About NeighborWorks Blackhawk Region - NeighborWorks Blackhawk Region

About Us

Formed in 1979 through the grass-roots efforts of residents of the Merrill Neighborhood in the City of Beloit, NeighborWorks Blackhawk Region’s mission is to transform lives and communities by advocating for and empowering individuals and families to make informed housing choices.

NeighborWorks Blackhawk Region is a NeighborWorks® America certified Full-Cycle lending organization offering a full range of home buyer services. The agency is an Approved Housing Counseling Agency by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and is HUD certified as a Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO).

Promote Homeownership

Homeownership promotion uses NeighborWorks® curriculum “Realizing the American Dream” to teach Home Buyer Education classes. In addition to taking the class, participants meet with a NeighborWorks Blackhawk Region Housing Counselor for an individual intake session. Classes and counseling services are available to all homebuyers, regardless of income or geographic location. Classes are currently offered in Beloit and Janesville.

NeighborWorks Blackhawk Region also offers a range of downpayment assistance products from its Revolving Loan Fund. Downpayment assistance loans may be forgivable if the buyer’s income is at or below 80% of the area median income and they are purchasing an NeighborWorks Blackhawk Region rehabbed or newly constructed home in a priority neighborhood; deferred if the buyer is purchasing a home in one of NeighborWorks Blackhawk Region’s neighborhoods identified as a priority neighborhoods; or repayable, if the buyer is purchasing a home in Beloit, but outside of a priority neighborhood.

Preserve Homeownership

NeighborWorks Blackhawk Region provides post-purchase educational seminars teaching homeowners how to create wealth through homeownership, how to develop a successful family spending plan, how to do preventive and corrective home maintenance, and how to prevent foreclosure.

NeighborWorks Blackhawk Region aspires to work with homeowners at the beginning stages of foreclosure, counseling them through the necessary steps to pull themselves out of their situation. NeighborWorks Blackhawk Region has also developed working relationships with area lenders and loan servicers especially beneficial where loan modifications are sought.

NeighborWorks Blackhawk Region provides Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) counseling to those seeking HECM loans – commonly referred to as Reverse Mortgages.

Preserve Home Ownership | Neighborworks Blackhawk Region

Housing For Those Otherwise Homeless

We provide safe, temporary, well-managed housing for an underserved population of men who would otherwise by homeless.

Brittan House is a transitional living facility comprised of 45 units of single rooms for otherwise homeless men. The mission of Brittan House is to provide a stable, peaceful housing environment where the residents have the opportunity to re-build and re-position their lives. NeighborWorks Blackhawk Region also owns two commercial spaces adjacent to Brittan House.

Housing Acquisition, Building & Rehabilitation

We acquire housing units, build new housing and rehabilitate blighted homes in priority neighborhoods

NeighborWorks Blackhawk Region acquires substandard housing stock in its priority neighborhoods – rehabilitates the homes to high quality standards and sells them to qualified buyers who have completed homebuyer education classes. NeighborWorks Blackhawk Region also builds new homes in areas where conditions have necessitated the demolition of a house.

housing acquisition building and rehabilitation and

Benefit To Families And Community

NeighborWorks Blackhawk Region’s work has great social value and contributes to improving the quality of life for the thousands of families residing in the greater Beloit communities. We provide a wide range of services, including building and renovating homes, managing properties, counseling new homebuyers and providing foreclosure assistance for struggling homeowners. One result is helping to stabilize high-priority areas, enhancing not just one life within the community but the overall quality of community life.

Neighborworks | Beloit Neighborhood Housing Services

Contributor To Local Economy

NeighborWorks Blackhawk Region is also a small business. As such, we deliver significant financial value by maintaining and building payrolls, running our own business, purchasing goods and services from other local small businesses and generating local, state and federal taxes and fees. We’re a contributor to the Stateline Area’s prosperous business environment.

During the period 2006-2011 NeighborWorks Blackhawk Region was responsible for over $24.4 million in economic activity as a result of its operations. $8.6 million of this was a direct effect (initial impact on the economy), $2.7 million an indirect effect (secondary impact caused by changing input needs of directly affected industries, e.g., building homes requires lumber, cement, and architectural services) and $13.1 million an induced effect (impact caused by household change in spending due to additional employment caused by direct and indirect affects, e.g., construction workers shop at the grocery store or buy clothing). On an annual basis, the organization sustains over 40.3 jobs.