example of our commitment to Central Florida and our efforts to build better communities through sustainable homeownership,” said Derek Jones, Wells Fargo North Central Florida region bank president. “The program will help hardworking families and individuals get on the path to achieve successful and sustainable homeownership.”

To be eligible, annual incomes must not exceed 80 percent of the local area median income in the county where the home is being purchased to reserve $15,000 down payment assistance grants. In addition, there are special parameters for veterans and service members, teachers, law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians who may reserve $17,500 down payment assistance grants within eligibility requirements including earning up to 100 percent of the area median income.

In addition, Wells Fargo has committed $225,000 for up to 450 consumers to receive complimentary face-to-face homeownership counseling. Interested homebuyers can receive a voucher at the Orlando NeighborhoodLIFT launch event that will provide in-person homeownership counseling at no charge with a participating HUD-approved housing counselor in the Orlando area. The complimentary Home Ownership Counseling grant program is an additional resource tos the homebuyer education required for a NeighborhoodLIFT down payment assistance grant.

“This innovative public-private collaboration will create about 325 more homeowners in the greater Orlando area,” said Donald Phoenix, regional vice president, Southern region, NeighborWorks America. “The required homebuyer education classes provided by certified professionals better prepare NeighborhoodLIFT homebuyers to achieve their goal of sustainable homeownership.”

Approved homebuyers must be approved for home financing with an eligible lender and be in contract to purchase a home in Lake, Orange, Osceola or Seminole County. To reserve the full grant amount, participants buying a primary residence with the NeighborhoodLIFT program must commit to live in the home for five years.

“The NeighborhoodLIFT program will provide homebuyer education and down payment assistance to help families become homeowners,” said Robert Ansley, president of ONIC. “We are excited to team up with Wells Fargo and NeighborWorks America to make this opportunity available for so many deserving families.”

Since February 2012, LIFT programs have helped create nearly 19,000 homeowners in 65 communities. A video about the NeighborhoodLIFT program is posted on Wells Fargo Stories.

About ONIC, NHSSF and NeighborWorks America

Orlando Neighborhood Improvement Corporation (ONIC) has been developing affordable housing in Central Florida since 1989. Neighborhood Housing Services of South Florida has worked to strengthen communities and create affordable housing for over 30 years. Both organizations are chartered members of NeighborWorks America, a national organization that creates opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve their lives and strengthen their communities. NeighborWorks America supports a network of more than 245 nonprofits, located in every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Visit http://orlandoneighborhood.org/, https://nhssf.org/, or http://www.neighborworks.org/ to learn more.

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.9 trillion in assets. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through 7,950 locations, 13,000 ATMs, the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking, and has offices in 37 countries and territories to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 262,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 26 on Fortune’s 2018 rankings of America’s largest corporations. News, insights and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories.

Media Contacts:

Gabriela Lambertus, 305-619-8898
Gabriela.Lambertus@wellsfargo.com

@GabyLambertusWF

WSVN 7 News, Miami News, Weather, Sports
Ft. Lauderdale
May 26, 2018

Cross-country cyclists join Fort Lauderdale home build

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) – Cyclists riding north from the Florida Keys stopped in Fort Lauderdale for a volunteer build day, Saturday.

The 18 bicyclists with Bike and Build made a stop on their ride up the East Coast to team up with Neighborhood Housing Services of South Florida. Together, the volunteers worked on clearing land in a lot where three brand-new homes will be built.

Kimberly Henderson, president and CEO of Neighborhood Housing Services of South Florida, said these volunteers are also building hope for families in need.

“We’re absolutely dedicated to taking this crisis head on and helping to increase the inventory of available for-purchase housing for people and families of modest means in the area,” she said.

The Bike and Build cyclists’ ride began last Sunday in Key West. It is scheduled to end in two months in Maine.

The riders’ journey will include stops in 15 different cities, where they will advocate for the need for affordable homes for all Americans.

Neighborhood Housing Services of South Florida is focused on relieving the housing affordability crisis in South Florida.

Miami, FL (January 24, 2018) – Miami – Kimberly T. Henderson has been hired as the new President and CEO of Neighborhood Housing Services of South Florida (NHSSF). Effective January 2018, she succeeds Arden Shank who has led the organization for 16 years. She brings an exciting vision, commitment to mission, experience and dedication to forge a sustainable and impactful path forward.

“We are impressed with Kimberly’s proven success in developing strategies to collaborate with government, nonprofits, and the business sector to provide affordable housing and counseling, to stabilize communities, and to improve economic inclusion for all”, said Daryl Jones, board member and chair of the CEO search committee.

Henderson comes to Miami from Washington, DC where she worked in the Mayor’s Services Liaison Office, an independent office of the District of Columbia Child and Family Services Administration (CFSA) since 2013. She has more than 15 years of management experience in affordable housing, real estate, and lending at the federal, state, and local levels. In addition, Kimberly’s accomplishments at the Greater Washington Urban League include turning around D.C.’s Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP), a program that provides approximately $20 million in down payment assistance annually. She was also instrumental in securing D.C’s Single Point of Payment Program, which provide rental subsidies for individuals living with HIV/AIDS and the Maryland Tenant Based Rental Assistance program. Kimberly’s work and accomplishments speak to her ability to build capacity within an organization and to create and implement a strategic vision. She has a BA degree from Grinnell College and a Master of Public Affairs degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas.

“We thank Arden Shank for his leadership and service over the years to address South Florida’s affordable housing’s peaks and valleys,” said NHSSF’s board chair Patricia Algaze. “Kimberly Henderson combines the community commitment and entrepreneurial skill to lead us forward. She brings new and innovative perspective to meet South Florida’s affordable housing challenges. We look forward to working with her.”