Jan FEBOCT31998 199920009             captures             3 Feb 99 - 5 Dec           00CloseHelp    NEWS BRIEF      Fall,       1998- HUD SecretaryAndrew Cuomo           
"The numbers show that Neighborhood Networks has             caught on quickly in communities nationwide...People see the             value of supporting an initiative that gives residents the             opportunity to change their lives." 
First Issue
Welcome to the Neighborhood             Networks News Brief. This new quarterly publication highlights             national achievements for a wide audience including partners and the             public. 
Neighborhood Networks to       CelebrateThird Anniversary at National Conferences       
Neighborhood Networks celebrates its       third anniversary at a national conference in September. The 1998       conference (Sharing Successes, Connecting Communities, Moving Forward)       will take place at two locations and dates: Phoenix on       September 14-16 and Atlanta on September 23-25.HUD       and Neighborhood Networks staff, property owners, residents, potential       partners, educators and community stakeholders will attend the conference.       The agenda features a mix of plenary sessions and smaller tracks that       focus on technology, center development and sustainability,       microenterprise creation, job training and readiness, health care,       education, social services and more.       
Launched in September 1995, Neighborhood Networks helps low-income       residents achieve self-sufficiency. The U.S. Department of Housing and       Urban Development (HUD) initiative encourages privately owned multifamily       housing properties to develop resource and computer learning centers.       These centers provide a variety of resources, including job training and       job readiness, Internet access, microenterprise development, GED       certification, adult and youth programs, health care and other social       services.       
As of August 1998, more than 390 Neighborhood Networks centers are in       operation, serving low-income families and seniors at more than 460       HUD-assisted and -insured properties nationwide.      
"The numbers show that Neighborhood Networks has caught on quickly       in communities nationwide," said HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo.       
"People see the value of supporting an initiative that gives residents       the opportunity to change their lives, by giving them the computer skills       they need to get jobs and succeed in school. Learning these skills is       critically important in the 21st century."       
After completing training at Neighborhood Networks centers,       residents have entered the job market in clerical, data management,       accounting, paralegal and property management positions, among others.       Some residents have started their own small businesses.       
The Neighborhood Networks initiative won a 1996 National Performance       Review Hammer Award, which recognizes new standards of excellence achieved       by federal, state and local government employees who are working to build       a better government.       

To learn more about the Neighborhood Networks conferences, please call       the Neighborhood Networks Information Center toll-free at (888)       312-2743 or visit the website at www.NeighborhoodNetworks.org.       
A Vision       forNeighborhood NetworksBy Secretary Andrew Cuomo,       U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development       
In 1997, when I became Secretary of       the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), I found an       initiative that supported and advocated much of what I have spent my       career working toward. That initiative was Neighborhood Networks.       

Prior to joining HUD, much of my work focused on how to help meet the       needs of people where they live. In 1986, I founded Housing Enterprise for       the Less Privileged (H.E.L.P.). This program grew to become the nation's       largest private provider of transitional housing for the homeless by       providing safe, quality housing and comprehensive, on-site social services       together under one roof. Our goal was to create a supportive community for       homeless families.       

Continued on Page 2)      
What's       Inside:Focus on the Internet, Centers Win National       Awards,Neighborhood Networks HighlightsA Vision(cont.from Page 1)       
A second program, the Genesis Project, developed a comprehensive       approach to linking community development with affordable housing and       coordinating a partnership among all levels of government and the private       sector.      
      HUD SecretaryAndrew Cuomo      
My vision for Neighborhood Networks is to share program successes, such       as those achieved by H.E.L.P. and the Genesis Project, with the entire       nation. Both of these programs focus on using housing as a platform to       meet people's needs where they live. Neighborhood Networks does this by       providing job training, education, health care, transportation, child care       and other social services that help residents of assisted housing in the       transition from welfare to work. It coordinates multiple resources in a       way that creates viable, flourishing communities by encouraging residents       of all ages to be active and involved in their neighborhoods.

Neighborhood Networks centers can add value to both the property and       community in which they operate. Their presence can help to create a more       stable tenant population while also attracting new tenants. This in turn       can improve the risk position for the Federal Housing Administration (FHA)       Insurance Fund that insures the properties. Properties with Neighborhood       Networks centers may well see cleaner grounds, reduced crime and vandalism       and an increased community pride among residents.       
Our goal is to expand the image of Neighborhood Networks beyond       just a "computer center"; it must become an initiative that supports the       entire range of needs for the residents of assisted housing. Ultimately,       our ambition must be to build a self-sustainable and robust Neighborhood       Networks initiative that empowers HUD communities. As welfare reform       impacts these communities, I look forward to working with owners, managers       and residents to make Neighborhood Networks all that it can be.       Neighborhood Networks Website: A Valuable Resource
The Neighborhood Networks website http://web.archive.org/web/19990203092640/http://www.neighborhoodnetworks.org/provides       a valuable resource for Neighborhood Networks centers, partners and the       community. The national website offers an overview of the initiative,       provides updated articles about Neighborhood Networks activities       nationwide and includes contact information for Neighborhood Networks       coordinators and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)       field offices. The site links to databases that include HUD-assisted and       -insured properties with planned and operating centers, Neighborhood       Networks centers in operation, press releases and news items, resources       including funding organizations and technical assistance providers, and a       calendar of upcoming conferences.       
Center News       LineFocus on the Internet       
Neighborhood Networks centers nationwide are bringing the Internet into       low-income neighborhoods. A few examples:       
- Bet ShalominWorcester, MAoffers e-mail and Internet         access to its senior residents. Many of the residents are from Israel         and Russia and use e-mail to keep in touch with their families overseas.         
- Fairnet Computer Center in Fairbanks, AK http://web.archive.org/web/19990203092640/http://www.hud.gov/cgi-bin/intercept?http://www.fairnet.org          offers free educational and community information through the Internet.         Online visitors can link to educational websites from the Fairnet         webpage.         
- Island Grove Village in Greeley, C  http://web.archive.org/web/19990203092640/http://www.hud.gov/cgi-bin/intercept?http://www.islandgrove.org          runs an in-house computer lab where residents can search for jobs over         the Internet.         
- At the  St.         Peter Manor Computer Learning Center  in Memphis, TN         (www.mecca.org/STPETER/stpeter.html) the children in the         community are matched with seniors living at St. Peter Manor. They         communicate with each other using e-mail under the MECCA Keypals         program. Some of the children have met with their e-mail pen pals and         are working together to create a homepage. 

For more information about Neighborhood Networks centers and Internet       access, please call the Neighborhood Networks Information Center       toll-free at (888) 312-2743, or visit the website       at
A Capital Opening:Edgewood Terrace Moves       Online in Washington, DC
A new "electronic village" will include a computer       terminal in every apartment at the 884-unit Edgewood Terrace Apartments, a       HUD-assisted and -insured housing community in the Northeast sector of the       nation's capital.       

Microsoft Corporation donated $100,000 to support computer training for       the Edgewood Terrace residents, who on June 18 celebrated the grand       opening of their Neighborhood Networks center, the Gateway @ Edgewood       Terrace. The center's first 31 welfare-to-work graduates were honored for       their training achievements and their entry into the area's business       community.       

The nonprofit Community Preservation and Development Corporation (CPDC)       that owns Edgewood Terrace I believes that working with the residents of       Edgewood Terrace represents an opportunity to help revitalize an inner       city neighborhood.       

Besides Microsoft, CPDC is also working in partnership with the       Resident Association of Edgewood Terrace, Bell Atlantic, The Catholic       University of America, George Washington University, ConsServe, the       College Board Education and Workshop Center, and the Montgomery County       Workforce Board.       

The Gateway @ Edgewood Terrace has four networked labs with over 60       workstations equipped with office software, personal productivity       applications, educational resources, reference materials and more. 

The Gateway offers residents adult classes in basic and intermediate       computer applications, with auxiliary services such as job readiness       training and job placement. The center also offers classes for students in       grades K-12, which are designed to improve verbal, math and analytical       skills. In addition, the Gateway offers computer classes for seniors.       

A recent graduate of the Computer and Office Skills Employment Program       (COSEP) given at Edgewood, Bridget McLaurin said that the course was her       stepping stone back into the world of work.       

For more information about the Gateway @ Edgewood Terrace, contact the       Community Preservation and Development Corporation at (301)986-1600 or by       e-mail at       

cpdc@cpdc.org.       
Orchard MewsHealth Care       Demonstration Wins National Recognition
A Neighborhood Networks health care demonstration       that provides on-site health care to residents of subsidized housing in       Baltimore is serving as a model for other housing communities nationwide       receiving support from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban       Development (HUD). The unique effort has been recognized by HUD as a 1998       John J. Gunther Blue Ribbon Best Practice in Community Development, and       was recently featured on WBAL-TV, Baltimore's NBC affiliate.       

Through the demonstration, an on-site nurse works with residents at       Orchard Mews Apartments to ensure that they receive appropriate quality       care. Services include disease prevention, substance abuse counseling and       treatment referral, case management, health screenings and assessments.       According to Lisa Brune, the on-site nurse, "The greatest thing I can do       is to help link people to the resources that already exist but have not       been availed."       

"The Orchard Mews Neighborhood Networks demonstration program is an       excellent example of how public-private partnerships are providing the       kinds of health care services low-income families need to participate in       job training programs," said HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo. "It clearly       demonstrates how communities working together can help more of their       residents who receive government subsidies move to self-sufficiency."       

 "We are extremely proud of the recognition that       Orchard Mews has received," said Ina Singer, Director of HUD's Chesapeake       Multifamily Hub office in Baltimore. "With welfare reform, families'       health care needs must be addressed to remove obstacles that prevent       adults from obtaining long-term employment."       

The Neighborhood Networks center at Orchard Mews is run by and located       at the Baltimore Urban League. The property is managed by AIMCO, which       received a 1997 HUD Drug Elimination Grant to help fund the effort.       

U.S. Representative Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) praised community efforts       to increase health care access for residents in his district. "Access to       quality health care services is critical to the residents of my       congressional district," Cummings said. "It is encouraging to see the       Orchard Mews community working together to address this problem right here       in Baltimore." The Neighborhood Networks demonstration project is managed       by the local nonprofit Multifamily Initiatives (MFI). MFI provides a       full-time on-site nurse and has partnered with Chase Brexton Health       Services, a not-for-profit federally qualified health center, to provide       on-site addictions counseling. For more information about Orchard Mews or       Neighborhood Networks centers winning best practices awards, please call       the Neighborhood Networks Information Center toll-free at (888)       312-2743, or visit the website at http://web.archive.org/web/19990203092640/http://www.neighborhoodnetworks.org/.       
Neighborhood Networks Honored with Best Practice AwardsHUD honored the efforts of several           Neighborhood Networks centers with the 1998 John J. Gunther Blue           Ribbon Best Practice award. Congratulations to the           winners! Among honorees:Dallas Neighborhood Networks Collaboration             (DNNC)Dallas, TXGrier Park and Hillcrest             Apartments Neighborhood Networks Center Charlotte, NC         Grove Neighborhood             Network at the Island Grove Village Apartments Greeley, COInterfaith Homes             Neighborhood Networks CenterKalamazoo, MI         Martin Luther King             Neighborhood Networks Computer Center Detroit, MI Neighborhood Networks             Health Care Demonstration at the Orchard Mews Apartments Baltimore, MD         Smoketown Neighborhood             Networks Computer Learning Center Louisville, KY         Neighborhood Networks             LaGrave Learning Center Grand Forks, ND           Newswatch
The Neighborhood Networks initiative continues to make news headlines       nationwide. In July, WBAL-TV 11, the NBC affiliate in Baltimore,       broadcast a two-minute story on the Neighborhood Networks Health Care       Demonstration at Orchard Mews. The story focused on the unique on-site       health care services provided to residents. The center won a 1998 John J.       Gunther Award, which HUD presents to the very best programs in community       development.       

In June, KGTV-TV 10, the ABC affiliate in       San Diego, aired a brief story on the grand opening of the Neighborhood       Networks center at Villa Nueva Apartments in San Ysidro, CA. Equipped with       35 computers, the center is one of the largest and most complete in the       nation.       

Neighborhood Networks center staff seeking assistance with generating       local news coverage should contact Neighborhood Networks staff Bill Weger       at (703) 934-3208 or Lucinda Flowers at (703) 218-2621. 
What's Newfor       NeighborhoodNetworks
The Neighborhood Networks initiative offers       residents of HUD-assisted and -insured properties opportunities to make       significant lifestyle changes. These are recent highlights of Neighborhood       Networks activities:       
- Several new fact sheets are available, plus two new newsletters:         NNewsline, which addresses Neighborhood Networks center         issues,and Neighborhood Networks News Brief, which highlights         national achievements.        
- A guide providing Neighborhood Networks centers with lessons learned         in center development will be available this fall.         
- The Neighborhood Networks website www.NeighborhoodNetworks.org          has grown to include news alerts of local centers and updated links to         relevant websites.         
- A Neighborhood Networks national conference will be held in two         locations: Phoenix, Arizona, from September 14-16 and Atlanta,         Georgia, from September 23-25.         
- Neighborhood Networks has formed a partnership with the National         Congress for Community and Economic Development (NCCED). A nonprofit         membership organization of local community development corporations,         NCCED helps communities build affordable housing, provides job training         and job placement services, and offers guidance for individuals         launching small businesses.         
- An interactive Neighborhood Networks listserv (e-mail group) on         adult and youth literacy allows participants to discuss educational         issues. The listserv will help produce ideas and partners for centers         with educational programs.        
- In addition to the award-winning program at Orchard Mews in         Baltimore, Maryland, a second health care demonstration site         opens in the fall of 1998. This demonstration at Glenarden         Apartments in Glenarden, Maryland, will focus on health         education through a partnership with the Bowie State University School         of Nursing in Bowie, Maryland.         
- Creative Associates International, a Washington D.C.-based         consulting firm, has included a Neighborhood Networks center in its         Department of Labor, Welfare-to-Work grant application to provide         training for women to become child care providers in low-income areas of         Philadelphia. 
Neighborhood Networks centers interested in       finding out more about current activities can visit the website atwww.NeighborhoodNetworks.orgor call the       Neighborhood Networks Information Center toll-free at (888)       312-2743.       What's Newon the Neighborhood Networks       Website?       Visit the "What's New" section of the website every week for       updated Neighborhood Networks information on topics, such as the       following:       - Neighborhood Networks center grand openings.         
- New national partners.         
- Site visits to Neighborhood Networks centers.         
- Guidance on issues ranging from Internet access to partnership         development. www.NeighborhoodNetworks.org 

HUD Neighborhood NetworksNEWS       BRIEF

Written by:Jennifer Eddy, Toni Gallo, Janet Maccubbin, Dave       Nagoski, Ayana Shepherd, Bill Weger, Steve Yank, Ray YinEditorial       Board: Dan Evans, Debby Fishman, Lucinda Flowers, Jerry Garcia, Susan       Guthrie, Steve Seuser, Bill Weger, Steve YankManaging       Editor:Jennifer EddyLayout: Ruder Finn

Neighborhood Networks News Briefis published quarterly by the       Government Printing Office (GPO) through the U.S. Department of Housing       and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Multifamily Housing. It is       distributed to the public, HUD field offices and Neighborhood Networks       centers.       

For additional copies, please call the Neighborhood Networks       Information Center toll-free at (888) 312-2743. 
Calendar of Events               September 14-16&             23-25, 1998HUD Neighborhood       Networks1998 National       ConferencePhoenix       (September 14-16) Crowne Plaza Phoenix DowntownAtlanta       (September 23-25) Atlanta Marriott North CentralContact: Neighborhood       Networks Information CenterPhone: (888) 312-2743                   September 24-25,             1998
National Association of Housing       and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO)Welfare-to-WorkArlington,       Virginia, DoubleTree National Airport Hotel 
            October 8-9,             1998
National Association of Housing       and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO)Welfare-to-WorkSeattle,       Washington, Radisson Hotel, Seattle AirportContact: Moria       BrownPhone: (202) 289-3500Fax: (202) 289-4949E-mail: nahro@nahro.orgWebsite: http://web.archive.org/web/19990203092640/http://www.hud.gov/cgi-bin/intercept?http://www.nahro.org
            October 29-31,             1998National Congress       for Community Economic Development (NCCED)Annual       ConferenceKansas City,       MissouriContact: Ellen ShortillPhone: (202) 234-5009Fax: (202)       234-4510Website:http://web.archive.org/web/19990203092640/http://www.hud.gov/cgi-bin/intercept?http://www.ncced.org            November 1-4,             1998
The       Enterprise Foundation17th Annual Network ConferenceDenver, Colorado, Adam's Mark HotelContact: The Enterprise       FoundationPhone: (410) 964-1230E-mail: mail@enterprisefoundation.orgWebsite:       http://web.archive.org/web/19990203092640/http://www.hud.gov/cgi-bin/intercept?http://www.enterprisefoundation.org
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