NeighborWorks Great Falls

NeighborWorks Great Falls is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to housing and neighborhood revitalization. Created in 1980 as Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc., of Great Falls, it is now doing business as NeighborWorks Great Falls (NWGF). For 33 years, NWGF has been revitalizing declining neighborhoods and providing affordable housing to low and moderate income families.  It is now preparing to launch a rental line of business, as well. In the early years, NWGF primarily provided home improvement loans, worked to improve public infrastructure, and developed neighborhood leadership.  NWGF created a commercial area revitalization task force that is now the Business Improvement District.  NWGF encouraged the city to develop neighborhood councils for better public participation. In the late 1980’s, NWGF started making down payment loans to first time homebuyers and began a program of new construction and purchase/rehabilitation. Over the past 33 years, property tax revenues have increased, $146 million in public and private investments have been made in NWGF neighborhoods, vacancy rates have dropped from 16% to 2%; 302 new homes have been built, including 31 high school houses and 76 Mutual Self-Help homes; 103 existing homes have been rehabbed, 476 dilapidated buildings have been removed; hundreds of owner-occupied homes have been improved; neighborhood clean-up and crime watch programs have been organized; 99% of the lots are free of trash; and more than 1,850 families have become homeowners.  More than $35 million in Lender Pool Loans has been expended.  NWGF renovated 15 homes under the Neighborhood Stabilization Program and has enrolled 74 families in shared saving accounts, with 56 successful IDA participants purchasing homes.