From Ethiopia to Nashville---A man's 10 year journey ends with a home of his own
After over 10 years of study, hard work and sacrifice Tesfaye an Ethiopian immigrant and his family now own a home of their own in Nashville. Along the way Tesfaye earned his bachelors degree and established a career working in medical research, he developed good financial habits and started saving. Tesfaye came to New Level CDC over a year ago when he decided he was ready to take the step toward homeownership. He took our homebuyer education course and we coached him on how to obtain essential information from the industry specialists he would be dealing with. He and his wife finally achieved their dream in May and are the proud new owners of a home in Nashville.

Home Again
Quanda rented the same small crumbling home for 15 years. The neighborhood was quite and peaceful making it easier to overlook problems with the home's condition. When the owner became ill the family came to Quanda offering to sell her the property and pressuring her to sign some documents of commitment. Quanda listened to her intuition and looked for people to turn to for unbiased opinions. She learned about loan programs that combine mortgage and home improvement loans and sought us out for help.

When we sat down with Quanda we explained how the programs work, their requirements and limitations. We researched the property itself and secured comps on other homes in the area. A trusted contractor volunteered his time to do a walk through of the property and provide his opinion on the extent of the work that needed to be done plus estimated costs. The work required to bring the property up to standards would be both extensive and costly. The news was difficult for Quanda but she had great credit and could easily qualify for another home at a price she could manage.

We coached her in how to interview lenders and work successfully with the other specialists she would come across on the home buying process. In May Quanda saw a dream she never thought would come true. She became the proud owner of her own home, right back in the same neighborhood she has lived in for all these years. She's home again only this time it's really hers.

New Level CDC leverages its strengths
and resources with other non-profits for greater impact
Knowing that it's easier to prevent many problems than cure them and that people are motivated by incentives or disincentives New Level CDC reached out to other like minded non-profits to work together. Safe Haven Family Shelter and Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity are two non-profits we currently partner with to provide individuals and families with financial education and housing counseling.

Families in Safe Haven's family shelter program work with us to get prepared to become responsible renters again and to establish realistic plans to help them reach financial stability. New Level conducts renters workshops which focus heavily on money management and understanding the rights and responsibilities of tenants and landlords. The workshops are required for all families in Safe Haven's program. Families who undergo this training along with one on one coaching have a greater chance of success and are less likely to lose the ground they have gained while they were with Safe Haven.

Families who are deemed not mortgage ready and denied entry into Nashville Area Habitat's program now have another place to turn to help them resolve their financial challenges and fulfill Habitat's eligibility requirements. With the dream of a home in their minds individual's have a powerful incentive to work cooperatively with New Level's counselors to achieve their financial goals. New Level has already helped many individuals overcome their financial challenges and fulfill their dream of a home of their own.

New Level CDC's mission is to empower people and communities by providing training, housing and access to services. Working collaboratively we can fill gaps, connect people with resources and ultimately help more families move ahead in life.


New Level CDC and North Nashville community partners awarded three million dollars to improve housing and neighborhoods in the community
Working with 15th Avenue Baptist CDC, Jefferson United Merchants Partnership, and Be a Helping Hand New Level CDC is buying up and renovating foreclosed and abandoned homes. The grant funding is part of an award to Metropolitan Development Housing Agency by HUD under the Neighborhood Stabilization Program. Over the next 18 months our agency partners expect to put between 40-50 homes back into commission, fighting blight and bringing safety and stability to our neighborhoods.