The City of Lansing is pulling together an estimated
$400,000 to launch the Neighborhood Empowerment Center.
The Neighborhood Empowerment Center is designed to be a
one-stop shop for homeowners. It will include educational classes including
“home improvement” seminars. It will also include counseling for first-time
homeowners, and homeowners who are experiencing financial difficulties.
Right now, the city’s first-time homeownership programs
are spread between four different buildings. The city wants to consolidate
these services into one building.
“The whole focus is to try to provide resource center for
homeowners and neighborhoods,” says Dorothy
Boone, development manager with the City of Lansing.
The center will also host traveling home repair services
that will work much like a bookmobile. The city will drive tools to different
neighborhoods throughout the year so people can make home improvements without
paying for expensive tools.
“We also want to have a voluntary repair service for
elderly and handicapped individuals,” Boone says.
Boone says she hopes the services will also include
foreclosure prevention programs and pre-home buying counseling services.
Source: Dorothy Boone, City of Lansing
Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.
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