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24695: Hermantin (News) Haitian housing group honored



leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Posted on Thu, Apr. 07, 2005
LITTLE HAITI
Haitian housing group honored
The Little Haiti Housing Association has received a national award for its efforts in increasing homeownership among the city's Haitian population.
BY JASON JEFFERS
jjeffers@herald.com

The Little Haiti Housing Association, a nonprofit community development group that helps residents of the Little Haiti community purchase their own homes, has been recognized by a national organization for its efforts to increase minority homeownership.

The association was recently announced as the winner of the Education award from the HOPE Awards, an annual program put together by the Hope Partners, a coalition of various real estate organization that promote minority homeownership, as well as the National Association of Realtors.

''It's a very significant award and an incredible validation of all the work we've been doing over the years,'' said Samuel Diller, executive director of the Little Haiti Housing Association.

The association was founded in 1987 with the mission of building and refurbishing homes for residents of Miami's financially strapped and oft-neglected Little Haiti neighborhood. Since then, the association has built over 60 homes for the area's residents. It also provides a community center and computer facility for the area's children.

The association was granted the award specifically for its Home Buyer Training Program, a four-week course that provides counseling to many first-generation Haitian immigrants who are interested in purchasing their first home.

''There are so many people who speak little or no English and have no history of dealing with established financial institutions,'' Diller said. ``This program guides them through the entire process, educating them about their credit and right through the mortgage process.''

So far, the program has assisted 140 families to become homeowners. With the $10,000 prize, the association plans to develop the program further, incorporating audio-visual aids in both English and Creole.

The association will be presented the award on May 10 during a symposium and gala dinner at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

''It's an evolving program and we'd like to see more families involved in it,'' Diller said. ``We really do appreciate this award. It's very valuable to us.''

For information on the association and its programs, call 305-759-2542.