WHITE HOUSE AND HUD HIGHLIGHT SANTA ANA RESIDENT AS A "CHAMPION OF CHANGE" AND LEADER IN HOUSING COUNSELING

LOS ANGELES - On Thursday, March 1st in Los Angeles, California, the White House and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will honor Stella Matadama of Santa Ana, California as one of eleven housing counselors and HUD-approved organizations being recognized as Champions of Change for their hard work, perseverance and dedication to their communities. Stella Matadama has been selected for outstanding commitment and achievement representative of the collective work of thousands of housing counselors across the United States.

"Housing counselors work tremendously hard, each and every day, to help families realize the American dream," said White House Senior Advisor, Valerie Jarrett. "From helping homeowners avoid foreclosure to making sure tenants understand their rights to working with borrowers to restore their credit, the men and women we honor today truly are Champions of Change."

"The tireless assistance provided by housing counselors to help distressed homeowners understand foreclosure prevention options and avoid loan modification scams is a lifeline to millions of families struggling to keep their home," said HUD Regional Administrator Ophelia Basgal. "These dedicated professionals have made and are continuing to make a big difference to these families and their communities every day."

The Champions of Change program was created as a part of President Obama's Winning the Future initiative. Each week, a different sector is highlighted and groups of Champions, ranging from educators to entrepreneurs to community leaders, are recognized for the work they are doing to serve and strengthen their communities.

Housing counseling assistance was developed over 40 years ago at a time of severe disinvestment in housing, unaffordable interest rates, high unemployment and irresponsible lending practices. Today, HUD approves, monitors and supports counseling organizations and tracks their output. Recent initiatives have extended the number and location of HUD-approved housing counseling organizations and reduced the amount of time and complexity of the process to award HUD housing counseling grants.

To learn more about our Champions and watch video of the event, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/champions.

Stella Matadama works as a Certified Foreclosure Intervention Counselor and Housing Coordinator for Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Orange County located in Santa Ana, California. She counsels one-on-one with clients and facilitates Foreclosure Prevention workshops. Stella is a founding member of the Orange County Home Ownership Preservation Collaborative and has been on the Board of Directors since 2009, currently serving as the Board Secretary and Chair of the Events & Counseling Committee. Stella has worked in the nonprofit housing arena for 17 years with a background in community organizing, first time homebuyer education, loan processor and housing counselor. Stella was recognized as a "2007 Latino OC 100" recipient, received the "2011 Women Making A Difference" award from US Senator Lou Correa, and the "2011 Charging Rhino" Award through CA Reinvestment Coalition, NCLA and NeighborWorks America for Housing Counselors.

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HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov. You can also follow HUD on twitter @HUDnews, on facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD, or sign up for news alerts on HUD's News Listserv.