Mission & Vision : About Us : NeighborWorks Northeastern PA

NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community development organization that has, for more than 40 years, helped to revitalize neighborhoods and improve lives throughout the region by addressing the housing needs in our community. Our vision for strong, healthy neighborhoods is built on resident empowerment, neighborhood revitalization, sustainable homeownership, and public-private partnerships.

Mission

NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania creates stable, vibrant communities by amplifying the voices of residents and providing critical housing assistance, financial guidance, community development services, and proactive partnerships.

Vision

We envision a flourishing northeastern Pennsylvania community where all neighborhoods are vibrant and safe, and all people are thriving in secure, dignified homes.

History

Our organization was founded in 1981 as Scranton Neighborhood Housing Services by a group of local bankers and community members who were interested in providing home rehabilitation loans for their neighbors who didn’t have access to traditional financing. After many successful years of providing home rehabilitation services, the organization increased its work with local lending institutions to create a Lenders’ Consortium. This partnership allowed for additional financing products, such as first mortgages and closing-cost assistance loans, to be provided to homebuyers.

By 2003, we had added additional homeownership services to our offerings, including pre-purchase budget counseling, homebuyer education, and construction management. We also expanded our service area to include all of Lackawanna County, prompting a name change to Neighborhood Housing Services of Lackawanna County.

In 2008, due to the rising number of homeowners who were having difficulty paying their mortgages as a result of rising unemployment and a downturn in the economy, we launched a foreclosure counseling initiative to serve clients throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania.

In 2013, driven by our growing client base throughout the region, we officially changed our name to NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania to encompass our enlarged service area and to align with our brand with NeighborWorks America, our major national partner. We remain focused on providing a variety of affordable housing services to address the most challenging issues facing prospective and current homeowners today.

Critical Questions

1. What do we believe?

We believe access to a quality home (apartment, house, etc.), will have a positive "trickle up" effect on our neighborhoods, communities, and region.
We believe in working with, not just in, the communities and neighborhoods we serve.
We believe we can play a crucial role in strengthening our community and improving our neighbors' lives.
We believe in being politically neutral but astute.
We believe that there are currently gaps between available products/services and the needs of our neighbors.

2. What problems are we trying to solve?

Shortage of affordable, quality & safe housing for residents.
Aging population needs assistance with staying in their homes.
The region's aging housing stock needs modernization.
Blight & neglect in neighborhoods.
The lack of solid homeownership and financial stability education.
Market barriers for first-time homebuyers.

3. Why are we the ones to help solve them?

We have a 40+ year reputation as a trusted organization that can get things done.
We have proven expertise impacting both people AND place.
We have access to resources and expertise that others don’t and can adapt to changing community needs and to address issues from multiple perspectives.

4. Who do we aspire to be?

We are an organization that is actively becoming:

A regional leader that brings value to the community through facilitation and convening in addition to the generation of direct services.
A learning organization that proactively and intentionally analyzes outcomes – whether they be successes or failures – to grow and improve.
An investor in and active builder of positive culture and resilience in our staff and our community.
Reflective of our community’s diversity, inclusive of all voices especially those who have historically been left behind, and a champion of true racial equity.
A bright light in and for our community and neighbors, viewed far and wide as a regional expert.

Core Values

1. Home is where it all starts.

Having a safe, dignified, and stable place to live leads to better health, more financial opportunity, better educational outcomes, and other real benefits for individuals and families.

2. We are stronger together.

Strong connections among our team, our neighbors, and other organizations makes the community more resilient and provides better opportunities for all. We work proactively and intentionally to facilitate connections between those who need a helping hand and those who can offer one.

3. We meet people where they are.

Providing the right information and opportunities can be empowering and transformational for our neighbors who are seeking to take their next step in increasing their financial stability, learning about homeownership, becoming a resident leader, or engaging in their communities in new ways.

4. Places matter.

There is power and pride in unique places, whether they be blocks, neighborhoods, municipalities, cities, or regions. We will work with people living and working in specific places to bring out the best they have to offer through transformative placemaking and improvement strategies.