For Immediate Release

August 25, 2025

Contact: Douglas Robinson

[email protected] [email protected]

(202) 288-2139

New Orleans Economy Gets $4.2 Million Boost From More than 1,500 Community Development Professionals in Town for NeighborWorks® America's Training Institute 

New Orleans — More than 1,500 affordable housing and community development nonprofit leaders arrived in New Orleans this week to attend the NeighborWorks® Training Institute (NTI) August 25-29, injecting more than $4.2 million into the local economy. The attendees from nonprofit, government and business organizations from across America are in the Crescent City to learn how to deploy the latest techniques and strategies to build affordable housing, strengthen community ties among neighbors and enhance individual and family financial resilience. Homeownership promotion, rental housing development and financial capability training are among the popular courses as these local professionals seek the tools to help their neighbors and customers navigate elevated mortgage rates, home prices, insurance and rents. 

“The NeighborWorks Training Institute is a mobile university. It offers intensive learning opportunities for leaders from nonprofit, financial services and government organizations who are committed to building residents’ financial capability and sustaining affordable housing as foundations for strong community economic development,” said NeighborWorks America President & CEO Marietta Rodriguez. 

The Aug. 27 full-day symposium, “Building Coalitions for Generational Wealth” is led by the NeighborWorks Solutions Lab and made possible in part by JPMorganChase. Specifically, the symposium will explore approaches to address property inheritance challenges, often described as "tangled titles." By the end of this fast-paced day, attendees will leave with a strong sense of what works to preserve and support cross-generational wealth, and what nonprofit organizations and committed partners could do to make a real difference in addressing property inheritance issues. 

And at a place and time that marks the 20th anniversary of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the Symposium will underscore how estate planning is also a critical disaster preparedness strategy. When most of a household’s wealth is tied up in their home, it’s important to plan in advance for recovery and maintaining financial security in case that property is damaged or destroyed. 

Throughout the weeklong NTI, attendees will examine a future filled with new challenges and opportunities, including how to improve resident engagement and increase awareness of down payment assistance programs and other first-time homebuyer initiatives available from local nonprofit organizations. A May 2025 survey by NeighborWorks America found that nearly one-third of adults feel homeownership is unattainable. Housing counselors who receive training at the NTI and other NeighborWorks-sponsored events are the best equipped professionals to help consumers understand how to prepare themselves to achieve homeownership. 

The NeighborWorks Training Institute in New Orleans is supported by a variety of partners, including JPMorganChase, Clayton Homes, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Housing Counseling, Ameriprise Financial and The Kresge Foundation.

In addition to the training institute, NeighborWorks network organizations work every day to serve the Gulf Coast region:

Community Action Partnership of North Alabama, Inc.

Community Service Programs of West Alabama, Inc

Neighborhood Housing Services of Birmingham, Inc 

Gulf Coast Housing Partnership, Inc

Mid City Redevelopment Alliance

Providence Community Housing

Hope Enterprise Corporation

Renaissance Community Loan Fund

In fiscal year 2024, NeighborWorks network organizations in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi generated nearly $352 million in total direct investment and provided 10,587 housing and counseling services to the region’s families. 

For more information about NeighborWorks America, visit about us.

About NeighborWorks America

For more than 45 years, Neighborhood Reinvestment Corp., a national, nonpartisan nonprofit known as NeighborWorks America, has strived to make every community a place of opportunity. Our network of excellence includes nearly 250 nonprofits in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and on Native lands. NeighborWorks offers grant funding, peer exchange, technical assistance, evaluation tools and access to best-in-class training as the nation's leading trainer of housing and community development professionals. NeighborWorks network organizations provide residents in their communities with affordable homes, owned and rented; financial counseling and coaching; community building through resident engagement; and collaboration in the areas of health, employment and education.