HUD ANNOUNCES $43.7 MILLION NATIONWIDE IN HOUSING COUNSELING GRANTS FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES
Alaska garners $152,550

ANCHORAGE - Nearly 910,000 individuals and families will have a greater opportunity to find housing or keep the
homes they have because of more than $36 million in housing counseling grants announced by Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson. It is estimated these grants will assist more than 709,000 people to become first-time homeowners or remain homeowners after their purchase. The grants were awarded to 18 national and regional organizations and approximately 340 state and local housing counseling agencies.

Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Alaska was successful in its application for $152,550 of that national grant award, and plans to use the funding to provide housing counseling services, including pre-purchase, mortgage
default, foreclosure and reverse mortgage (HECM) counseling. CCCS also provides housing education, landlord/tenant and eviction counseling for renters. In partnership with Anchorage Neighborhood Housing Services, CCCS also
counsels victims of predatory lending practices.

"HUD's Housing Counseling program plays a key role in support of the President's goal," said Jackson. "Under this Administration, more families are receiving counseling services than ever before, and more families are purchasing
and keeping their homes. In addition, this program is also helping more families find the help they need to secure decent and affordable rental housing."

This year, as part of its ongoing effort to improve housing counseling services, HUD will also award a $7.75 million grant to the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation (NRC) to standardize counseling services nationwide and
provide training to housing counselors working at HUD-approved housing counseling agencies. NRC will conduct national, regional, and local training sessions for approximately 5,000 counselors on a broad array of housing topics. HUD's purpose in awarding this grant is to expand the knowledge and skills of housing counselors and improve the quality of counseling services offered by HUD-approved housing counseling agencies. NRC is nationally recognized
as a leader in the field of housing counseling training and will bring an additional $8 million in leveraged funds to support this counselor training effort.

HUD awards annual grants under the housing counseling program through a competitive process. Organizations that apply for grants must be HUD-approved and are subject to biennial performance reviews to maintain their HUD-approved status.

HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities, creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans, and supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development as well as enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet.

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