- theMReport.com - https://themreport.com -

HUD Grants to Aid Families With Housing Counseling

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that more than $12.5 million in grant funds [1] will directly support quality housing counseling services.

The grants, which were awarded earlier this week, will go to 219 local housing counseling agencies and national and regional organizations as well as state housing finance agencies (SHFAs) who have been approved by HUD. These entities all competed for HUD’s FY 2020 Supplemental Comprehensive Housing Counseling Grant Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) or HUD’s FY 2019/2020 Comprehensive Housing Counseling NOFA. 

The counseling agencies aim to help Americans trying to get back on track from the economic challenges caused by COVID-19.

“Our hope is that those affected by the pandemic who need housing help will reach out to qualified housing counseling professionals to help them understand what their options are,” Assistant Secretary for Housing and Federal Housing Commissioner Dana Wade said in the announcement.

The agencies who have received grants provide a number of services, such as assisting homebuyers with evaluating their preparedness for purchasing a home and going through the buying process. The grants will also fund housing counseling services such as foreclosure avoidance and rental counseling services.

“This funding comes at exactly the right time to support the nation’s homeowners and renters who are struggling as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and who can benefit from the assistance of a housing counselor to remain in their homes,” HUD Secretary Ben Carson said.