Memphis Housing Counseling Network:
Emily Trenholm |
Innovative ideas abound at the Memphis Housing Counseling Network. Created in 2005 by the Community Development Council of Greater Memphis (CD Council), the network brings certified housing counseling agencies together for training, peer mentoring, information sharing and joint marketing. Its 11 member organizations provide a full range of housing counseling services, including homebuyer education, loss mitigation counseling and credit counseling. For the local housing counseling agencies, the benefits of having their own network have been obvious. It has enabled them to collaborate on events such as post-purchase workshops, to share success stories at quarterly peer group meetings and to request counseling-specific training programs and resources. During its first two years, the counseling network has:
In 2008, the network is rolling out a rental curriculum, which will enable its counselors to expand their services to rental counseling, and is completing work on a web site that will contain information for clients and counselors on homeownership, foreclosure prevention, and other housing topics. Over its short history, Memphis Housing Counseling Network has become an important community resource. That has become particularly clear in recent months, as housing counselors, the financial community, and others have struggled to meet the challenges of the current foreclosure crisis. Memphis Housing Counseling Network has worked with elected officials, the Tennessee Housing Development Agency and the local media on foreclosure outreach and education. What’s more, homeowners in Memphis and Shelby County who need loss mitigation counseling can call the 901-725-8361 number and get an immediate response and referral to a counseling agency (see sample advertisements). While CD Council has many valued partners and funders, one supporter in particular, Seedco, has been critical to the formation and sustainability of the counseling network. Seedco is a national community development intermediary based in New York, but it has a sizeable operation in Memphis. Several years ago, Seedco became a housing counseling intermediary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and began working with several Memphis housing counseling agencies, including CD Council. With a large number of housing counseling affiliates in Memphis, Seedco saw a number of advantages to having a local counseling network. It has supported the network by providing training programs and technical assistance, linking the network with other counselors around the country and providing funding for housing counseling activities. |
 Emily Trenholm is executive director of the Community Development Council of Greater Memphis, a local association of community development corporations. In addition to her work with CD Council, Trenholm is on the board of directors of Memphis Community Development Enterprise and the Community Housing Developers Association of Tennessee. She is also on the steering committee for the newly formed Memphis Regional Design Center and is a member of the Federal Reserve Eighth District Community Development Advisory Council. |
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exploring: searching or traveling for the purpose of discovery innovation: to add value by applying a new idea or method to something established |