Susan M. Ifill

Susan M. Ifill is executive vice president and chief operating officer for NeighborWorks America, leading programs and staff who support network and field operations. She previously served as chief executive officer of Neighborhood Housing Services of New York City (NHSNYC), a NeighborWorks network organization, working to address affordable housing and fight displacement across New York City. Prior to joining NHSNYC, Ifill was the senior vice president and chief retail officer for Carver Federal Savings Bank in New York.

Marietta Rodriguez

Marietta Rodriguez knows what it’s like to be a new homebuyer because she was one. "I was 25 and living in a high-cost area," she says. “There was absolutely no way I could buy a home without someone holding my hand and walking me through it.” The folks holding her hand were from a NeighborWorks network organization that provided counseling and financial assistance to first-time homebuyers. Soon, Rodriguez went to work for the organization that assisted her so that she could help more people in her hometown.

Foreclosure intervention: Keeping families in their homes in times of financial crisis


Blanca Velez Beauchamp, Executive Director, Puerto Rico Neighborhood Housing Services

Challenge: Due to the current financial uncertainty, high unemployment rates and a devalued real estate market, residents of Puerto Rico have been afraid to invest money or buy houses; 500 families are migrating from the island every month.


A safe place to call home: Successful housing strategies for former inmates


Peggy Hutchison, CEO, Primavera Foundation

Challenge: Every year, approximately 650,000 men and women are released from prisons across the nation. These former inmates face few affordable housing options, making it difficult for them to secure employment, get their lives back on track and become valuable members of the community.