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Mission:
Our City Reading is a 501C non profit corporation with a three pronged mission:
 -to create pride and stability through home ownership to Reading's first time home buyers,
 -to bring new high quality job opportunities to the area, and
 -to enhance the quality of life for city and surrounding community residents.
 
picture of houses
Places to Live - Restored affordable properties: In 2001 Our City Reading began to interact with government entities, bankers, and local building contractors, to fully restore, market and sell houses in all areas of the city of Reading.

As of January 2007, Our City Reading has assisted over 300 families to become first time homebuyers.

Our banking partners provided low interest loans, at rates below standard residential housing mortgage rates.

Our non-profit structure, high volume purchasing of home restoration materials, local contractors and the favorable financing arrangements have made the transition from rental to home ownership very affordable for our inner city Reading residents. . Homes sell for less than most residents now pay in rent per month including taxes and insurance.
picture of houses

Places to Work:
Our City Reading's economic stimulation proposals successfully brought new businesses and industries to Reading.

Our City Reading built a new banking facility for Sovereign Bank that created over five hundred jobs in the very heart of downtown Reading in 2006.

Directlink Technologies chose Berks county for their new State-of-the Art data center. This new industry, to our area, is offering high salaried jobs to attract highly skilled workers.
GoggleWorks picture
Venues to Enjoy Life:
In 2003 Our City Reading planned to create an art center from an old eyeglass factory. When the GoggleWorks opened in September 2005, it was the largest interactive community arts center in the country. The art center drew over 90,000 visitors during their first year of operation.

The GoggleWorks offers the community an opportunity to learn about the arts in a working studio environment, and gives the entire city a vitality it did not have previously.