City backs Web site listing inner-city homes
Friday, May 30th, 2008
Hoping to give a marketing boost to nonprofit agencies that build and rehabilitate housing, the city of Columbus and a national nonprofit have created a one-stop shop Web site designed to market inner-city homes to current and potential Columbus residents.
The city is partnering with Enterprise Community Partners, a national community development agency based in Columbia, Md., to run the site. Enterprise has a 20-year history in Columbus, at one time running the Columbus Housing Partnership, a nonprofit agency that builds and rehabs inner-city homes, said Phillip Downing, director of the Enterprise office in Columbus.
Now Enterprise wants to help nonprofits that may be good at building and rehabbing, but not so good at marketing and sales.
Homes featured on the site are primarily in south, west and east Columbus neighborhoods around Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Franklinton, Hilltop and the King-Lincoln Arts district. Enterprise is placing homes from nonprofit agencies such as the Columbus Housing Partnership, MiraCit, the Greater Linden Development Corp. and others on the Web site.
Enterprise and the city also partnered with Dublin-based Coldwell Banker King Thompson and Gahanna-based World Financial Network National Bank to provide real estate and banking services to potential buyers.
