[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 10219-10220]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    A TRIBUTE IN RECOGNITION OF THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF LOS ANGELES 
                  NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES, INC.

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 21, 2009

  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Los 
Angeles Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. (LA NHS), a non- profit 
lender and community developer dedicated to building stronger 
neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles County, on the occasion of its 
25th Anniversary.
  Incorporated in 1984, LA NHS has catapulted itself from a small 
housing agency to the largest, non-profit affordable homeownership 
provider in Southern California. LA NHS focuses on specific target 
neighborhoods in Los Angeles County. In addition to the Boyle Heights/
East Los Angeles areas in the 34th Congressional District, the 
organization targets Central Los Angeles, Crenshaw, Pacoima, San Pedro-
Wilmington and Carson.
  Over the last 25 years, LA NHS has reinvested more than $2 billion 
into neighborhoods throughout the county and region. The organization 
has developed and rehabilitated more than 11,000 housing and commercial 
units, put 1.9 million families on the road to homeownership, created 
175 block clubs, and employed 200 neighborhood youth. As a lender to 
underserved communities, LA NHS has maintained a loan portfolio with a 
3 percent or less delinquency ratio and no foreclosures.
  Since 2007, LA NHS, along with its partners through the Los Angeles 
County NeighborWorks Center for Foreclosure Solutions, has been on the 
frontline of the mortgage crisis. The LA NHS 25th Anniversary Gala 
Dinner Concert & Silent Auction, scheduled for April 30, 2009, will 
commemorate the partners that have worked tirelessly to keep families 
in their homes in the midst of this crisis.
  As a Community Development Financial Institution during the last 
fiscal year, Los Angeles Neighborhood Housing Services working with its 
affiliates, NHS Neighborhood Redevelopment Corporation and NHS 
Neighborhood Lending Services, reinvested nearly $97 million into Los 
Angeles neighborhoods, providing nearly $70 million in loans to local 
residents to improve housing conditions, create homeownership 
opportunities, and combat predatory

[[Page 10220]]

lending. In addition, during that time, LA NHS reinvested more than 
$9.8 million through real estate services and $1.5 million through 
neighborhood revitalization projects.
  Through aggressive foreclosure prevention efforts, LA NHS assisted 
more than 59,000 families over the last fiscal year to preserve their 
homes and prevent foreclosure. This ongoing multi-faceted initiative 
includes post-purchase education fairs, clinics and workshops, 
affordable lending, loan modifications, comprehensive loss mitigation 
initiatives, and other LA NHS programs.
  I had the privilege of seeing firsthand the extraordinarily helpful 
services provided by LA NHS to residents of the 34th Congressional 
District. Last July, more than 500 homeowners attended a LA NHS 
organized-foreclosure prevention fair in the City of Downey. Credit 
counselors and lenders were on hand at the free event to offer on-site 
assistance, one-on-one counseling, and information on viable options to 
avoid foreclosure. Housing, tax and financial professionals also 
provided presentations to help homeowners understand the foreclosure 
process, guard against fraud and scams, address tax issues and rebuild 
their credit. Representatives from the LA County NeighborWorks Center 
for Foreclosure Solutions, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, and area banks also participated in the workshop.
  LA NHS credits the tremendous efforts of its community volunteers 
during the last fiscal year for the success of its outreach efforts, 
including the Downey foreclosure prevention fair. More than 800 
volunteers spent more than 6,400 hours participating in the LA NHS 
sponsored foreclosure prevention fairs, clinics, workshops, and 
Neighborhood Pride Day events. The two Pride Day events involved more 
than 400 volunteers who gave their time and labor to refurbish homes 
and plant flowers in underserved neighborhoods. In total during the 
last fiscal year, these community outreach events assisted more than 
10,000 families to preserve their homes and prevent foreclosure.
  Madam Speaker, on the occasion of Los Angeles Neighborhood Housing 
Services, Inc. 25th Anniversary, I join today with fellow leaders from 
throughout the state in recognizing President and Chief Executive 
Officer Lori Gay, Board Chairman Sal Mendoza, the Board of Directors, 
and the organization's 40 employees for their tireless work to help 
families throughout Los Angeles County. I extend my thanks on behalf of 
the residents of the 34th Congressional District for their passion and 
determination to revitalize communities, build stronger neighborhoods 
and help families of modest means actualize their dream of 
homeownership, and I wish them many years of continued success.

                          ____________________