The West Angeles Community Development Corp., Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, HUD Assistant Secretary Mercedes Marquez and 8th District Councilman Bernard Parks were all on hand last Thursday along with Restore Neighborhoods Los Angeles Inc. (RNLA) to celebrate a client’s property acquisition. RNLA was established to purchase and sell otherwise abandoned or foreclosed properties to low- and moderate-income families in Los Angeles.
A recent graduate of the corporation’s Eight Hour Homebuyer Education Workshop was among the first to purchase a home. The press event featured the new home, which was completely renovated by RNLA. “The improvements of this previously foreclosed home located in South Los Angeles will go a long way to help revitalize the neighborhood,” said Robert Norris, director of operations.
The RNLA program targets deserving and well-prepared home buyer. “I can think of no better way to stabilize neighborhoods today than to continue to educate families on the possibilities and realities of owning a home,” said Tunua Thrash, executive director of West Angeles CDC. “We are proud to partner with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the city of Los Angeles to stabilize neighborhoods with a pipeline of educated home buyer.”
While the recession has affected all Americans, the effects have been truly devastating for low- and moderate-income families hoping to achieve the American dream by owning a home. RNLA represents real action that public-private partnerships can as families take the first step in equipping themselves with homeownership knowledge necessary for long-term neighborhood stability.
For more than 15 years, West Angeles Community Development Corp., a leading faith-based organization committed to community wealth building, has prepared more than 7,000 persons through its HUD-approved Housing Counseling Agency program. WACDC is one of eight Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) approved programs offering monthly eight-hour courses on homeownership to local families. More information may be found on the website, www.westangelescdc.org
