Nashville Area Habitat wins Clarence Jordan Award for Creativity and Innovation

Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity recently received the 2010 Clarence Jordan Award for Creativity and Innovation for the development of delinquency management processes that enabled the agency to reach and maintain a very low delinquency rate.

This award is presented to Habitat affiliates that demonstrate creativity or innovation in affiliate operational areas including home design, fund-raising, and volunteer recruitment. It is important that the innovation can be replicated in other affiliates.

The award honors the legacy of Clarence Jordan, the founder of Koinonia Farm, a religious community in southwest Georgia. Known as the spiritual father of Habitat for Humanity, Jordan believed in helping the poor.

In March 2009, Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity reported an all-time 24-year low mortgage delinquency rate of 1.59 percent. Just 30 days later, the agency broke that record with an unprecedented .95 percent delinquency rate. In June the rate fell to .63 percent, and in September, Nashville Area Habitat set another all-time 24-year record with a zero percent delinquency rate. The rate averaged one percent and less for all of 2009.

Leaders at Nashville Area Habitat attribute this success to the diligence of Habitat homeowners and the teamwork among Habitat’s delinquency committee, HomeWORKS staff and volunteers, and the accounting staff. HomeWORKS trainers prepare partner families for homeownership through a series of courses designed to teach new skills and encourage new habits. The delinquency committee developed the processes and procedures that have led to the continuous improvement in delinquency rate since 2002. Accounting staff member Tommy Braswell works with individual families as problems arise and directs the delinquency management function at the agency.

“Habitat for Humanity affiliates look for innovative ways to make life better for the families we serve,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. “The Clarence Jordan Awards allow us to recognize vision and compassion and enable us to thank those who so faithfully carry out our mission.”

“This award is a testament to the spirit of service embodied by the Nashville community,” said president and CEO Chris McCarthy. “This honor and the fiscal responsibility of our families acknowledge the hard work and commitment of the volunteers and donors who continually work to eliminate substandard housing.”