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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.

Success Story: Section 8 to Homeownership

Carneshia Burston was a woman on a mission.

As a single mother of four, Carneshia knew early on that it was ‘on her’ to provide a way of life and a solid foundation for her children. Armed with determination and a steady income, Carneshia completed the homebuyer education course through the Section 8 to HomeOwnership Program”, a collaboration between NeighborWorks and the Housing Authority of Columbus.

Carneshia closed on her three bedroom, two bath, home that her children helped pick out. Ms. Burston has become an unofficial spokesperson for NeighborWorks, recommending the Homebuyer Education program to her friends, one of whom has recently closed on her home too.

Ms. Carneshia Burston is proof that determination and diligence makes dreams come true.

NeighborWorks® Columbus Receives $87K CHIP Grant

Vanessa’s Story: From Section 8 to School Board

Success Story: Section 8 to Homeownership

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