In 2012, NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources partnered with Wells Fargo and utilized the Wells Fargo’s, REO program to create an affordable home for the Rapid City family. Wells Fargo’s REO Program facilitates the transfer of properties owned by Wells Fargo and investors to nonprofit housing intermediaries, like NWDHR, that have a history of providing sustainable, affordable homeownership.

Wells Fargo Business Banking Vice President, John Sendan stated, “We’re thrilled to continue our work with NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources to help stabilize and rebuild Black Hills neighborhoods, especially on a project that’s consistent with our commitment to environmental stewardship. By donating this property, we’re providing more than just safe and affordable housing—we’re providing hope for people in need.”

That is exactly what this partnership created; hope for a family that was in need of a home. NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources demolished the existing structure and built a new four bedroom, two-bathroom quality home for first time homeowner Jerilyn Chasing Hawk, and her four children.

Existing Structure on Lot Donated From Wells Fargo.

Jerilyn had diligently been working with Teton Coalition for over three years when this opportunity became available. She had completed homebuyer’s education, improved her credit score, and was ready to purchase a home but had not taken the leap to purchase a home. “ I wanted to become a homeowner, but I was scared to take the leap, but thanks to each organization, I knew I was ready to be a homeowner,” Jerilyn stated.

Jerilyn had been looking for a home on the north side of town but was unable to find a home within in her budget that did not need a surplus of repairs. In November of 2012, Jerilyn was referred to NeighborWorks Dakota to help find her a home that would fit her family’s needs and budget.

Jerilyn began working with NeighborWorks® to find financing and design the layout of her future home. “I really enjoyed having the opportunity to design my home, this home is truly ours. Everyone was so helpful, and really kept me motivated.” Stated Jerilyn.

Each partner played a vital roll in creating an affordable homeownership opportunity for the Chasing Hawk Family. Not only will this home provide better opportunities for the family, it will greatly improve the neighborhood and its surroundings. 716 Willsie Ave. was a foreclosed property that was beyond repair, the home was a potential danger zone, and will now be a beautiful home in the Neighborhood.

Newly Built Home For Chasing Hawk Family

NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources would like to thank all of the partners; Teton Coalition, First Interstate Bank, Rapid City Community Block Development Grant, and Dakota Land Trust. Their support and partnerships is truly improving our community. The dream of homeownership is a long-term goal, but with great partnerships and hard work, families can achieve their goal of homeownership.

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

This year marked the 30th Anniversary of the event sponsored by NeighborWorks America. During National NeighborWorks Week, organizations across the country mobilize tens of thousands of business people, residents and government officials in a week of neighborhood change and awareness.
Leo Kline is one of the recipients of the 2013 Paint the Town event. Thanks to volunteers from the Boxelder Job Corp his home will receive a fresh coat of paint.

“I am so thankful for the volunteers and this program, it means so much to me, I just can’t believe that they are doing all of this for me!” stated Leo.

“Community improvement activities are a vital piece of neighborhood revitalization,” said Stephany Valkenburg, Marketing Director of NeighborWorks Dakota Home Resources. “The volunteers are making their neighbor’s homes look better, and in doing so you’re making the whole community look better. For most of these families, there’s no other way this is going to happen, and they just appreciate it so much.”

NeighborWorks® ‘Paint the Town “is sponsored by NeighborWorks® America, South Dakota Housing Authority. Additional sponsors and volunteers for the 19th Annual Paint the Town Event include: Rapid City Police Department, First National Bank, Boxelder Job Corp, 1st Christian Church and Softball Team, Rapid City Optimist Club, College Park Block Club, Box Elder Police Department, City of Box Elder, Sentinel

Federal Credit Union, and Ellsworth Air force Base.
In addition to Paint the Town, the Lead-Deadwood area, volunteers celebrated their sixth Annual Community Plant Swap on June 8th, 2013, The plant swap was held giving both new and experienced gardeners the opportunity to share and swap plants and ideas. Smiling faces gathered at the pizza lab as attendees traded plants. Each event has provided opportunities for communities to get our and about and meet their neighbors.

NeighborWorks Dakota Home Resources would like to thank all the volunteers that have made 2013 a successful NeighborWorks week. To celebrate this accomplishment NeighborWorks Dakota Home Resources and the College Park Block club will host a community picnic on Saturday June 15th located at the College Park Community Garden. Press and public are invited and encouraged to attend.

NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources is a private nonprofit organization that has been assisting in providing decent, safe and affordable housing and revitalizing neighborhoods for twenty years. NeighborWorks® has helped more than 950 families realize their dream of homeownership. NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources provides decent, safe and affordable housing and revitalize neighborhoods throughout the Western South Dakota communities. For more information on NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources or NeighborWorks® Week, contact Stephany at 605-578-1401 or visit us on the web at www.NeighborWorks®dhr.org

NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources has organized a two weeks full of community events for NeighborWorks® Week 2013. This year NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources will celebrate their 18th Annual Paint the Town. NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources and volunteers will be painting five homes in the three communities. Homes are located in Rapid City, Box Elder, and Edgemont. NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources has organized volunteers from local organizations throughout Western South Dakota to provide a fresh coat of paint for homes that were in need. Painting will take place throughout the week of June 1st and run through June 16th. Paint the Town is sponsored by South Dakota Housing Development Authority “Paint South Dakota”, NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources, and NeighborWorks® America.

Tuesday, June 4th, NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources will celebrate their 11th Annual Trolley on The Trail Event. The combined effort consists of the use of the trail from the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, use of a Trolley from the City of Deadwood and reservations taken by NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources. The Trolley on the Trail is a combined endeavor to give disabled or handicapped people access to the Mickelson Trail. Additional Trolley on the Trail dates take place on July 2nd, and September 3rd . Thanks to sponsorships with local businesses, this ride is provided free of charge.

Saturday, June 8th, NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources and the Central City Neighborhood Council will host the 5th annual “Community Plant Exchange” at the Pizza Lab in Central City. Attendees will have the opportunity to exchange extra plant items with their neighbors. New and experienced gardeners are welcomed and encouraged to join in on this great community event. Attendees are not required to bring exchange items to participate. The Plant Exchange will also be hosting a Food Drive for the Lord’s Cupboard in Lead.

NeighborWorks® Week activities will continue throughout the month of June. NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources, along with many other local organizations are sponsoring the 3rd Annual Open Summer Market “Lead Live”. Lead Live will take place the 2nd Tuesday’s of the Summer Months from 5:30pm-8:30pm. June 11th will be the kick off of this great community event.
On Saturday, June 15th, the annual Treasures, Trash & Cash tri-city rummage sale will be held the morning. Locations will be published in the Black Hills Pioneer the week prior to the event.

Each NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources event engages residents to be participating in community events and provides residents the chance to volunteer and beautify our community.

About NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources: NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources is a private nonprofit organization that has been assisting in providing decent, safe and affordable housing and revitalizing neighborhoods for twenty years. NeighborWorks® has helped more than 950 families realize their dream of homeownership. NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources provides decent, safe and affordable housing and revitalize neighborhoods throughout the Western South Dakota communities. For more information on NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources or NeighborWorks® Week, contact Stephany at 605-578-1401 or visit us on the web at www.NeighborWorks®dhr.org

Trolley on the Trail provides disabled or handicapped people the opportunity to access the Mickelson Trail. The Mickelson trail is located in the heart of the beautiful Black Hills. The trail is 109 miles long and contains more than 100 converted railroad bridges and 4 rock tunnels. Each year thousands of individuals travel on the trail by foot, horseback, bike, and cross country skiing. Four times a year the trail is opened up to the Deadwood Trolley.
Trolley on the Trail allows many residents to enjoy the beauty of the Mickelson Trail from Englewood to Rochford, SD. Many of the riders would not be able to enjoy the scenic trail without this service. The combined effort consists of the use of the trail from the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, use of a Trolley from the City of Deadwood, reservations taken by NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources and refreshments provided by the Deadwood Chamber of Commerce. NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources begins taking reservations for all four events in May.

This year attendees will have the opportunity to participate on the Trolley on the Trail: June 4th, July 2nd, and September 3rd. Please contact NeighborWorks to reserve your spot.

NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources is a private nonprofit organization that has been assisting in providing decent, safe and affordable housing and revitalizing neighborhoods for twenty years. NeighborWorks® has helped more than 900 families realize their dream of homeownership. If you would like more information about Trolley on the Trail or other programs please contact Stephany at 605-578-1401

On April 11th, NeighborWorks Dakota Home Resources and residents of the College Park Block Club received support from the City of Rapid City to create a pocket park on the corner of Monroe and Lemmon Ave. This open space was once a park many years ago, but over the years the park equipment was removed and the space vacant. With the increase of children in the neighborhood, it became apparent to the residents they needed to create something to entertain and keep the children safe. This park will just be another tool to help grow the community within in the neighborhood.

The next step is to generate the funding necessary to move forward with this project. ” We will begin working with the city architects to design a park that will be safe and up to standards,” stated NeighborWorks Marketing Director, Stephany Valkenburg.

People value the time they spend in city parks, whether walking a dog, playing basketball, or having a picnic. Along with these expected leisure amenities, parks can also provide measurable health benefits, from providing direct contact with nature and a cleaner environment, to opportunities for physical activity and social interaction. NeighborWorks Dakota Home Resources and the College Park Block Club would like to thank everyone who is sharing their support for this project. The outcome and benefits of the park will have great affects on the entire College Park neighborhood and surrounding areas.

If you would like more information on the Willow Park project please contact Stephany at 605-923-6007.

With Governor Dennis Daugaard’s signature making SB 235 law, housing and homeless advocates across the state are celebrating the creation of the South Dakota Housing Opportunity Fund, which will be used to preserve and expand sustainable, affordable and safe housing in communities throughout the state

“We will be able to develop the housing our communities’ need, while also generating jobs and local economic activity. South Dakota neighborhoods thrive when there is a wide variety of affordable housing available” reflects Patty Bacon, Habitat for Humanity – SD.

The SD Housing Opportunity Fund (SDHOF) is part of a five-pronged economic development initiative passed by the legislature that will receive funding through the Building South Dakota Fund. The Housing Opportunity Fund will provide financing for the construction or rehabilitation of rental or homeowner housing, the preservation of existing affordable homes, home repair to increase accessibility and efficiency, homelessness prevention activities, as well as investing in community land trusts. The Housing Opportunity Fund will receive 25% of Building South Dakota Fund resources, and will be administered by the South Dakota Housing Finance Authority.

“We send our heart-felt thanks to Senator Corey Brown, and the leadership in both the Senate and House. This is a real win-win for South Dakotans,” said Lori Moen, Grow South Dakota.

South Dakota becomes the 47th state with at least one statewide trust fund. Nationally Housing Trust funds have provided thousands of affordable homes to more than a million people. Housing Trust fund investments have created jobs which have generated millions of dollars in local economies.

“The Housing Opportunity Fund is going to benefit South Dakotans who most urgently need affordable housing: working families, senior citizens, and people with disabilities,” said Shireen Ranschau, SF Housing & Redevelopment Commission.

“Hardworking people should be able to afford housing and still have enough money for groceries and other basic necessities. Unfortunately, we know many communities do not have housing that is affordable to the local workforce. The Housing Opportunity Fund will target housing for working people,” added Joy McCracken, NeighborWorks.

The  donation proceeds from Larry will “Sponsor a House” for the upcoming 2013 Group Workcamps. In addition to the check presentation, Larry challenged each member of the board to also donate funds to help sponsor a home.   Board Member Dean Sigman presented his donation immediately.

These donations will support the community outreach program which is coordinated by Group Cares (formerly Group Workcamps.)  Group Cares is a non-profit, interdenominational Christian volunteer home-repair organization headquartered in Loveland, Colorado.  For the seventh time, NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources, along with Sturgis Brown High school, Meade County and the City of Sturgis will sponsor the Workcamps the week of July 7th in the Northern Black Hills.

This year, over 400 youth and adults from around the nation will visit the Black Hills and perform work on over 70 homes. At each Workcamp, teenagers and adults – all members of church youth groups – volunteer a week of their time to repair homes throughout the community.  “This represents about 12,000 hours of volunteer labor, worth over $120,000, to the community,” said Sharon Martinisko, Community Outreach and Education Coordinator for NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources.

NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources would like to thank their board and staff for their generous donations. Currently, NeighborWorks staff and board has donated enough funds to sponsor three homes.

NeighborWorks Dakota Home Resources needs your help to reach their goal of $20,000! We are asking you to “sponsor a house” by donating $370.00 which will be used to purchase building materials locally for use on a home of a family selected to receive Workcamp assistance.

Your name/business will be identified on signage placed at the home. Please send donations to NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources, attention Workcamps. If you have questions, or would like NeighborWorks® to present to your organization, please contact Sharon at 605-578-1401

NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources and the City of Lead have partnered once again to offer a space for community members to gather and grow their own food.  Residents are encouraged to submit their application as soon as possible due to limited garden boxes.

The fee is $15.00 (per box) to NeighborWorks® DHR.  This cost is  to help cover general operating expenses. For more information on the Mile High Community Garden contact Sharon at 605-578-1401.

MILE HIGH COMMUNITY GARDEN APPLICATION /  Mile High Community Garden Agreement (2)

As it expands, Home Matters will go beyond housing and illuminate the connections between stable housing and other important facets of American life such as:

• Individual Success: Home recharges adults and children alike for the day ahead.
• Education: Children in stable homes learn and achieve more in school.
• Health: Healthy habits take root more easily in stable affordable homes.
• Public Safety: Stable homes make communities safer.
• A Strong Economy: Homes that are affordable are crucial to a vibrant job-generating economy.

Families, Neighborhoods and Government Could Save Millions of Dollars

(Deadwood, SD) – A recent study announced the results of new research on the effectiveness of NeighborWorks® pre-purchase housing counseling and education that shows that homebuyers who received such advice were one-third less likely to fall behind on their mortgages 90 days or more, two years after taking out the loan, compared to homebuyers who didn’t receive similar counseling and education. The research was done for NeighborWorks® America, a national nonprofit affiliated with NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources, by Neil Mayer and Associates and Experian, and is based on approximately 75,000 mortgage loans originated in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

The research findings have important implications for the entire housing counseling and education industry. NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources offers pre-purchase housing counseling and education provided by certified professionals. Homebuyer education is effective at helping to create homeowners who are less likely to default on their mortgage.

The research could also become an important tool for lenders throughout Western South Dakota, because homebuyers who receive NeighborWorks® pre-purchase housing counseling and education are less likely to be three months or more late on their mortgage, the likelihood of foreclosure or other default related costs are reduced, helping a lender’s or servicer’s bottom line.

The NeighborWorks® America research shows how a small investment up front that finances the availability of pre-purchase housing counseling and education can help homeowners avoid financial losses by potentially staving off serious delinquency that has a good chance of extending into foreclosure, help prevent disruption of family life, and help keep communities stable that might be hurt by home foreclosure.

Estimates vary, but total losses due to foreclosure borne by local governments, servicers and households can exceed $50,000 per foreclosure, according to a report from the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress.

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association National Delinquency Survey for the fourth quarter of 2012, the percentage of residential mortgage loans 90 days or more past due across the country was 6.78 percent, and 3.74 percent of homeowners nationwide were in foreclosure. By providing NeighborWorks pre-purchase housing counseling and education to more consumers; it’s likely that tens of thousands of the more than 1.5 million homeowners who received a default notice in 2012 may have been able to avoid entering foreclosure.

Interestingly, the NeighborWorks America research shows that even repeat homebuyers benefit from receiving NeighborWorks pre-purchase housing counseling and education. According to the report, repeat homebuyers who received the services also are about one-third less likely to fall 90 days or more behind in their mortgages than repeat homebuyers who didn’t receive NeighborWorks pre-purchase housing counseling and education.

“More analysis of the data is required to determine the factors for the repeat homebuyer results,” said NeighborWorks America CEO Eileen Fitzgerald. “But one thing is clear from the data: housing counseling is effective, even if you’ve been a homeowner before.”

NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources is a private non-profit organization that has been assisting in providing decent, safe and affordable housing and revitalizing neighborhoods for twenty years. NeighborWorks® helps families and individuals Buy, Fix, and Keep their homes. For more information on NeighborWorks programs contact Stephany at 605-578-1401.