History

Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise, Inc. (CNE) was founded in 1986. CNE's establishment was the result of a boad-based group of civic, business and political leaders addressing the need for fit and affordable housing for all Chattanoogans.

The Enterprise Foundation, a national foundation that supports low-income housing initiatives was invited to work with the people of Chattanooga to develop a plan for achieving this goal. The result was THE CHATTANOOGA TEN YEAR PLAN which identified areas, the number of houses or units to be rehabilitated or developed and established guidelines for making this process affordable to the people to be affected and possible for the city of Chattanooga to accomplish. A vital component of the plan called for the establishment of a central entity to be the central "clearinghouse" for all low income housing activities in the city. That entity was CNE.

The plan envisioned that CNE would coordinate the efforts of a variety of public agencies, private entities and individuals to carry out different aspects of the programs proposed.

By October 1987, CNE was completing its first full-scale, substantial, owner-occupied home improvement job.

In 1992, CNE absorbed the local NHS affiliate, Chattanooga Community Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. and became the local affiliate of Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation.

In 1995 CNE recognized the need to focus on neighborhood revitalization, in addition to increasing annual production goals for affordable housing.

CNE expanded its focus to include the development of mixed-use properties like the Grand Hotel and the Robinson apartment buildingand the development of mixed-income housing.

CNE branched into small business lending with the establishment of the Chattanooga Community Development Financial Institution (CCDFI).

1998 CCDFI became a certified Community Development Financial Institution by the United States Department of Treasury.

CNE NOW

Through more than two decades of serving Chattanoogas, CNE has experienced tremendous success(In 1994 CNE's Board of Directors commissioned an economic impact study to attempt to determine the direct and indirect benefit to the community of the communities' investment in the CNE experiment. The study found that CNE's investments in people and housing were unprecedented in a city the size of Chattanooga. CNE's activity had benefited, not only its direct customers, but also the city itself, through the return of abandoned and dilapidated properties to city tax rolls.) and some growing pains.

Today, we are a stream-lined nonprofit organization focused on a single mission : To improve the lives of low-moderate income Chattanoogans by building strong, sustainable neighborhoods and by fostering homeownership.

We are especially grateful to Senator Robert P. Corker Jr., the Lyndhurst Foundation, the City of Chattanooga and Chattanooga Venture and to the citizens of Chattanooga.