CVS Caremark receives Pioneer Award for employer-assisted housing

WASHINGTON Homes for Working Families, a national nonprofit organization focused on improving home affordability, has announced that CVS Caremark was one of 14 award recipients of the 2008 Pioneer Awards for leadership in employer-assisted housing.

CVS Caremark was recognized for its employer-assisted housing program Prescriptions for Homeownership launched in Washington in 2005, and in Los Angeles in 2007. So far, it has helped more than 50 employees close on their homes. The company plans to expand the program to Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit this year.

“We’re proud to be able to help our employees take their first big steps toward homeownership,” stated Steve Wing, director of workforce initiatives for CVS Caremark. “Innovative programs such as Prescriptions for Homeownership provide us the opportunity to support our workforce, promote employee recruitment and retention, and improve the communities in which we do business.”

Immediately following the Feb. 11 award event on Capitol Hill, representatives from CVS Caremark and Harley-Davidson Motor Co., another award recipient, participated in a congressional staff briefing hosted by the National Housing Conference titled “Employer-Assisted Housing: Expanding Opportunities for Homeownership, Business and Community Development.” The briefing provided insights into employer programs and local implementations, as well as information on pending federal legislation that would provide federal tax credits to employers offering EAH programs.

Other recipients of the 2008 Pioneer Awards included the City of Seattle, John Hopkins University, The Schwan Food Co., and the University of Chicago and University of Chicago Medical Center.