NeighborWorks America Selects New Green-Designated Organizations

Green-designated organization NeighborWorks Toledo building the Cherry Legacy homes development.

Fifteen nonprofit community development organizations were recognized this week for their excellence in sustainable business and housing practices that are designed to save people money by NeighborWorks America. To date, 95 network members have earned the NeighborWorks Green Organization designation.

This is the fifth year of the NeighborWorks Green Organization program, which recognizes community development nonprofits in its network of more than 240 organizations that demonstrate a comprehensive commitment to sustainable operations – both in their lines of business and the corporate operations they run.

“Operating under green practices provides a triple win – residents, businesses and organizations all win,” said Paul Weech, chief executive officer of NeighborWorks America. “The organizations that earn this designation from NeighborWorks America show that green business practices not only support a nonprofit’s bottom line and further its mission, but also protect people’s pocketbooks and their well-being.”

NeighborWorks America, which creates opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve their lives and strengthen their communities, supports a network of more than 240 nonprofits, located in every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

The new NeighborWorks Green Organizations are: A Community of Friends (Los Angeles, California), Avesta Housing Development Corp. (Portland, Maine), Chinatown Community Development Center (San Francisco, CA), Community Housing Development Corporation of North Richmond (Richmond, California), Community Resources and Housing Development Corp. (Westminster, Colorado), Famicos Foundation (Cleveland, Ohio), Housing Partnership for Morris County (Dover, New Jersey), Housing Partnership (Riviera Beach, Florida), Neighborhood Housing Services of Birmingham (Birmingham, Alabama), Neighborhood Housing Services of New Britain (New Britain, Connecticut), Neighborhood Housing Services of the Inland Empire (San Bernardino, California), Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (East Boston, Massachusetts), NeighborWorks Toledo Region (Toledo, Ohio), Urban Edge Housing Corp.(Roxbury, Massachusetts), and Windham & Windsor Housing Trust (Brattleboro, Vermont.)

For fiscal year 2014-2015, the 95 NeighborWorks Green Organizations together owned more than 72,000 affordable apartments and built or rehabilitated more than 3,800 green rental and for-sale homes. Through the organizations' participation in this program, more than 6,300 employees are experiencing a healthier, greener working environment. Last year, they educated more than 18,000 households seeking to purchase or owning a home on the core elements of healthy and sustainable homes.

For more information about the green designation, go to NeighborWorks.org/Green.

For more information about NeighborWorks America, go to NeighborWorks.org.