Dale Gray, Public Affairs Officer Phone: (913) 551-5542 Fax: (913) 551-5469 |
For
Release Friday July 12, 2002 |
HUD NAMES LIAISON FOR COMMUNITY AND FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS IN GREAT PLAINS REGION
KANSAS CITY, KS - Housing and Urban Development Regional Director Macie Houston today announced Deana Ervin will serve as the Department's principle liaison to community- and faith-based organizations in HUD's four-state Great Plains Region.
Ervin will act
as HUD's primary point of contact with faith-based and community
groups seeking information, technical
assistance and funding opportunities in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and
Nebraska. Deana has been with HUD's Kansas Missouri State Office
for over three years assisting local governments and community-based
organizations in the
areas of economic development, neighborhood
revitalization and affordable housing opportunities. She is a former
Director of the Business and Technology Center at Donnelly College and has worked with several
organizations including the Texas State Auditors Office and the
Greater Kansas City Community Foundation. Deana received a Bachelor's
in Business Administration in Accounting from Prairie View A&M University
and an MBA and MPA from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
"Deana will be an indispensable resource to these organizations as we seek to facilitate their participation in HUD's mission of providing critically needed housing and other services to people in need," said Macie Houston. "This is just one more way we can level the playing field for smaller faith-based and community groups who are doing so much good at the grassroots level."
Ervin said, "I'm thrilled to be HUD's liaison to these community
and faith-based groups. I'm hopeful I can help
continue to break
down the barriers that may prevent the full inclusion of these important
organizations in the Department's work in their neighborhoods."
Shortly after taking office, President Bush established Centers for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives in five major cabinet agencies, including HUD, to evaluate policies, funding programs, and agency outreach efforts to ensure that they emphasize effectiveness and hospitality to faith-based and community-based organizations. HUD Secretary Martinez directed a top-to-bottom review of all HUD programs to identify barriers to the participation of community- and faith-based organizations. As a result, HUD is working to remove these barriers and reach out to the faith community and other grassroots organizations that are uniquely positioned to more effectively provide social services to low-income Americans.
Last month, Martinez released a bilingual "how-to guide" to help
faith-based organizations encourage homeownership opportunities,
particularly among minority families who continue to lag behind
historic homeownership rates. Ten Things Your Faith Community Can
Do To Encourage Homeownership offers faith-based grassroots organizations
an easy-to-read guide to promoting homeownership in their communities.
Earlier this year, Martinez also issued guidance to approximately
3,200 local public housing agencies granting them the authority
to institute "an open door policy"
for faith-based organizations
to provide social services to public housing residents.
HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership,
particularly among minorities, creating affordable housing opportunities
for low-income Americans, supporting the homeless, elderly, people
with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also
promotes economic and community development as well as
enforces
the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its
programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov.
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