CHN Housing Partners and Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Cleveland (NHS) have merged under the CHN umbrella.
The two housing organizations have been part of Cleveland’s nonprofit community for a combined 82 years and plan to build on their affordable housing and housing services efforts.
“After decades of working together, sharing similar missions, stakeholders, funders, and clients, we have decided to combine forces,” said Kevin J. Nowak, who became CHN’s executive director on July 1. “This is the right time to implement what the two organizations have discussed over the years.”
CHN was founded in 1981 by a group of community development organizations in Cleveland. Its work has focused on housing stability as a way to invest in families, neighborhoods, and the regional economy with a staff of 175. Today, CHN serves more than 30,000 low-income individuals in Greater Cleveland annually. It’s nationally known for its flagship Lease Purchase Program and works with partners in Ohio and neighboring states to develop affordable housing.
NHS, which began in 1975, provides programs and services for achieving, preserving and sustaining the American dream of homeownership. Its programs include downpayment assistance, foreclosure intervention, home repair, home improvement loans, and credit counseling. In the last fiscal year, it provided counseling and education services to 2,115 clients and facilitated $21.5 million in investments throughout Northeast Ohio. NHS is the fifth-chartered organization in the NeighborWorks America network.
