West Bloomfield – The Home Builders Association of Southeastern Michigan has selected Home Renewal Systems (HRS) as the recipient of the 2012 Distinguished Service Award for Urban Home Building, HBA of Southeastern Michigan CEO Michael Stoskopf announced today.

“Home Renewal Systems tackled a tremendous challenge by successfully developing a strategy to help address the foreclosure crisis is southeastern Michigan and bring the dream of homeownership to new buyers,” Stoskopf said. “We congratulate the entire Home Renewal Systems team for promoting the best interests of the housing industry and improving the quality of life in Michigan communities.”

HRS is a Farmington Hills-based company conceived by Bernie Glieberman, president of Crosswinds Communities. His daughter, Tracey Katzen, is president of HRS, and Shannon Morgan is a senior vice president with the company. Since its inception in 2009, the company has successfully completed the renovation or newly rebuilt sale of more than 280 homes in the four counties that comprise metropolitan Detroit.

During 2009-12, HRS partnered with 15 metro Detroit municipalities participating in the federally funded Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). The program focused on building new or refurbishing foreclosed or abandoned properties. The municipalities include: Ferndale, Oak Park, Hazel Park, Westland, River Rouge, Ecorse, Inkster, Redford, Eastpointe, Holly, Royal Oak Township, Keego Harbor, Ortonville, Lake Orion, and Pontiac.

HRS developed an unprecedented coalition of real estate agents, lenders, nonprofit financial counselors and elected officials to help market the renovated homes. HRS is credited with selling the entire inventory of more than 200 homes to low- and moderate-income buyers, which has helped to stabilize property values in communities hard hit by high rates of foreclosure. The National Association of REALTORS has lauded the campaign as a model for other municipalities.

“When public and private leaders come together, we can overcome the stereotypes of foreclosed properties, sell houses that have been beautifully restored and benefit local neighborhoods,” said Morgan. “These are houses with hardwood floors, state-of-the-art energy-saving appliances and other amenities that defy the perception of abandoned housing. We are proud to help buyers purchase their own homes for less than the cost of renting.”

The Home Builders Association of Southeastern Michigan (HBA of Southeastern Michigan) is a nonprofit association for the home building and remodeling industry in southeastern Michigan. We help our members provide homeowners and potential homeowners with high-quality new homes and remodeled homes that are safer, more energy efficient and technologically advanced. Our membership includes builders, remodelers, property owners, developers and suppliers to the residential construction industry. We are affiliated with the Home Builders Association (HBA) of Michigan and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).