Housing will become much easier for more than 1.5 million households thanks to $36 million in grants to hundreds of national, regional and local organization from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
In addition, HUD announced it is establishing a new Housing Counseling Federal Advisory Committee to help the department provide consumers with the knowledge they need to find and sustain decent housing.
Under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, the secretary is required to appoint no more than 12 individuals from various backgrounds to offer advice to the department regarding the functions of the office of housing counseling.
More than $34 million will directly support the housing counseling services provided by 29 national and regional organizations, six multi-state organizations, 20 state housing finance agencies and 215 local housing counseling agencies.
Meanwhile, the remaining $2 million will go to three national organizations to train housing counselors who will receive the instruction and certification necessary to effectively assist families with their housing needs.
“Access to knowledge and information is vital to every family’s success,” said HUD Secretary Julián Castro.
“These grants will expand housing opportunities for families across our nation," Castro added. "The evidence is clear: housing counseling works. We look forward to working with our housing counseling partners to empower American families with the tools to prosper.”
Click the link for a list for all counseling agencies awarded funding.