Judge Lawrence K. Karlton of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California upheld Nehemiah's motion for summary judgment and invalidated the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rule to ban private downpayment assistance as proposed in the "Standards for Mortgagor's Investment in Mortgaged Property" regulation published October 1, 2007.

To be clear, this rule cannot be enforced by HUD and is no longer a threat to private downpayment assistance programs.

We are thrilled with the Court's decision to support low-to-moderate income families across the country by ruling against HUD's attempt to ban private downpayment assistance," said Scott Syphax, President and CEO of Nehemiah Corporation of America. This is a major and conclusive judgment, leaving no uncertainty that downpayment assistance is a life line to the families that Nehemiah serves. It is heartening to see that the Court's arguments echo our sentiments and concerns. This decision preserves access and supports the use of sensible and reasonable approaches to homeownership for millions of working class families. It is a privilege to continue providing a helping hand to America's underserved families by building both safer communities and financial strength through homeownership. As we have said before, we look forward to working with HUD to support deserving families across the country."

To read more about Nehemiah's court victory, visit: http://www.getdownpayment.com/updates/insidetrack.asp

1689 Juliet Avenue St. Paul, MN 55105 - ia a Nehemiah approved property, call or email for more information