NeighborWorks America and Manna Celebrate 25 Years of Homebuyers Clubs

This year marks the 25^th anniversary of Manna’s Homebuyers Club (HBC) program.  The HBC is a peer support group and homeownership counseling program created in 1986 to prepare low to moderate income homebuyers for homeownership. Manna was the first organization in the country to create such a program. NeighborWorks America, of which Manna is a chartered member, replicated this homebuyers club program in hundreds of its member organizations nationally.
 

From left to right: Donna Morris, Tia Norde, 
the Honorable Christiane Gigi Hyland, Rev. Jim Dickerson, 
Deborah Boatwright, Willamena Samuels,
 and Valerie Robinson.
Photo Credit: Ron White Photography

On Thursday, February 23^rd, 2012 NeighborWorks America and Manna celebrated the 25^th anniversary of homebuyers clubs at the National Press Club. Speakers included Eileen Fitzgerald, CEO of NeighborWorks America, the Honorable Christiane Gigi Hyland, National Credit Union Administration Board Member, and Deborah Boatwright, Regional Director of NeighborWorks America Northeast Region, who moderated the event. Rev. Jim Dickerson, Founder of Manna, also spoke about how Manna’s HBC has helped hundreds of low to moderate income individuals become homeowners in the District. He introduced three Manna HBC graduates: Donna Morris, Tia Norde, and Valerie Robinson. The women shared their Homebuyers Club experiences and how being a homeowner has positively affected their lives.

Left to right: Willamena Samuels,
Rev. Jim Dickerson of Manna,
and DC Councilmember Kwame Brown

The Washington DC City Council also joined in the HBC 25^th Anniversary celebrations. On Thursday evening, Councilmember Kwame Brown presented Rev. Jim Dickerson with a proclamation recognizing the impact of Manna’s HBC on homeownership in Washington DC. Councilmembers Kwame Brown and Michael A. Brown both gave remarks about the need affordable housing in the city and for programs such as Manna’s HBC.

Click here for complete profiles on Donna Morris, Tia Norde, Valerie Robinson, and several other HBC graduates.

Want to give your input about why you think homebuyers clubs are important?  Follow Manna on Twitter and use the hashtag #HBC25! Click here to follow Manna on Twitter.

Visit Manna’s Facebook page to view photos and video of the HBC 25th Anniversary celebrations.

Manna's OWN NOW Campaign

OWN NOW is the new Manna campaign to promote affordable homeownership opportunities and resources across Washington DC. The goal of the OWN NOW campaign is to inform DC residents that now is the best time to buy a home in 30 years; opportunities exist for people making as low as $13 an hour, interest rates are extremely low, and they can own for cheaper than rent!

OWN NOW has developed into a major outreach campaign with the help of Manna staff, homeowners and volunteers who are passing out flyers to individuals at metro stops and other public spaces to get the word out. In addition, the OWN NOW campaign staff have made presentations about affordable homeownership to the staff of various organizations and groups across the DC (schools, nonprofits, police, real estate agents, etc.) Since its inception, Manna's OWN NOW campaign has outreached to over 700 individuals and organizations. 

A key message of the campaign is that homeownership is attainable and manageable for prepared low and moderate income people. In the past 30 years, Manna has only a 2% foreclosure rate amongst its buyers, with no foreclosures for those who purchased in the last eight years during height of the housing crisis. This is a result of homebuyers education, low down payments, and fixed rate loans.

You can get involved too! Contact Sarah Scruggs, Head Organizer, at sscruggs@mannadc.org if you are interested in passing out flyers, or scheduling a presentation for your organization.

Manna Welcomes Michael Tierney to Board of Directors

As the New Year began, Manna said goodbye to board member and Manna homeowner, Sherry Persaud, and welcomed Michael Tierney. Michael retired in September 2011 as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Office of Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). Currently, he serves on the board of Hope and a Home, Inc., Center for Community Progress, and LISC New Markets Support Corporation.

Click here to view the complete profiles of Manna’s Board of Directors.

Mark Your Calendars for the 2012 Manna 5K Fun Run!

The 14^th Annual Manna 5K Fun Run/Walk will take place on April 21, 2012. This year, we will be holding the Fun Run in a new location: Anacostia Park! Metro and Parking directions are available on the Fun Run website!

We are also introducing the Manna Team Challenge this year! Teams with a minimum of 5 members can compete for prizes and the registration fee will be discounted to $25 for team members. For more information on the Manna Team Challenge, click here.

Click here to register and for more information on the Manna 5K Fun Run/Walk!

Meet you at the finish line!!

The Cardozo Court Sells Out

In June 2011, Manna celebrated the grand opening of the Cardozo Court Condominium, and within less than a year, all 15 units have gone to settlement. The Cardozo Court, a new 15 unit condominium Manna project, was built in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of DC.  Since the recent retail development in Columbia Heights, the prices for homes in this neighborhood has increased significantly, making it hard for lower income homebuyers to purchase in this community. Manna’s development of Cardozo Court presented low to moderate income families an affordable homeownership option in an increasingly expensive DC neighborhood.  

Visit Manna's Facebook albums to view Cardozo Court as it evolved from the ground up!