Grand Opening of Housing Resource Center

Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) of New Orleans recently held the grand opening of the Housing Resource Center north of Mandeville.

Featuring special guests Susan Bonnett of the Northshore Community Foundation; Kenneth Wade, CEO of NeighborWorks America; Mike Weston of Habitat for Humanity International; Steve Zimmer of United Way for the Greater New Orleans Area; and Lauren Anderson with NHS of New Orleans, the event marked a successful team effort to bring about affordable housing, homeownership and financial fitness for prospective home buyers on the northshore.

Neighborhood Housing Services, a member of NeighborWorks America, has provided housing support to people in the greater New Orleans area for more than 30 years, according to housing counselor Pearlie Tyler.

"We've been providing counseling and education on everything in the home-buying process," Tyler said. "We teach people what to expect; what they need to do to get ready financially."

Partnering with a variety of nonprofit organizations, such as United Way, NHS of New Orleans is always expanding to make essential information, tools and resources available to citizens on both sides of the lake. The Housing Resource Center on the north shore is part of that expansion.

The Housing Resource Center will parallel the services that prospective homeowners in New Orleans have come to know.

"We will offer the same resources that we offer here in the main office," Usner said.

Two essential 12-hour courses are to be taught: the home buyers training course and the financial fitness course. Additionally, homeowners can receive counseling and access to assistance.