Portland, OR - April 12, 2010 -  Last week, NeighborWorks America announced the 2010 honorees for the NeighborWorks America CEO award for outstanding performance.
 
Portland Housing Center, a NeighborWorks Homeownership Center serving the Portland Metropolitan area, was honored at this year's CEO awards. Portland Housing Center was recognized as the top producer of homeownership clients in the nation, among NeighborWorks certified Full Cycle Lenders. Portland Housing Center assisted 387 households to become first time homebuyers in the 2009 Fiscal Year, the second highest of any NeighborWorks Homeownership Center nationwide.
 
"[The Portland Housing Center] exemplifies the high caliber work that all of the more than 235 organizations in the NeighborWorks network do each day to create strong, vibrant and sustainable communities," said NeighborWorks America CEO Ken Wade. "We are proud of their accomplishments and thankful for their exemplary contributions to NeighborWorks America..."
 
The Portland Housing Center's special emphasis on meeting the home buying needs of low and moderate-income first time home buyers is one reason for their success. To do this, not only do they gear products and services to these home buyers, but also analyze the outcomes of their work. "The goal of the Portland Housing Center is to find ways to promote sustainable homeownership through responsible lending, informed consumer choice, and effective individual guidance for all Portland Housing Center customers," said Peg Malloy, Executive Director. "As the overall size of the housing market changes, our broad product menu to serve the needs of diverse home buyers along with our 'one-stop shopping' model will always differentiate PHC in the market and help Portland Housing Center to remain among the top producers of new homeowners each year."

Established in 1991, the Portland Housing Center works in conjunction with Portland city government, financial institutions, social service organizations, and other civic, public and private stakeholders. Portland Housing Center provides debt and credit counseling, financial fitness and home buying classes, down payment loans and homeowner workshops. In the past nineteen years the Portland Housing Center has helped more than 6,000 families purchase their first home. A third of the new homeowners were people of color. For more information, please visit www.portlandhousingcenter.org or call 503-282-7744 x116.