William Dudley Gregorie, South Carolina Field Office Director, was one of many people who recently rolled up his sleeves and helped the mothers on "Building Dreams Work Day" in Hollywood, which was part of National Homeownership Month. Also on-hand to build the homes were representatives from the United Methodist Relief Center.

The homes were constructed by funding from USDA, which awarded a $250,000 self-help housing technical assistance grant to United Methodist Relief Center to operate the program. The participants, in turn, provided substantial "sweat equity" to reduce the total cost of their home. HUD, the South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority and the Charleston County Grants Administration worked together to finance the homes.

William Dudley Gregorie, director of HUD's South Carolina field officer, shakes hands with Charlie Sparks, state director of USDA's Rural Development Agency, while members of the Rural Development staff look-on.

HUD's Gregorie and a United Methodist Relief Center volunteer helped build several homes.

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Newport News purchased 18 of the Good Neighbor ($1) homes since the program had its national kick-off there about two years ago, and has conveyed ten of them to Friends of the Homeless. The proceeds from seven homes rehabbed and sold to-date by the homeless group are used to help defray some of the costs to operate its Family Shelter. The house on Maple Avenue was listed for sale in the morning and had a contract by early afternoon. The homeless group has two more $1 homes under rehab. Newport News Redevelopment and Housing Authority has rehabbed and sold three other $1 homes to first time, low-income buyers, and four have been demolished to make way for three new homes and green space.

Mr. Pratt spoke about President Bush and Secretary Martinez' priorities on homeownership, and their determination to increase homeownership opportunities for minority families in particular. He also talked about the success of the "Good Neighbor" program in Virginia, where 47 homes have been purchased for $1 each, in localities as diverse as Newport News and the small town of Dungannon. He also applauded the partnerships that make real changes happen, those between federal, state and local governments and community and faith-based organizations.

Mr. Pratt also spoke to the Hampton Ministers' Conference, an annual event that had an estimated registration of 7,800 ministers this year. He delivered a message from Secretary Martinez about the vital role of faith-based and community-based organizations in expandinghousing opportunities and bringing new hope to America's communities, and HUD's commitment to work with these "Armies of Compassion" to strengthen America's Communities.

The Maple Avenue home in Newport News is ready for a new "Good Neighbor."

Milton Pratt discusses the importance of faith- and community-based involvement while touring Menchville House, a transitional housing program built by faith communities in Newport News, and partially funded with Newport News' CDBG funds.

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The workshop brought together public housing authorities and community-based developers to learn how to design and implement a Section 8 Homeownership program. Attendees were taught the fine points on how to initiate a program, including considerable focus on the partnerships that are needed. Also featured were the experiences of three housing authorities that currently have such a program.

The conference's presenters emphasized the importance of developing collaborative relationships with housing resource providers and how to bring local and state homeownership programs and resources to the table to help residents understand the opportunities for homeownership.

The Workshop began with a session by Kathy Winter, from the Des Moines field office, who provided on an overview of the regulatory and administrative requirements of the program. Participants were also told that in lieu of becoming experts in homeownership programs, they should instead rely upon the expertise of local resources providers who can assist them with designing and implementing a successful Section 8 Homeownership Program.

Also making presentations were Danielle Hill, Nebraska Association of Community Housing Development Organizations; Cynthia Swoopes, Fannie Mae Nebraska; Don Dibble, Omaha HUD; Byron Fisher, USDA Rural Development; and Lara Huskey, Nebraska Dept. of Economic Development. Their presentations centered on homebuyer education and counseling programs, downpayment assistance programs and primary and secondary financing options.

The evaluations for the workshop were excellent and many attendees have expressed an interest in pursuing further a Section 8 Homeownership Program.