Second event in year-long symposia series to highlight advancing equity for people of color; real estate convening will discuss embedding resident-led practices in real estate development

San Francisco, CA, May 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- More than 1,400 housing and community-development professionals from around the country will convene in San Francisco for the NeighborWorks Training Institute May 1-5. NeighborWorks America hosts the week-long event, which equips professionals who are helping people reach their homeownership and financial goals with comprehensive professional education and training.

Included in the many courses and workshops at the NeighborWorks Training Institute is a May 3 symposium, “It takes a village: Achieving Black wealth and economic prosperity,” which will highlight solutions to build generational wealth for Black families. This is the second in a year-long series on advancing equity for people of color. The symposium will include an overview of the Black wealth gap and its history and focus on innovative programs and solutions from around the country and panel discussions with organizations who executed strategies in their communities to build wealth.

“San Francisco’s unique culture and innovative programs in affordable housing and community development make the city an ideal setting for the NeighborWorks Training Institute,” said NeighborWorks America President & CEO Marietta Rodriguez. “This premiere learning event will deliver high-quality sessions and networking opportunities unmatched in depth and relevance in housing and community development. We’re offering more than 75 comprehensive courses that will deliver the knowledge, tools and strategies to enhance participants’ impact on their own work while revitalizing our joint commitment to empower those we serve.”

Among the confirmed speakers at the symposium are:

·Emilio Dorcely, Chief Executive Officer, Urban Edge

·Shekinah Mitchell, Executive Director of the Piedmont Community Land Trust, Piedmont Housing

·Jeremie Greer, Co-Founder, Co-Executive Director, Liberation in a Generation

Also during the Training Institute, on May 1-2 more than 125 real estate development professionals from across the NeighborWorks network will participate in a real estate convening with peer- and expert-led discussions on topics like building statewide alliances to influence local and state housing policy; embedding resident-led and trauma-informed practices in real estate development; and leveraging faith-based, private and health care partnerships.

In addition to the training institute, NeighborWorks America supports organizations working to serve the San Francisco community throughout the year. The NeighborWorks network organizations in San Francisco are Chinatown Community Development Center; Mission Economic Development Agency; and Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation. In fiscal year 2022, NeighborWorks network organizations in California provided nearly 65,000 housing and counseling services and counseled and educated nearly 13,000 people. To read more about NeighborWorks network organizations’ impact in San Francisco and other areas of the country, view the NeighborWorks America interactive map.

Press credentials will be available on-site at Hilton San Francisco Union Square (333 O'Farrell St, San Francisco, CA 94102.) Contact Lindsay Moore at lmoore@nw.org to obtain credentials.

About NeighborWorks America 
For more than 40 years, Neighborhood Reinvestment Corp., a national, nonpartisan nonprofit known as NeighborWorks America, has strived to make every community a place of opportunity. Our network of excellence includes nearly 250 members in every state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. NeighborWorks America offers grant funding, peer exchange, technical assistance, evaluation tools, and access to training as the nation's leading trainer of housing and community development professionals. NeighborWorks network organizations provide residents in their communities with affordable homes, owned and rented; financial counseling and coaching; community building through resident engagement; and collaboration in the areas of health, employment and education. 

Lindsay Moore
NeighborWorks America
202-760-4097
media@nw.org