Community-development conference coming to Los Angeles will attract 2,000+ professionals, $10 million in economic impact

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A $10 million boost is coming to the Los Angeles economy when more than 2,000 community development professionals from around the country convene in the city for the NeighborWorks Training Institute (NTI) Feb. 24-28. The conference is hosted by NeighborWorks America, a national, Congressionally chartered nonprofit that creates opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve their lives and strengthen their communities.

This is the third time that NeighborWorks America has brought its NTI to Los Angeles during the past four years. Los Angeles is a proven incubator of successful community development ideas, leading the way in expanding homeownership by providing down payment assistance programs and joining with NeighborWorks America to protect buyers by launching the Loan Scam Alert campaign in October 2009.

More than 235 organizations -- located in every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico -- belong to the NeighborWorks network. In addition, NeighborWorks America provides training to community-development professionals from more than 3,000 organizations annually. The training institute is open to professionals working in community development, housing, real estate and related fields, both nonprofit and for-profit.

"NeighborWorks Training Institutes are transformational for professionals because they give them the knowledge and expertise to help their communities not only stabilize but thrive in these challenging economic times," said Eileen Fitzgerald, chief executive officer of NeighborWorks America. "Los Angeles has always been a hub of innovation, making it an ideal site to host some of the most committed community development professionals in the country."

"Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles County is proud to support the NeighborWorks Training Institute. We know that the work of thousands of community developers is strengthened by the training provided through the institute and look forward to showcasing the work of public and private partners who have labored together for many years to make Los Angeles a great place to live, work and play," said Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles County President and CEO Lori Gay.

Included in the many courses and workshops is a Feb. 26 symposium focusing on "Achieving Impact through Regional Collaboration." The event will explore how a growing number of affordable housing and community developers are working collaboratively with foundations, governments and other nonprofits to achieve broader impact by focusing regionally.

Among the expected speakers at the symposium are George McCarthy, director of metropolitan opportunity for the Ford Foundation; Salin Geevarghese, acting director of the Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; and Manuel Pastor, professor of sociology and American studies and ethnicity at the University of Southern California.

The NeighborWorks Training Institute in Los Angeles is supported by a variety of partners, including Wells Fargo Housing Foundation, Citi/Citi Foundation, HUD, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Capital One, Bank of America and the Ford Foundation.  

In addition to the training institute, NeighborWorks organizations work every day to serve Los Angeles and the surrounding community. In fiscal year 2012, NeighborWorks organizations in California generated nearly $609 million in total direct investment, served more than 26,000 individuals and families, and created and maintained more than 3,600 jobs. To read more about NeighborWorks organizations' impact in California and other states, view the NeighborWorks America interactive map at http://nw.org/network/stateimpactasp/interactive_map.asp.  

The NeighborWorks organizations that serve Los Angeles are Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles County, LTSC Community Development Corporation (Little Tokyo Service Center), and A Community of Friends. You can find other NeighborWorks organizations that serve California here.  

For more information about NeighborWorks America, and to register for the training institute, visit www.nw.org.

About NeighborWorks America
For 35 years, NeighborWorks America has created opportunities for people to improve their lives and strengthen their communities by providing access to homeownership and to safe and affordable rental housing. In the last five years, NeighborWorks organizations have generated more than $19.5 billion in reinvestment in these communities. NeighborWorks America is the nation's leading trainer of community-development and affordable-housing professionals.

SOURCE NeighborWorks America