[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 67 (Friday, May 22, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E948]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      PROJECT FOR PRIDE IN LIVING

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MARTIN OLAV SABO

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 21, 1998

  Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in recognition of Project for 
Pride in Living (PPL), a nonprofit development organization in my home 
district that has been recently recognized by the Fannie Mae Foundation 
for its very successful, multi-faceted approach in the fight against 
poverty.
  Project for Pride in Living was originally established in Minneapolis 
in 1972 to buy and rehabilitate rundown, inner-city houses. It has 
grown considerably over the years to address poverty issues on a 
variety of fronts. PPL now provides affordable rental and ownership 
housing opportunities, job training through direct employment, 
employment education and placement, youth development, neighborhood 
security, and support services.
  PPL has been a strong and effective agent for economic stabilization 
and community building in neighborhoods throughout the Twin Cities, but 
especially in the Phillips neighborhood. It has built or renovated more 
than 900 single-family and multifamily units. PPL's Self-Sufficiency 
Program and employment and training initiatives have helped several 
thousand people. In 1996 alone, 509 families participated in the Self-
Sufficiency Program, by obtaining help to find jobs, to stabilize their 
finances and housing situations, and to make positive changes in 
behavior, attitudes, and school performance.
  On May 19, 1998, the Fannie Mae Foundation presented a Maxwell 
Sustained Excellence Award to Project for Pride in Living. This award 
is given to community-based nonprofit organizations demonstrating the 
best examples of sustained creation and management of communities and 
neighborhoods. PPL was one of ten award winners this year, selected 
from a pool of 160 applicants from across the United States. All ten 
awardees have a history of building and sustaining communities, with 
housing being the lead component of their efforts.
  As a Maxwell Sustained Excellence Award winner, PPL will receive a 
three-year grant of $150,000 to further organizational development, and 
a three-year, $250,000 Community and Neighborhood Development Fund 
(CNDF) loan. PPL will invest the grant in activities to increase its 
capacity to develop and manage housing, including upgrading technology, 
establishing an internal pre-development fund, and enhancing staff 
development and training. The CNDF loan will provide construction 
financing for the production of 24 single-family homes.
  I salute Project for Pride in Living for receiving Fannie Mae's 
distinguished Sustained Excellence Award. It is a remarkable honor for 
a truly deserving organization.

                          ____________________