HUD Region VI: No. 11-165 Patricia Campbell: (817) 978-5974/(817) 681-9741 Scott Hudman: (713) 718-3107/(713) 295-9675 |
For Release Monday September 6, 2011 |
GREATER NEW ORLEANS FAIR HOUSING CENTER RECEIVES GRANT TO HELP FAMILIES DEAL WITH MORTGAGE MODIFICATION AND MORTGAGE SCAMS
139 local housing counseling agencies & 23 intermediary agencies funded nationwide
NEW ORLEANS - In an effort to help families keep their homes and avoid mortgage scams, the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Center has received a HUD Housing Counseling Grant for $26,802. Nationally, more than $10 million in housing counseling grants was distributed to 162 organizations. This is unspent funding from the 2010 appropriation that was re-competed and awarded to HUD-approved counseling agencies.
"The funding announced today is specifically earmarked to provide counseling assistance relating to mortgage modification, avoiding potential mortgage scams, and assisting victims of scams," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "It is crucial that we support these agencies in helping struggling families do whatever is possible to avoid foreclosure without being victimized by so called mortgage "rescue" companies."
HUD is awarding $3 million to 139 local housing counseling agencies nationwide, and more than $7 million to 23
housing counseling intermediary agencies. These funds are designed to serve residents in the nation's top 100 metropolitan areas that are experiencing the worse foreclosure problems.
The funding is predominately for foreclosure prevention counseling, assistance with application to Federal and other mortgage modification and loss mitigation programs, and related outreach. It will also support outreach and
counseling efforts designed to identify and assist victims of mortgage modification scams, and report those cases to the applicable authorities.
HUD awards grants under the housing counseling program through a competitive process. Organizations that apply for grants must be HUD-approved and are subject to performance reviews to maintain their HUD-approved status.
The Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center (GNOFHAC) is a private, non-profit civil rights organization established in 1995 to eradicate housing discrimination throughout the greater New Orleans area. Through education, investigation, and enforcement activities, GNOFHAC promotes fair competition throughout the housing marketplace - rental, sales, lending, and insurance. http://www.gnofairhousing.org
For a list of all grants, organized by state, visit HUD's website.
For summary of each grant, organized by state, visit HUD's website.
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