Community-development conference coming to Kansas City will attract 2,100+ professionals, $1.7 million in economic impact
Kansas City, MO – April 29, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — A $1.7 million boost is coming to the Kansas City economy when more than 2,100 community-development professionals from around the country convene in the city for the NeighborWorks Training Institute (NTI) May 4-8. The week-long event 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 Kansas City. NeighborWorks America selected Kansas City for its training institute because the city has a strong track record in community development and affordable housing.
More than 240 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 offer community-development professionals the expertise to help them create vibrant communities,” said Paul Weech, chief executive officer of NeighborWorks America. “The Training Institutes also allow them to collaborate and learn from one another.”
Included in the many courses and workshops is a May 6 symposium focusing on “Planning Today, Thriving Tomorrow: Housing and Community Innovations for an Aging America.” The event will explore innovative housing options for older adults; financial programming, such as guidance on avoiding mortgage scams and retirement planning; and new options for accommodating the changing service needs of seniors, including transportation and medical care.
Among the confirmed speakers at the symposium are Chris Herbert, Harvard’s Joint Center on Housing Policy; Rodney Harrell, AARP; and Susan Hawfield, Rebuilding Together.
The NeighborWorks Training Institute in Kansas City 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 Kansas City and the surrounding community. In fiscal year 2014, NeighborWorks organizations in Missouri generated more than $44 million in total direct investment, served more than 5,500 individuals and families, and created and maintained nearly 600 jobs. To read more about NeighborWorks organizations’ impact in Missouri and other states, view the NeighborWorks America interactive map.
The NeighborWorks organizations that serve Kansas City are Neighborhood Housing Services of Kansas City, Westside Housing Organization, and Community Housing of Wyandotte County. For more information about NeighborWorks America, visit neighborworks.org.
About NeighborWorks America
For more than 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 $24.5 billion in reinvestment in these communities. NeighborWorks America is the nation’s leading trainer of community development and affordable housing professionals.
Contact:
Lindsay Moore
202-760-4059
@neighborworkspr
