HUD No. 03-124IL Anne Scherrieb (312 )353-6236 ext. 2666 |
For
Release Thursday November 13, 2003 |
BUSH ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $37 MILLION IN GRANTS TO PROMOTE HOMEOWNERSHIP AND HOUSING FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES
Agencies in Chicago, Decatur, Effingham, Grayslake, Homewood, Joliet, Springfield and Wheaton receive a total of $676,960
WASHINGTON - Nearly 730,000 individuals and families will have a greater opportunity to find housing or keep the homes they have because of more than $37 million in housing counseling grants announced today by Housing and Urban Development Secretary Mel Martinez.
It is estimated these grants will assist more than 430,000 people to either become first-time homeowners or remain homeowners after their purchase. The grants were awarded to 17 national and regional organizations and approximately 350 state and local housing counseling agencies. These organizations will provide counseling services and will help meet the Bush Administration's goal of increasing minority homeownership by 5.5 million families by the end of the decade.
"These housing counseling grants are an important part of this
Administration's goal to expand homeownership opportunities, particularly
for minorities," said Martinez. "President Bush and I are committed
to opening the doors
to the American Dream to more American families."
The 17 national and regional agencies distribute much of the HUD
funding to community-based grassroots organizations that provide
free advice and guidance to low- and moderate-income families seeking
to improve their housing conditions. In addition, these larger organizations
help improve the quality of housing counseling services
and enhance
coordination among other counseling providers. Notably, 3 of the
17 intermediaries are faith-based, including 2 that are first time
housing counseling grant recipients.
Galvan HUD Regional Director for the Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin). "Housing counselors will help more Americans, particularly minorities, to achieve that dream."
Of the $37.561 million in grants, $2.7 million is being awarded
specifically to combat predatory lending (PL),
including awards
to 4 national and regional intermediaries and 34 state and local
organizations. Grantees will assist unwary borrowers in avoiding
unreasonably high interest rates, inflated appraisals, unaffordable
repayment terms,
and other conditions that can result in a loss
of equity, increased debt, default, and even foreclosure.
Additionally, $2 million is being awarded specifically for counseling in conjunction with HUD's Section 8 (S8) Homeownership Voucher Program, which allows low-income individuals to use rental vouchers to purchase homes. Awards under this category are made to 4 national intermediaries and 35 state and local agencies. These grant recipients will help program participants realistically evaluate their readiness for a home purchase, understand their financing and down-payment options, and navigate what can be an extremely confusing and risky process.
Illinois recipients include:
Chicago | Access
Living Of Metropolitan Chicago - $35,303 - CC Chicago Commons Housing Resource - $18,315 - CC Community and Economic Development Assoc. of Cook County - $71,350 - CC Community and Economic Development Association - $30,707 - PL HCP of Illinois, Inc. - $36,000 - CC Latino United Community Housing Association - $29,493 - S8 Latino United Community Housing Association - $51,460 - CC Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago - $54,777 - CC Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago - $39,627 - PL Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, Inc. - $34,887 - CC Rogers Park Community Development Corporation - $40,000 - CC Spanish Coalition for Housing - $43,986 - S8 |
Decatur | Community Investment Corporation of Decatur, Inc. - $31,573 - CC |
Effingham | CEFS Economic Opportunity Corporation - $20,200 - CC |
Grayslake | Housing Authority Of The County Of Lake - $19,967 - CC |
Homewood | South Suburban Housing Center - $36,000 - CC |
Joliet | Will County Center For Community Concerns - $15,000 - CC |
Springfield | TSP HOPE, Inc. - $18,315 - CC |
Wheaton | DuPage
Homeownership Center, Inc. - $10,000 - S8 DuPage Homeownership Center, Inc. - $40,000 - CC |
President Bush is proposing to increase HUD's Housing Counseling grant program to $45 million next year - a 12.5 percent increase. The organizations that provide counseling services help people become or remain homeowners or find rental housing. In addition, HUD-funded housing counseling agencies assist homeless persons to find the transitional housing they need to move toward a permanent place to live.
Who benefits from housing counseling?
Based on past experience, HUD anticipates the counseling grants
announced today will enable approximately
257,000 would-be homeowners
to learn how to improve their credit, strengthen money management
skills and avoid predatory lenders and other unscrupulous practices.
Another 175,000 existing homeowners will learn how to avoid delinquency
and default, restructure debt and maintain their home. In addition,
nearly 213,000 individuals and
families who will receive HUD-funded
counseling are renters. Counseling services will help them find
housing closer
to their jobs or health care as well as teach them
about tenant rights. Finally, an estimated 16,000 homeless individuals
and families will learn how to find emergency services and secure
transitional housing.
HUD awards annual grants under this program through a competitive
process. Organizations that apply for grants
must be HUD-approved
and are subject to biannual 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, 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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For a state-by-state breakdown of grant recipients and detailed individual grant summaries, visit HUD's website. Illinois summaries follow.
Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago, Chicago, IL
$35,303 - Comprehensive Counseling
Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago was established in 1979. This
agency's goal is to increase the availability of adequate affordable
housing through a variety of services. Access Living's programs
consist of housing counseling, support groups, information and referral,
policy work to address local housing issues, community organizing,
leadership training, and networking with other housing oriented
groups. Access Living counsels persons with
disabilities on rental
and homeownership options. They educate consumers on how to access
financial assistance programs that are available to low income individuals
and families. Access partners with the Chicago Department of Housing
and with HUD makes available housing choices for persons with disabilities.
C.E.F.S. Economic Opportunity Corporation, Effingham, IL
$20,200 - Comprehensive Counseling
C.E.F.S. has been a certified HUD housing counseling agency since
1994. The purpose of their program is to provide opportunities to
empower individuals to advance to their full individual and economic
potential. C.E.F.S. is a South Central Illinois Rural Agency that
covers a seven county area. They provide HECM, foreclosure prevention,
homeless, pre and post rental counseling, post occupancy, pre-purchase
and budget counseling. They coordinate funding from the Community
Services Block Grant Program. The agency also assists senior citizens
with home
repairs. In the past year C.E.F.S. served a total of 485
households.
Chicago Commons Housing Resource, Chicago, IL
$18,315 - Comprehensive Counseling
Chicago Commons Housing Resource was established as a nonprofit
agency in 1894 to assist people to become self sufficient and economically
independent. Housing counseling services provided by the agency
include: pre-
occupancy, rent delinquency and mortgage default. Chicago
Commons Housing Resource provides services on issues to persons
to help them retain homeownership. The agency concentrates on areas
of high default and foreclosure rates. They also provide counseling
on predatory lending, and fair housing issues. Chicago Commons Housing
Resource assists the Englewood community with problems caused by
substandard housing, housing shortages, and housing abandonment.
Community & Economic Development Association, Chicago, IL
$71,350 - Comprehensive Counseling
$30,707 - Predatory Lending
Community & Economic Development Association (CEDA) housing
counseling program has primarily served residents
of suburban Cook
County since 1966. CEDA has been a HUD approved Housing Counseling
Agency since 1974. In
1985, the agency expanded their services to
residents of Chicago and other surrounding counties. CEDA's goal
is to provide a basic, consistent and standardized level of quality
housing services to all clients. CEDA provides housing counseling
services in the following areas: pre-purchase, pre-rental, mortgage
default, rental delinquency, post-occupancy, energy conservation
and relocation services. CEDA works with other agencies to further
the
effectiveness of fair housing. CEDA has several office locations,
and a bilingual staff. Their experience as a FY01
HUD Predatory
Lending Hot Zone Pilot Project helped them develop specific plans
for Predatory Lending grant funds. Counselors will work closely
with other counselors in their comprehensive program to identify
and work with victims
of predatory lending and will be responsible
for outreach and educational efforts.
Community Investment Corporation of Decatur, Inc., Decatur,
IL
$31,573 - Comprehensive Counseling
Community Investment Corporation of Decatur, Inc. (CICD) has provided
housing counseling since l999. Under their Welcome Home Program,
they provide housing counseling to residents of Decatur and Macon
counties in Illinois.
They provide homebuyer education, pre and
post purchase, mortgage delinquency, and money/debt counseling.
CICD has a very strong commitment to serving the needs of low-income
and inner-city populations. CICD works closely with Dove, Inc.,
a grassroots faith based organization. They have been successful
in assisting two homeless families in securing homeownership. They
have established at least two goals for the proposed housing counseling
services; the agency will conduct predatory lending counseling and
a follow-up program for first-time homebuyers.
DuPage Homeownership Center, Inc., Wheaton, IL
$40,000 - Comprehensive Counseling
$10,000 - Section 8 Homeownership Voucher - Housing Counseling
DuPage Homeownership Center is the only HUD-certified pre-purchase
and default counseling agency serving the DuPage area. They have
served this area since 1991. The DuPage Homestead Program was created
in 1992 to
provide a reduced-interest package to help qualified
first time homebuyers. DuPage is an active member of the DuPage
County Continuum of Care to End Homelessness. They are also working
with the local Housing Authority assisting buyers to purchase homes
using their HUD Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers.
HCP of Illinois, Inc., Chicago, IL
$36,000 - Comprehensive Counseling
Housing Choice Partners (HCP) is a private non-profit organization
dedicated to providing access to quality
affordable housing for
low-income families who receive a rent subsidy or housing choice
voucher. Metropolitan fair housing groups organized HCP in 1995.
HCP has expanded its program to include work with the City of Chicago
and
its Plan for Transformation of its public housing. HCP of Illinois
became a HUD approved housing counseling agency
this year. The agency
is based on the nationally recognized Gautreaux Assisted Housing
Program. HCP provides a variety of basic services including group
education and one-on-one counseling for prospective homebuyers.
Over
the past seven years, HCP has educated almost 5,000 voucher
families in making a move from their current
housing. HCP has well
experienced staff to make a difference in people's lives.
Housing Authority of the County of Lake, Grayslake, IL
$19,967 - Comprehensive Counseling
The Housing Authority of the County of Lake, Illinois (LCHA) is
organized as a municipal corporation under the laws
of the State
of Illinois. It manages a conventional public housing program of
620 units, administers the Section 8 Housing Voucher Program with
budget authority to assist approximately 2400 households, and has
Section 8 new construction ACC administrative responsibility for
another 586 units. LCHA was certified by the Department of
Housing
and Urban Development (HUD) in 1992. The agency provides homebuyer,
mortgage default, pre-foreclosure, predatory lending, HECM, and
tenant/landlord counseling. They served 125 clients the previous
year.
Latino United Community Housing Association, Chicago, IL
$51,460 - Comprehensive Counseling
$29,493 - Section 8 Homeownership Voucher - Housing Counseling
Latino United Community Housing Association, known as LUCHA, was
founded in 1982 whose mission is to stabilize
the Latino community
and other residents of the northwest side of Chicago. The types
of counseling provided are
pre-occupancy, homebuyer education, post
purchase, mortgage default, rehabilitation, displacement/ relocation,
winter weatherization and home accessibility assistance for the
elderly and disabled. They also provide orientation sessions to
persons with Section 8 vouchers. LUCHA has a staff that is bilingual,
therefore, they can provide counseling to all clients. LUCHA successfully
counseled 1,651 clients in fiscal year 2002.
Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, Chicago,
IL
$54,777 - Comprehensive Counseling
$39,627 - Predatory Lending
Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago (LAFC) offers
housing counseling services to all low and moderate income families
in the Chicago area with special emphasis on assisting senior citizens
and low-income minorities. LAFC has two special project programs:
Home Ownership Preservation Project (HOPP), operating since
1995
and Housing Law Project for Seniors (HLPS) that began in 1998. These
projects provide training to housing counselors in Chicago on loss
mitigation techniques and sub prime lending abuses. This agency
was instrumental in
the passage of anti-predatory lending regulations
in Chicago, Cook County and Illinois and in the development of
the
first two loan programs in the nation specifically designed to assist
victims of predatory lending. LAFC will
provide one-on-one counseling
to victims of predatory lending, participate and present predatory
lending workshops and work with consumer advocates nationwide to
develop national anti-predatory lending initiatives. LAFC is a principal
provider of legal services to the poor of Chicago offering them
with not just default counseling but with
an array of legal services
such as representation in litigation cases designed to prevent the
loss of homes.
Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, Inc., Chicago, IL
$34,887 - Comprehensive Counseling
Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago (N.H.S.) is a full service
HUD certified Housing Counseling Agency. They conduct counseling
for first time homebuyers, credit counseling, budget, and homeownership
classes. They also conduct post purchase programs and foreclosure
intervention. This agency has a three-step program in the
education
process. N.H.S. provides a two-hour orientation class for potential
buyers in group sessions and
continues with one-on-one counseling
with a homeownership consultant. Then, they are offered an opportunity
for homebuyer classes. N.H.S. will be launching a newly developed
Home Maintenance Program in the fall of 2003
at the North Lawndale
location. They partner with the City of Chicago Department of Housing
in assisting
homeowners in default.
Rogers Park Community Development Corporation, Chicago, IL
$40,000 - Comprehensive Counseling
Rogers Park Community Development was formed in 1952. Their primary
service area is Cook County and provides
a variety of counseling
and resource information. The agency currently offers counseling
in the following areas:
pre- and post purchase, foreclosure prevention,
HECM, mortgage default and predatory lending. They offer a series
of homeowner education classes through the city college at Truman
College. These classes assisted the City of Chicago's program for
Affordable Neighborhoods and New Homes. In 2002, they counseled
over 1,193 families. They serve the Hispanic community and have staff
that is bilingual. Rogers Park Community Development partners with
other community organizations to provide services to their clients.
South Suburban Housing Center, Homewood, IL
$36,000 - Comprehensive Counseling
South Suburban Housing Center (SSHC) has been administering housing
counseling since 1977. The last six years SSHC has been a HUD certified
housing counseling agency. They provide pre and post mortgage counseling,
homebuyer workshops, mortgage default, fair housing and predatory
lending counseling. They also provide rental counseling to assist
individuals in expanding their options in the housing marketplace.
Their goal is to provide
housing and mortgage financing information
to all low and moderate-income families. SSHC seeks to provide long-
term
racial diversity, compliance with fair housing laws, and the prevention
of predatory lending throughout their targeted areas.
Spanish Coalition for Housing (SCH), Chicago, IL
$43,986 - Section 8 Homeownership Voucher - Housing Counseling
Spanish Coalition for Housing (SCH) was created in 1966 and focuses
their services in the low to moderate-income communities of the
Chicago area with the primary focus on Latinos. The agency provides
all counseling in both
English and Spanish. The agency believes
that everyone is entitled to safe, decent, affordable housing regardless
of race, color, sex, marital status, religion, national origin,
ancestry, disability, age, sexual preference, parental status, source
of income or the language they speak. Counseling services consist
of: pre and post-purchase; default/foreclosure prevention; pre and
post rental; HECM, Section 8 and workshops to provide a better understanding
of the rights and responsibilities of both tenant and landlord.
In partnership with the Chicago
Housing Authority, the Spanish Coalition
for Housing plans to provide counseling services to 100 participants
in the Section 8 homeownership voucher program in the coming year.
TSP Hope, Inc., Springfield, IL
$18,315 - Comprehensive Counseling
TSP Hope, Inc. was organized as a non-profit organization in 1999.
The mission of TSP is to foster community relations that will improve
the quality of life for residents and further homeownership in their
targeted area. TSP
seeks to empower citizens to develop solutions
to problems that are identified in their neighborhoods. TSP's mission
is to provide safe affordable housing to the very low-to-low income
families. TSP is actively developing a strong
hold in the targeted
neighborhoods by renovating existing structures, constructing single-family
homes, creating
multi-income, multi-racial neighborhoods and providing
creative funding to make housing affordable. TSP partners
with the
Springfield Housing Authority.
Will County Center for Community Concerns, Joliet, IL
$15,000 - Comprehensive Counseling
The Will County Center for Community Concerns was established in
1987. The agency became HUD certified in
1994, and is one of only
two agencies in Will County that provided housing counseling to
the public. The agency offers the following programs: Certified
Renters Training, Emergency Services, CSBG Loan Program, Housing
Counseling/Mortgage Assistance, Low Income Home Energy Assistance
Program, the Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program, HECM
and homebuyer counseling. They partner with other community resources
in serving
their clients.