Making it happen in Lake Worth

Lake Worth celebrates a family moving into their home, completed with HUD funding from Neighborhood Stabilization Program

OYolanda and Michael Phillips couldn't have a bigger smile on October 28 when they were given the keys to the house they help build in Lake Worth. More than 500 hours of work with the help of Habitat for Humanity delivered a brand new home for themselves and their children Michael Jr. and Danielle.

Their home is the first to be completed as a result of HUD funding in the area via the second round of Neighborhood Stabilization Program grants, NSP2. In January 2010, HUD awarded $23.2 million to the Lake Worth Consortium to work on a targeted area heavily affected by foreclosures. Under the leadership of the Lake Worth Community Redevelopment Agency, the consortium is working on acquiring 130 properties, rehabilitating 75 for re-sale and renting 25 more while saving the others for future development of affordable housing.

HUD Southeast Regional Administrator Ed Jennings, Jr. visited Lake Worth to celebrate the completion of the Phillips home

Habitat for Humanity, a member of the consortium, was allocated $4.8 million from the grant to produce 30 homes in the same way of the Phillips, with a large contribution of sweat equity from the families that will own their homes.

HUD Southeast Regional Administrator Ed Jennings Jr attended the celebration. "Down here in Lake Worth, you've got it right. You're making it happen", said Jennings.

The Palm Beach Post covered the event. Read their story here www.palmbeachpost.com/money/real-estate/first-lake-worth-family-gets-house-through-redevelopment-1939073.html?cxtype=rss_real-estate.

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