About The Neighbor Project

A city’s greatest asset is the people who live there.

Strengthen communities from within.

The Neighbor Project is a nonprofit, HUD-Certified Housing Counseling Agency dedicated to helping low to moderate income families reduce debt, build credit, save and ultimately buy their first homes.

Our programs help working families begin building wealth, positioning them to drive the revitalization of their own neighborhoods. Clients always do the work to change their own financial situations – but that work is leveraged through innovative programs that help them reach their goals more quickly than they ever would alone.

We believe everyone needs a neighbor. We believe neighbors change the world.

"When someone offers help, most people think, ‘What is the catch?’ I realized there is no catch. This project is here to help families move forward."

Reynaldo, client
“As long as you don’t give up, you can do it. It’s achievable.”

Joni, Client
“From the moment we started talking until now, the whole process has been amazing.”

Jon, Client

In 2018 two partner organizations, Joseph Corporation and Emmanuel House, joined to form The Neighbor Project. Joseph Corporation was founded in 1990 by the Sisters of Mercy to address housing and financial needs, while Emmanuel House was founded in 2002 to increase homeownership according to what is now the Breatkthrough Rental model.

After a decade of collaboration, it just made more sense to do this work as one.

Our merger brought Emmanuel House’s innovative savings tools together with Joseph Corporation’s robust background in financial education and homeowner support, allowing us to serve clients at every stage of the homeownership journey. Since then we’ve made hundreds of homeowners, kept thousands of families out of foreclosure and helped clients increase their combined net worth by millions of dollars.

But the goal has never been financial wealth. When people reduce debt and build assets, they’re more able to pursue goals. They start businesses, invest in organizations and improve their neighborhoods. They build the city.

When we free our neighbors from financial strain, we free ourselves as well.

Known for innovation. Shaped in collaboration.

Core Values

Neighbors build neighborhoods. When individual families increase their financial health, their entire communities benefit.

Assets build financial freedom. When working families struggle, it’s not caused by low income, but by a lack of assets. Debt and disadvantage lock them out of ownership – but it’s possible to reverse that cycle.

We’re here to empower each other. Human beings were made to love their neighbors. We all need each other. And when we embrace that, we can actually change the world.

You don’t have to change your life alone.