SANTA FE AND ANTHONY RECEIVE HOUSING COUNSELING GRANTS FROM HUD
Grants provide critical financial literacy, homebuying, foreclosure prevention, rental resource, fair housing counseling to New Mexicans

ALBUQUERQUE - As part of its continuing effort to assist families and individuals with their housing needs and to prevent future foreclosures, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced $33,012 in housing counseling grants to the Northern Pueblos Housing Authority in Santa Fe and Tierra Del Sol Housing Corporation in Anthony. Nationally, more than $40 million was awarded to 334 national, regional and local organizations.

As a result of these grants and the additional funding they help leverage, more than 1.6 million households nationwide will have a greater opportunity to find housing, make more informed housing choices or keep their current homes.

"The evidence is clear that housing counseling works," said HUD Acting Regional Administrator Mark Brezina. "The HUD-approved counseling agencies this funding supports are crucial in helping families manage their money, navigate the homebuying process, avoid foreclosure and secure their financial futures."

Agencies use their grants to address the full range of families' housing counseling needs. This includes helping homebuyers navigate the homeownership process; helping households find affordable rental housing; offering foreclosure prevention counseling; offering financial literacy training to individuals and families struggling to repair credit problems that restrict their housing options; assisting homeless persons in finding transitional housing; and counseling senior citizens seeking reverse mortgages or Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM).

Housing counseling agencies also support fair housing by assisting borrowers in reviewing their loan documentation to avoid potential mortgage scams.

The grantees and amounts awarded (grantee summaries follow):

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 monitoring and oversight to maintain their HUD-approved status.

Of the $40 million awarded today, more than $38 million in grant funds will directly support the housing counseling services provided by 27 national and regional organizations, eight multi-state organizations, 22 State Housing Finance Agencies (SHFAs) and 277 local housing counseling agencies. In addition, HUD is awarding $2 million to two national organizations to train housing counselors who will receive the instruction and certification necessary to effectively assist families with their housing needs.

National and regional agencies distribute much of HUD's housing counseling grant funding to community-based organizations that assist low- and moderate-income families to improve their housing conditions. In addition, these larger organizations help improve the quality of housing counseling services and enhance coordination among counseling providers.

HUD studies show the effectiveness of housing counseling. Last year, HUDreleased two reports on the impact of HUD-approved housing counseling for families who purchase their first homes and those struggling to prevent foreclosure. In both studies, HUD found housing counseling significantly improved the likelihood homeowners remained in their homes.

HUD's new mobile app (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hud-counselor-lookup/id568893389?mt=8) allows smartphone and tablet users to locate housing counselors in their own area.

Grantee Summaries:

Tierra Del Sol Housing Corporation
Anthony, NM
$19,274--Comprehensive Counseling

Since being established in 1973 as a nonprofit organization to address housing and economic conditions in southern New Mexico, Tierra del Sol Housing Corporation has become nationally recognized for its ability to improve the living conditions of low income persons by providing comprehensive housing counseling services, affordable housing through its homeownership and rental programs and for its community development services. The mission of Tierra Del Sol is to improve the quality of life and economic conditions of low income persons residing in distressed and underserved communities by providing affordable housing and community development through construction activities, lending, training and employment opportunities. The agency has been providing housing counseling services in Dona Ana County for more than 22 years and in 2004 was recognized by HUD as an approved Housing Counseling Agency. Services include Homebuyer Education Programs, Pre-purchase Counseling, Post-purchase Counseling, Mortgage Delinquency Counseling, Fair Housing Education and Counseling, Education on Financial Literacy and Predatory Lending, and Rental Housing Counseling. For more information, visit them online (http://www.tierradelsolhousing.org).

Northern Pueblos Housing Authority
Santa Fe, NM
$13,738--Comprehensive Counseling

The Northern Pueblos Housing Authority (NPHA) has served as a federally-recognized Tribally Designated Housing Entity for the Picuris, San Ildefonso and Tesuque Pueblos in the State of New Mexico since 1971. NPHA's mission is to support the common spiritual bonds, quality of life, and sovereignty of the Pueblos Picuris, San Ildefonso and Tesuque by providing premier housing, economic development and community facilities development services. NPHA has developed and managed over 500 affordable housing units over its years of service to the Northern Pueblos. NPHA provides personalized financial literacy and home ownership training to help Native American families establish and grow Individual Development Accounts (IDA), to help families resolve housing payment delinquencies, and to help families prepare for home ownership. In addition, free tax preparation services are provided. For more information, visit them online (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Northern-Pueblos-Housing).

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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 at @HUDnews or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD, or sign up for news alerts on HUD's News Listserv.