BANGOR — During NeighborWorks Week, June 3-10, Penquis C.A.P., Inc., (Penquis) and other NeighborWorks network organizations across the country celebrate the achievements of communities and how, together with NeighborWorks, they are empowering communities for success, changing and enhancing lives.
“We are excited to celebrate our accomplishments during NeighborWorks Week,” says Kara Hay, president and CEO of Penquis. “With NeighborWorks’ support, Penquis has been able to take great strides towards addressing the current housing crisis. We are grateful for the opportunities to create new rental housing, preserve housing units, support homeowners, and counsel homebuyers.”
Maine has been experiencing a housing crisis with insufficient affordable housing and a growing unhoused population. Penquis has worked to improve this situation by using grant funds, including $291,500 of funding from NeighborWorks America last year, to support housing and community development through a variety of approaches. Through their work in 2022, Penquis has helped 610 Mainers to purchase or maintain ownership of a house, while also creating or preserving 84 rental homes. Additionally, Penquis has provided assistance through housing-related education and counseling to 358 individuals and funded 203 home repairs. Recently, NeighborWorks America granted Penquis $310,000 to continue their work supporting housing and community development.
“You don’t really see how much a house completes a family until you are in it.” shared Judah Isgro, a recent first-time homeowner through the help of Penquis programs. He and his family of four had been living in a small in-town apartment and found themselves feeling as though they did not have what they needed to grow in that space. The apartment, which had no lawn, was not a welcoming place for their children to play and enjoy the outdoors. While the family made the most of the apartment, Judah described feeling like they were “losing themselves” in that space and knew they needed a change.
After connecting with Penquis through the suggestion of a coworker, Judah was soon on the path to making the family’s dream of homeownership a reality. He received financial coaching, which helped him to set goals, check his credit score, and create a budget. He also opened a Family Development Account, which matched the dollars he saved 4:1 to help the family build a down payment. With this assistance, Judah and wife and two children were able to move their family into a home of their own.
Individuals interested in receiving information on programs available through Penquis may visit http://www.penquis.org or call 207-973-3500.
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Penquis is part of the national NeighborWorks network, an affiliation of nearly 250 nonprofit organizations located in every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Throughout the year, NeighborWorks network organizations empower people to take steps to reach their goals, such as making their community safer, finding and maintaining secure housing, and ensuring financial stability, which leads to thriving, healthier communities. In fiscal year 2022, the NeighborWorks network provided 415,777 housing and counseling services; created 18,775 new homeowners; and owned and/or managed 204,916 rental homes.
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 primarily serves low- and moderate-income individuals in Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Knox counties. Penquis programs focus on four areas: economic security, school readiness, reliable transportation and healthy lives. Penquis touches the lives of approximately 5,000 people every day and more than 30,000 each year.