The Obama Administration continues to put strong emphasis on curing the nation’s housing ills and as part of its prescription the the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently announced the availability of more than $5.1 million in grants for housing counseling training. The goal is to provide additional funding to eligible organizations to provide increased quality housing counseling to the nation’s homeowners, buyers and renters.
“Every day, our HUD-approved counseling organizations help families to make more informed choices about buying or renting,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan . “Right now, these counseling programs are critical in helping thousands of families avoid foreclosure and remain in their homes. That’s why we’ve increased the funding for housing counseling by 36 percent in this year’s HUD budget.”
HUD-approved counseling agencies provide homeownership counseling as well as financial literacy education to renters and homeless individuals and families. This year, HUD’s Housing Counseling Grant program is providing approximately $79 million for comprehensive counseling, Reverse Mortgage Counseling, and supplemental funding for Mortgage Modification and Mortgage Scam Assistance. There is also a heightened focus on providing services in languages other than English.
