NeighborWorks America Selects New Green Organization Designees

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwired - October 13, 2015) - Twenty nonprofit community development organizations were recognized today for their excellence in sustainable business and housing practices by NeighborWorks America. To date, 81 network members -- or nearly one-third of all organizations in the network -- have earned the NeighborWorks Green Organization designation.

This is the fourth year of the NeighborWorks Green Organization program, which recognizes community development nonprofits in its network of more than 240 organizations that achieve a comprehensive commitment to sustainable operations -- both in their lines of business and the corporate operations they run. The practice reinforces that when sustainable practices are comprehensively applied, people are healthier, housing is more affordable, employees have a better work environment, communities are more resilient, and organizations are more prepared for the future.

"Businesses, residents and communities all benefit from living and operating under green practices," said Paul Weech, chief executive officer of NeighborWorks America. "The organizations that qualify for this designation from NeighborWorks America demonstrate that green business practices make economic sense and improve people's health and 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:

• Affordable Housing Education and Development (Littleton, NH)
• Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise(Chattanooga, TN)
• Downstreet Housing and Community Development (Barre, VT)
• Eastern Eight Community Development Corp. (Johnson City, TN)
• GROW South Dakota (Sisseton, SD)
• Habitat for Humanity of Michigan (Lansing, MI)
• HAP (Springfield, MA)
• Laconia Area Community Land Trust (Laconia, NH)
• Madison Park Development Corp. (Roxbury, MA)
• Mountain Housing Opportunities (Asheville, NC)
• NeighborWorks Boise (Boise, ID)
• NeighborWorks Green Bay (Green Bay, WI)
• NeighborWorks Montana (Great Falls, MT)
• North Country Housing Council (Canton, NY)
• Nuestra Comunidad Development Corp. (Roxbury, MA)
• Penquis Community Action Program (Bangor, ME)
• Rocky Mountain Communities (Denver, CO)
• Puerto Rico Neighborhood Housing Services (Santurce, Puerto Rico)
• Southern Mutual Help Association (New Iberia, LA)
• Willamette Neighborhood Housing Services (Corvallis, OR)

The 81 NeighborWorks Green Organizations together own more than 59,019 affordable apartments and have built or rehabilitated more than 3,164 green rental and for-sale homes in the past two years. Through the organizations' participation in this program, 5,515 employees are experiencing a healthier, greener working environment. Last year, they educated more than 14,885 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.

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.