The weather report was coming in over the emergency alert system: Heavy storms. The major road, connecting Sedgwick County to the rest of New York, had flooded. What should happen next? The question came during a trial run of Arbor Housing and Development’s new disaster and continuity plan. Staff at the Corning, New York, network organization knew next steps included initiating communication through Arbor’s new alternate communications channels, which included a text messaging system and an intercom installed to reach all parts of the team’s offices. The plan came together over nine months of working with experts at Pacific Community Solutions, an opportunity made possible through NeighborWorks® America and a grant awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Community Development Initiative. There was a reason that disaster preparedness and business continuity were at the top of the NeighborWorks network organization’s wants and needs.
Over the past 18 months, NeighborWorks® America has partnered with seven rural-serving organizations through the USDA-funded Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI), building their capacity to tackle some of the most pressing housing and economic development challenges they identified in their communities. More than a grant program, the RCDI program offered tailored technical assistance and access to subject matter experts, helping these organizations secure critical funding, unlock new resources and implement innovative solutions with lasting impact. NeighborWorks America coordinated the program from start to finish: recruiting eligible organizations, assessing their needs, matching them with subject matter experts, managing the one-to-one dollar match and financial and narrative reporting to USDA, and providing individualized support to ensure each project advanced toward its locally determined goals.

NeighborWorks® America Awards Final 2025 Grants, Including $1.3 Million for Disaster Response Grants Bringing the Total Fiscal Year 2025 Relief Investment To $2.2 Million

For Immediate Release  

September 25, 2025  

Contact: Arian Tyler 

[email protected] [email protected]  

UPDATED: September 26, 2025, 1 p.m. 

 

NeighborWorks® America Awards $1.3 Million for Disaster Response Grants Bringing the Total Fiscal Year 2025 Relief Investment To $2.2 Million 

NeighborWorks® America Awards $9.5 Million in Sixth Tranche of FY 2025 Flexible Impact Grants Lifting Fiscal Year 2025 Total to $81 Million

September 12, 2025 
Contact: Arian Tyler
[email protected], [email protected]

NeighborWorks® America Awards $9.5 Million in Sixth Tranche of FY 2025 Flexible Impact Grants Lifting Fiscal Year 2025 Total to $81 Million 

Grants Deliver Essential Capital Toward Market-Based Solutions to the Nation’s Housing Supply and Affordability Crisis 

Susan M. Ifill, NeighborWorks® America’s executive vice president and chief operating officer for the last five years, retires this month, leaving behind a legacy of tackling affordable housing and community development challenges. Her career has included banking – she was at both Carver Federal Savings Bank and Bank of America. It has included nonprofit leadership – she served as CEO of Neighborhood Housing Services in New York. And it has included community – her volunteer work has included serving on the boards of Cambridge College and Purple Heart Homes.

NeighborWorks America Awards $11.8 Million in Fifth Tranche of FY 2025 Flexible Impact Grants

For Immediate Release 

July 31, 2025 

Contact: Douglas Robinson

[email protected]

NeighborWorks America Awards $11.8 Million in Fifth Tranche of FY 2025 Flexible Impact Grants

Fiscal Year 2025 Investment of $71.5 Million To Date to Nonprofits Delivering Market-Based Solutions to the Nation’s Housing Supply and Affordability Crisis 

Before she began working as deputy director of Lakota Funds, Ellen White Thunder had built a background in construction. She was certified as a residential building inspector. She was a certified pipelayer. She had her certification in plumbing inspection. “I love everything about construction,” she explains. And she knew that knowledge in construction would be needed on Pine Ridge and other reservations in South Dakota, where there was not just a shortage of homes, but a shortage of the people who could build them and make sure they were safe.
Housing counselors often see people at the best of times – on the verge of fulfilling a dream – but also see people at their most vulnerable times and everywhere in between. “It’s taxing work,” says Ann DiPetta, who has worked in the affordable housing and community development field for over 20 years. “It’s demanding. It can be emotionally difficult. And it’s important to take care of yourself so you don’t burn out.”
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