In 1998, NHS, the City of Chicago, and insurance providers came together to raise awareness about the fire risk to homes, to help reduce the injury and loss of life and property due to fire, and to help build stronger neighborhoods through the preservation of Chicago’s affordable housing. The continued support and guidance of CHSP partners is crucial to meeting NHS’ mission of neighborhood revitalization.
CHSP Program Achievements — Report Cards
The Chicago Home Safety Partnership (CHSP) Report Card is a document that helps NHS articulate the way its work benefits its partners in the insurance industry. It lists the benefits that insurance partners can expect to experience through participation, and outlines how NHS activities such has home improvement, insurance education and community outreach, to name a few, achieve the goal of mutual benefit to insurance partners and Chicago neighborhoods
What are the benefits of CHSP to its partners in the insurance industry?
• Improved insurance market
• Housing, block and neighborhood improvements increase the number of good insurable risks
• NHS’ work improves market values in target neighborhoods and increases owner occupancy rates, leading to new insurance policies
• New policies written by insurance partners
• Visibility, Public Relations and Marketing
• NHS hosts neighborhood and citywide events at which CHSP materials and information are distributed
• NHS teaches an insurance module as part of its homeownership education curriculum
• NHS and CHSP are involved in local and citywide partnerships in the public, private and non-profit industries, including the Chicago Fire Department, the Red Cross, and numerous lending institutions
• Business Retention
• NHS prevents foreclosures through counseling, lending and workouts with lenders, thus preventing neighborhood turnover
• H-RAIL is a City of Chicago grant program implemented by NHS in certain neighborhoods. (H-RAIL grant money is used to make homes more accessible to seniors, thus enabling them stay in their homes as they age. Accessibility upgrades include installation of handrails and ramps)
• Risk Reduction
• NHS does rehab and home improvement work to high quality standards leading to increased risk reduction
• NHS turns around vacant buildings to owner occupied assets
• Tax Increment Financing "TIF" is a City of Chicago grant program implemented by NHS in certain neighborhoods. (TIF grant money is used to make exterior upgrades to homes in older neighborhoods. Upgrades include new porches, roofs, windows, doors, tuck-pointing, siding and fencing)
• Reputation
• CHSP instills consumer confidence in companies involved in community improvement
• Involvement in CHSP demonstrates corporate leadership to regulators
• Understanding of challenging markets
• CHSP fosters innovative and improved business practices and products in a pilot partnership environment
• Involvement creates in-depth understanding of the evolving market in neighborhoods
• Employee Involvement
• Helps foster employee loyalty and retention
• Team effort for community improvements
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