Nehemiah of CA Now Nehemiah of America

The Sacramento-based Nehemiah Corp. of California, a national pioneer in providing privately funded downpayment assistance, has changed its name to the Nehemiah Corp. of America.Nehemiah, established in 1994 to increase "homeownership and asset development opportunities for diverse populations," said it will continue to pursue its original mission. The name change reflects the nonprofit organization's new goals and extended services and is "a symbol of how far our industry has come and reflects the growth of our mission," said Scott Syphax, Nehemiah's president and chief executive officer. Since 1997, the "Nehemiah Program" has provided downpayment and closing gifts of up to 6% of a home's sale price. As of Dec. 31, it had provided over $600 million in gift funds to more than 165,000 families in 8,258 cities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the company said.