St. Louis Receives Award for Municipal Excellence from the National League of Cities

 

Contact: Kara Bowlin                                                               December 15, 2009

314-622-3479                                                                                                                          FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

bowlink@stlouiscity.com

 

Ann Kelly

202-626-3139

Kelly@nlc.org

 

St. Louis Receives Award for Municipal Excellence from

 the National League of Cities

 

St.   Louis—The City of St. Louis is one of eight cities selected to receive the Award for Municipal Excellence at the National League of Cities’ (NLC) 2009 Congress of Cities & Exposition in San Antonio, Texas. This year marks the 20^th Anniversary of this prestigious award. As a Silver winner in the 150,001-500,000 population category, St.   Louis is being honored for the St. Louis Alliance for Homeownership Preservation.

 

The St. Louis Alliance for Homeownership Preservation is a collaboration of five local agencies that was formed at the request of Mayor Slay in response to increased foreclosures in the City. It provides initial homeowner screening, budget preparation, financial literacy courses, intervention/negotiations with lenders to restructure/refinance existing mortgages and case management to homeowners at risk of going into foreclosure. The project is administered and funded by the City’s Affordable Housing Commission.

 

“The work of the St. Louis Alliance for Homeownership Preservation has meant a great deal to both our citizens and the City of St.   Louis,” said Francis G. Slay, Mayor of St. Louis. “Working in partnership with the City, the Alliance has helped more than 800 families save their homes from foreclosure through counseling, intervention, and financial support since the project’s inception in March of 2008. This means that our neighborhoods are more stable, more of our families have remained intact, and these homeowners have preserved their dignity.”

 

As a Silver winner, St. Louis will receive an award of $1,000, which will be donated to the community non-profit organization of its choice.

 

Other award-winning cities include Slidell, La.; Savannah, Ga.; Long Beach, Calif.; New York City; Estes Park, Co.; Burnsville, Minn.; and Seattle, Wash.

 

“I congratulate St. Louis and its Alliance for Homeownership Preservation for receiving this award,” said Donald J. Borut, NLC executive director. “St. Louis’ program has improved the quality of life for its citizens by developing a creative solution to a pressing local problem. It is a model program that can serve as a positive example for other cities.”

 

The Awards for Municipal Excellence recognize city programs that improve the quality of life in local communities through creative collaboration, excellence in city governance, and best practices in municipal policy.

 

NLC has partnered with CH2M HILL, one of the country’s largest engineering, construction, and consulting firms, since the inception of this awards program in 1989. Additional information about the Municipal Award program is available on NLC’s website, www.nlc.org.

 

For more information on St. Louis’ winning program, please contact Kara Bowlin, 314-622-3479 or Bowlink@stlouiscity.com.

 

The National League of Cities is the nation’s oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership, and governance. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns, and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.