STATEMENT BY HUD SECRETARY SHAUN DONOVAN ON FLORIDA'S DECISION TO INVEST SETTLEMENT FUNDING IN HOUSING COUNSELING AND LEGAL AID
Tuesday, June 4, 2013

WASHINGTON, DC - Earlier today, Attorney General Pam Bondi joined Florida Governor Rick Scott for the signing of Florida Senate Bill 1852, which appropriates the remaining $200 million of the State's payment from the National Mortgage Servicing Settlement.

HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan issued the following statement regarding the bill being signed into law:

"We are pleased to see that Florida has designated $50 million of its payment from the National Mortgage Servicing Settlement for its State Housing Initiative Program and legal aid. These funds, in combination with the initial $15 million that Attorney General Bondi has previously designated for housing counseling and legal aid, will provide vital assistance to struggling homeowners. Attorney General Bondi has been a key partner in our national efforts to hold banks accountable and ensure that settlement proceeds are used so that homeowners can benefit directly.

Nationally, nearly $380 million has been designated for housing counseling and legal aid as a result of the National Mortgage Servicing Settlement. Combined with the over $50 billion in consumer relief and the $1.5 billion state attorneys general will mail out this month, this is another example of how the settlement has made a profound difference for struggling homeowners across the nation."

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