Penquis

Article Title: Grant Award

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sept. 23, 2021

Penquis Receives Grant from NeighborWorks® America Housing Stability Counseling Program

Funding will help save homes, achieve housing stability for Maine families and individuals

BANGOR, Maine (Sept. 23, 2021) – Earlier this month Penquis was selected to receive a grant of $133,422 from NeighborWorks® America (NeighborWorks), a national nonprofit organization with a network of nearly 250 organizations creating opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve their lives and strengthen their communities. The grant was awarded under NeighborWorks’ Housing Stability Counseling Program, which aims to help eligible nonprofits and agencies provide direct housing counseling services to individuals and families facing housing instability, such as eviction, foreclosure and homelessness.

Penquis Housing and Energy Services Director Jennifer Giosia said of this award, “With funding from the Housing Stability Counseling Program, we know that we are helping to mitigate the risk of eviction and foreclosure for some very vulnerable Maine families. Penquis can continue to assist homeowners and to help our communities recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Established in 1967, Penquis is a nonprofit community action agency and a HUD-approved Housing Counseling Agency dedicated to help people in Maine be safe, healthy, connected and financially secure. The Penquis Housing Counseling Program has been operating for more than twenty years. Housing counseling is provided by four Penquis housing counselors who are HUD certified, serving individuals and families in Penobscot, Piscataquis, Hancock, Washington, Waldo and Knox counties.

Penquis and its programs have been continually recognized for their quality and innovation. Awards received include a 2018 Nonprofit of the Year Award from the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce and a 2020 Stephen B. Mooers Award from MaineHousing in recognition of its work in affordable housing. Penquis has consistently earned an “exemplary” rating from NeighborWorks for attaining the highest level of performance and impact.

For more information about Penquis Housing Counseling, please contact Heather Massow, Homeownership Counselor and Educator, at (207) 974-2403.

ABOUT PENQUIS: Established in 1967, Penquis is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to supporting Maine families in becoming healthy, safe, connected, and financially secure. Penquis is Maine’s largest community action agency with more than 50 programs serving primarily low- and moderate-income individuals in Penobscot, Piscataquis and Knox counties, with an even broader impact across all 16 counties and through its more than 500 community partnerships. Penquis programs focus on 5 areas: affordable housing, economic security, school readiness, reliable transportation, and healthy lives. Penquis touches the lives of approximately 6,000 people every day and more than 30,000 each year.

About NeighborWorks® America: For more than 40 years, Neighborhood Reinvestment Corp., a national, nonpartisan nonprofit known as NeighborWorks® America, has strived to make every community a place of opportunity. Our network of excellence includes nearly 250 members in every state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. NeighborWorks® America offers grant funding, peer exchange, technical assistance, evaluation tools, and access to training as the nation’s leading trainer of housing and community development professionals. NeighborWorks network organizations provide residents in their communities with affordable homes, owned and rented; financial counseling and coaching; community building through resident engagement; and collaboration in the areas of health, employment, and education.