Media Contact: Christine BurkFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(248) 920-6060 ext. 2121

Joe Heaphy

(248) 920-6200

NATIONAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WEEK BEGINS APRIL 9TH

(PONTIAC, MI) APRIL 2, 2007 – April ninth may mark the beginning of National Community Development Week across the country, but at Lighthouse Community Development (LCD) in Pontiac, neighborhood revitalization tops its priority list all

year long.

LCD, a non-profit organization and subsidiary of Lighthouse of Oakland County, has been successfully building and renovating homes in depressed communities throughout Oakland County for more than a decade.Its mission to provide decent, affordable housing for low to moderate-income families has empowered hundreds of people to achieve their dream of homeownership.

“Community development is really about the families and individuals who reside in the area,” explains LCD Executive Director Joe Heaphy. “All people deserve the opportunity to live in a community where they feel safe, and where their home can serve as a financial asset that will provide them with future security.”

Last year more than a thousand people turned to LCD for homeownership and financial guidance.

“The people at Lighthouse changed my family’s life,” says Unity Park resident Pam Green. “Instead of focusing on why we couldn’t buy a house, they offered us solutions. It wasn’t easy. It took a lot of work, but they stuck with us and now we have our own home and our own backyard.”

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Green and her husband, Dewayne, moved into their Unity Park house built by LCD on June 28, 2006. They share their home with their four children: Jon (14), Chenyier (12), Maylik (10) and Tanqurae (8).

The Green’s story is just one of many throughout the state and country that represent the significance in acknowledging National Community Development Week. Knowing that they’re leading a happy and productive life is an inspiration for LCD to continue build brighter and better communities for all families.

Through the years, LCD has built 60 single-family homes and renovated 25 existing homes for first-time homebuyers in Unity Park in Pontiac, using Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds from the City of Pontiac to support much of this work. It has also repaired or restored more than 160 owner-occupied homes.

In 2006, LCD secured approval and financing for an $8 million Beacon Housing Project that includes the renovation of a blighted, vacant apartment complex at 101 Mechanic Street and the construction of 12 two-story town homes at 449 Whittemore Street.

Recently, LCD teamed-up with Oakland County, Paramount Bank and The City of Ferndale, to launch an ambitious community development initiative called “The Porch Light Partnership.”The Porch Light Partnership was established to address Ferndale’s home foreclosure problem. Ferndale is one of six cities in Oakland County in which the home foreclosure rate exceeds the home sales rate.

The plan is to rebuild Ferndale neighborhoods by purchasing and renovating existing homes, and reselling them at affordable prices to low and moderate income families. LCD is scheduled to close and begin work on the first Ferndale home this April.

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“When we were approached by the City of Ferndale to assist in its strategy to become a more vibrant community, we were honored by their trust in our ability to get

the job done. I’m confident that LCD will be as successful in Ferndale as we’ve been in Pontiac and other Oakland County communities,” adds Heaphy.

In addition to building quality family homes as a certified HUD housing counseling agency, LCD offers a variety of client-based services that give people the necessary tools to become homeowners. These tools are provided through credit repair counseling, home foreclosure intervention and seminars that promote financial and homebuyer education.

To learn more about Lighthouse Community Development contact

(248) 920-6200 or visit www.lighthouseoakland.org.

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