NULT News

HomeAid America Obtains $1 Million Gift from Nehemiah Corporation of California

COSTA MESA, California - America’s temporarily homeless will get more of a ‘hand up’ thanks of a $1 million gift to HomeAid America. The nation’s leading provider of shelter beds for the temporarily homeless will obtain the contribution over the next four years from The Nehemiah Corporation of California - the primary provider of down payment gift assistance to low-to-moderate income homebuyers.

The financial commitment will help fund the creation of new HomeAid chapters across the country to fulfill the HomeAid mission of building and renovating shelters for the temporarily homeless, as well as increasing support capabilities at the chapter and national level. In addition to the direct dollar contribution, Nehemiah and HomeAid America will partner to develop special needs transitional housing projects through Nehemiah’s innovate program, the Nehemiah Urban Land Trust (NULT).

“At HomeAid, we are dedicated to providing safe, dignified shelters that provide the job and life skills needed for self-sufficiency, for families and individuals who find themselves temporarily homeless,” said Michael Lennon, Chief Executive Officer of HomeAid America. “We are confident that Nehemiah and the Nehemiah Urban Land Trust will be in instrumental in helping us continue to provide new hope for even more men, women and children.”

Scott Syphax, president and CEO of Nehemiah, shared the same vision. “Encouraging economic empowerment through our direct provision of homeownership continues to be Nehemiah’s primary mission,” said Syphax. “By partnering with HomeAid America and leveraging our urban land trust program to address the special housing needs of many Americans, we have the unique opportunity to strengthen the intrinsic worth of individuals while providing services and programs to rebuild neighborhoods. We are looking forward to working closely with HomeAid and its community-based chapters to achieve our common goal of building strong urban communities.”

The Nehemiah Urban Land Trust (NULT) assists special needs families and individuals by purchasing facilities that house supportive housing social service agencies. By purchasing these properties, NULT is able to preserve the long-term use and affordability for the supportive housing social service agency as well as the clients and surrounding community. By working with HomeAid’s local chapters across the country, NULT will have the opportunity to leverage investment dollars to assist more special needs clients.

About HomeAid of America

HomeAid America, Inc. was established in 1989 as a non-profit organization by the Building Industry Association of Southern California, an affiliate of the National Association of Home Builders, and now stands as the nation’s largest provider of shelter beds for the temporarily homeless. With building hope and homes for the temporarily homeless as its mission, the organization has completed 70 shelter projects nationwide with 2,000 beds and another 30 projects now in development. To date, HomeAid has raised more than $40 million in cash and in-kind contributions through the efforts of more than 7,500 companies and 35,000 volunteers. Since its inception, HomeAid has helped more than 20,000 temporarily homeless people.

About the Nehemiah Corporation of California

Founded in 1994, Nehemiah Corporation of California is a Sacramento-based non-profit organization committed to rebuilding communities from the inside out. Through its direct provision of homeownership, affordable housing and support of other faith-based and community-based organizations, Nehemiah serves as a catalyst for urban wealth creation and economic empowerment. In 1997, Nehemiah launched its flagship program, The Nehemiah Program®, to provide down payment assistance to homebuyers.

To date, Nehemiah has provided more than $421 million in down payment assistance gifts, resulting in approximately $12 billion in real estate transactions and has helped over 125,000 families and individuals achieve their dream of homeownership. In addition to the HomeAid America Partnership, Nehemiah has developed a public-private partnership with the United States Conference of Mayors that has resulted in the creation of CitiesFirst™, a program dedicated to creating affordable housing opportunities across the US. Nehemiah has also partnered with Habitat for Humanity. Committed to community reinvestment and development, the Nehemiah Corporation administers the Nehemiah Urban Ministries, Nehemiah Urban Land Trust, Nehemiah Community Reinvestment Fund, and Nehemiah Community Foundation, among other programs committed to rebuilding cities from the inside out.