NWColumbus Blog

NeighborWorks® Columbus Receives $87K CHIP Grant

NeighborWorks® Columbus received an $87,000 CHIP grant to rehab six of the first Section 8 to Homeownership homes in Columbus. This groundbreaking program allowed Section 8 families to purchase their own home, thereby helping to alleviate generational poverty. Low income families are often not in a position to make the repairs to their family home. As these families reach a milestone in their homeownership process, these grant funds will allow NeighborWorks® Columbus to assist in any repairs the homes need as they transition into the next level of homeownership.

The purpose of the Community HOME Investment Program (CHIP) is to provide safe, decent, and affordable housing in Georgia by granting funds to city and county governments, public housing authorities, and nonprofits to rehabilitate owner-occupied homes and build and renovate affordable single-family homes for sale to eligible homebuyers.

“This partnership with the Department of Community Affairs will allow us to ensure that our customers will be confident that their home will remain fully affordable and sustainable for the next 15-20 years. It is our honor and privilege to be able to participate in this important work.” Cathy Williams CEO of NeighborWorks ® Columbus

The CHIP program is funded with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development HOME Investment Partnership Program funds.

Vanessa’s Story: From Section 8 to School Board

Fifteen years ago, Vanessa Jackson lived a completely different life.

She had a high school diploma, was a single mom of three kids, made minimum wage, and was renting an apartment with a Section 8 HAP Voucher and poor credit. “What I believed was, I’m not supposed to be a homeowner. That’s how the system works,” Vanessa said.

It turns out, she just needed someone to see something different in her. That someone was staff at NeighborWorks Columbus.

“Once I got my house, I was unstoppable. It felt like nothing was impossible for me. I was empowered,” Vanessa said.

Her journey, which started with a simple desire to improve her credit, led her to earning a degree in Early Childhood Education, working her way up to Director of the Childcare Network and being elected to serve on the Muscogee County School Board.

Vanessa Jackson was one of the first Section 8 residents in Columbus who was able to use her housing voucher as part of her layered financing through a 15-year 2^nd mortgage. As of 2019, Ms. Jackson has paid off her 2^nd mortgage and no longer requires housing subsidy.

For 20 years, NeighborWorks Columbus has worked to make a difference in lives like Vanessa’s: empowering them through financial education and counseling and helping them settle in a home where they can thrive.

Making student loan debt work for you

Having to pay back student loans is undeniably frustrating, but believe it or not, there’s an upside: Student loans can help your credit if you pay them back on time.

Student loans are considered a “good” type of credit, and therefore if you make your payments on time they can greatly improve your FICO credit score. On the flipside, defaulting on your student loans or failing to pay on time can quickly send your credit score spiraling in the wrong direction.

There are many factors at play when it comes to student loans, though, and we plan to address them in greater detail at our upcoming Financial Fitness class Oct. 17 at 6 p.m.

For one, if you have public student loans, there are more options when it comes to making your payments.

Defferals and Forbearances

If you are unable to pay for a period of time, your loan company may allow your loan to be deferred or go into forbearance.

A deferral is when you don’t have to pay back your loan for a specified period of time but do have to make payments on the interest that accrues during that time. “For example, if you have a $10,000 student loan in deferral, you do not have to pay any of that $10,000 back. You may, however, still have to pay interest that accrues on the loan. If the loan carries 5% interest, you may still have to pay for this interest – in this case, about $41.67 per month,” according to moneycrashers.com.

A forbearance is made on a case-by-case basis and will allow you to hold off on making payments on your loan or interest payments for a set period of time.

Neither of these situations will harm your credit, but they may affect your chances of getting approved for a mortgage loan.

Income-Based Repayment

Public loans are also eligible for income-based repayment plans, meaning the payment amount is based on how much money you make. Enrolling in these programs also do not hurt your credit score; the most important thing is just to make those payments.

If you’ve made late payments or defaulted on your student loans, don’t worry! NeighborWorks Columbus is here to help.

Join us on Oct. 17 at 6 p.m. in our office (345 6^th Street), and where we’ll discuss all this information in greater detail and go over solutions with you.

East Wynnton Grandparents: Deborah & James Jones

It takes more than just new housing to transform a neighborhood.

That’s why when NeighborWorks Columbus started work in the East Wynnton Park neighborhood 20 years ago, we sought the help of some of the world’s best kind of people: grandparents.

The Grandparents Program asked its participants to become “grandparents” to their neighborhood children. Spending a couple hours on their porch in the morning as kids were headed to school, and in the afternoon as kids were headed home.

Their homes were marked by a golden flag, letting kids know that this was a safe home they could turn to if they were locked out, in trouble or just needed an ear to bend.

Deborah & James Jones were the first “grandparents” in the program.

“Deborah really embraced the program,” said Cathy Williams, President & CEO of NeighborWorks Columbus.

When Deborah passed, her neighborhood wanted to honor her by naming the community garden after her.

“The dedication was set for a Thursday at noon. We closed our office so staff could go. Since this was a weird time of day, we were concerned not that many people would be able to go. But there were hundreds of people there,” Williams said. “This was the first time we really felt change. It was almost seismic.”

Success Story: Natasha Thorton Phillips

Natasha Philips came to NeighborWorks® Columbus as a newlywed looking to start her journey to homeownership. As an expectant mother caring for her aging father and teenage daughter, Phillips wanted to ensure she was making the right choices for her growing family.

Phillips encouraged her husband to participate in NeighborWorks® Columbus homebuyer education program with the possibility of purchasing a home in newly developed East Wynnton Park. Phillips and her family had ties to the community and were eager to establish a home in the revitalized neighborhood with its rich heritage and legacy.

“I wanted to be the center of it all for convenience – family, worship center, healthcare”, said Phillips. “It meant a lot to be able to live less than two miles from close-knit family.

Phillips diligently worked to pay off any past debts to move forward in the homebuying process. In less than six months, Natasha and her family closed on their new home.

Over the years, the EWP home has amassed a number of memories – the birth of her son, the graduation of her daughter and the place when her loving father took his last breath – all of which the community embraced and comforted her. With that same community spirit, Natasha began working at the Michael B. Fluellen Center as a senior program coordinator. “I love the convenience of being able to walk out my front door to my job,” remarked Phillips. “Watching my son get off the bus and running over to Recreation Center is so rewarding and makes me thankful we purchased the right home in the right neighborhood with the right people. Thank you, NeighborWorks® Columbus.”

NeighborWorks® Columbus Receives $87K CHIP Grant

Vanessa’s Story: From Section 8 to School Board

Making student loan debt work for you

East Wynnton Grandparents: Deborah & James Jones

Success Story: Natasha Thorton Phillips

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