HUD ANNOUNCES SECRETARY'S AWARD TO GREATER NEW ORLEANS FOUNDATION
HUD and Council on Foundations honor work of grassroots New Orleans philanthropic organization

WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), in partnership with the Council on Foundations, named the Greater New Orleans Foundation as one of the first 10 winners of a new awards program to recognize community foundations for the excellent work they do along with their public partners in the areas of housing and community development.

The new HUD Secretary's Award for Community Foundations honors community foundations that work closely with the public sector on projects involving housing and neighborhood improvements, education, health and recreation, transportation, community participation, arts and culture, public safety, sustainability, and economic development.

"By reducing blight in New Orleans, the Greater New Orleans Foundation is creating lasting and positive change in the city," said Mark Brezina, Acting Regional Administrator for HUD Region VI.

Nearly five years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans had more than 43,755 vacant, abandoned, and blighted properties and no effective strategy for dealing with them. In 2010, a partnership was formed between the Greater New Orleans Foundations (GNOF), the City of New Orleans, the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA), and the Center for Community Progress (CCP). The goal was to turn blighted properties into assets to promote community development, economic growth, and neighborhood stability. To assist with this ambitious goal, the GNOF made a two year $500,000 grant and partnered with CCP to create a comprehensive blight reduction strategy for New Orleans.

In the first 15 months of the partnership, the city reduced blight by 3,615 properties. City departments were consolidated and a streamlined data management system has been put in place. The city took the innovative approach of using tax lien foreclosure sales as the primary vehicle for turning over problem properties. The code enforcement process now takes three-six months, as opposed to the 18 months it used to take.

"The 10 awardees, and all our community foundation members, represent lives improved, neighborhoods saved, jobs created, people trained, kids educated, and homes built," said Vikki N. Spruill, president and CEO of the Council on Foundations. "Philanthropy is hard at work investing in America's communities, addressing challenges head on, and innovating for a better future."

A jury selected one community foundation from each of HUD's 10 regions. Awards were given to community foundations for completed or ongoing initiatives that are executed in partnership with a local, regional, or federal government agency.

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HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov. You can also follow HUD on Twitter at @HUDnews or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD. or sign up for news alerts on HUD's News Listserv.

The Council on Foundations (www.cof.org), formed in 1949, is a nonprofit membership association of grantmaking foundations and corporations. Council members include more than 1,700 independent, operating, community, public and company-sponsored foundations, and corporate giving programs in the United States and abroad. The Council's mission is to provide the opportunity, leadership, and tools philanthropic organizations need to expand, enhance, and sustain their ability to advance the common good.