HUD ANNOUNCES $246,000 IN HOUSING COUNSELING GRANTS TO SEVEN HOUSING COUNSELING ORGANIZATIONS IN OKLAHOMA
Bethany, Enid, Muskogee, Norman, OKC, Shawnee and Stillwater Agencies Receive Awards

OKLAHOMA CITY - Oklahoma families facing foreclosure, seeking affordable rental housing, or hoping to buy their first home will have a greater opportunity to find housing, or keep the homes they have, because of $246,628 in housing counseling grants announced today by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (see attached list).

"Now, more than ever, it is crucial that Americans understand how to manage their money, how to navigate the homebuying process, and how to secure their financial future." said Donovan. "This critical funding will help
counseling organizations continue to assist families in making more informed choices before they buy a home and counsel families facing foreclosure."

Housing counseling grants will assist families in becoming first-time homeowners and remaining homeowners after
their purchase. HUD-approved counseling agencies not only provide homeownership counseling, but also offer
financial literacy training to renters and homeless individuals and families.

In addition, grantees help combat predatory lending by helping unwary borrowers review their loan documentation, and avoid 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. And foreclosure prevention counseling helps homeowners facing delinquency or default to employ strategies, including expense reduction, negotiation with lenders and loan servicers, and loss mitigation that can avoid foreclosure. With foreclosures at
critical levels nationwide, these services are more important than ever.

The funding announced today is part of $60 million in housing counseling grants awarded nationwide. These grants
will support the direct provision of housing counseling services by 24 national and regional organizations, five multi-state organizations, and 463 state and local housing counseling agencies. In addition, HUD is awarding $5 million to three national organizations to train approximately 4,400 counselors who will receive the instruction and certification necessary to effectively assist families with their housing needs.

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 biennial performance reviews to maintain their HUD-approved status. The Oklahoma grantees are:

Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Central Oklahoma, Inc.
Bethany, OK
$39,228 - Comprehensive Counseling

Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) of Central Oklahoma has been serving Oklahomans since 1967. CCCS offers free credit, budget, debt and housing counseling to clients in the western two-thirds of the state. The agency also offers free and low-cost community workshops on a variety of financial and housing topics.
The agency works closely with Community Action Agencies, Habitat for Humanity, the Oklahoma City Housing Authority and the Oklahoma Finance Agency.

Community Development Support Association
Enid, OK
$39,228 - Comprehensive Counseling

Community Development Support Association, Inc. (CDSA) is a private, nonprofit, community action agency established in 1980 and approved by HUD as a housing counseling agency since 1998. The mission of the agency is
to work with others to identify needs, secure resources, and deliver services which improve lives in the agency's communities. The agency facilitates this mission by employing qualified staff to implement programs dictated by community needs, needs which have been identified through research and needs assessments. CDSA provides comprehensive housing counseling services including homebuyer education, mortgage delinquency/default resolution, HECM, homeless services and renter assistance, as well as services that promote energy efficiency.

Housing Authority of the City of Muskogee
Muskogee, OK
$21,748 - Comprehensive Counseling

The Housing Authority of the City of Muskogee's (MHA) housing counseling program provides comprehensive housing counseling services to the Muskogee County area. Utilizing the expertise of qualified counselors, MHA has assisted hundreds of families with services including pre-purchase, rental, default, post-purchase, and homebuyer education counseling. All counseling services provided by MHA's housing counseling program are free of charge.

Housing Authority of the City of Norman
Norman, OK
$20,000 - Comprehensive Counseling

The Norman Housing Authority assists low-income clients with affordable housing needs. Through the Norman
Housing Authority and its nonprofit, the Norman Affordable Housing Corporation, services that are provided include specialized housing for persons with persistent mental illness; elderly housing, including handicap-equipped units; homeownership opportunities; subsidized rental programs for families; and housing for homeless high school students through a project-based voucher program. The Norman Housing Authority also provides appropriate referrals
regarding community-based resources to meet unique and/or specific needs.

Community Action Agency of Oklahoma City and Oklahoma/Canadian Counties, Inc.
Oklahoma City, OK
$42,724 - Comprehensive Counseling

CAA of OKC began serving the community in 1965. The Special Projects Division has been reaching out and working with low- to moderate- income families and individuals, addressing a broad range of housing needs in the
communities of Oklahoma and Canadian Counties since 1993. This year's HUD housing counseling grant will allow Community Action Agency of Oklahoma City and Oklahoma & Canadian Counties, Inc. (CAA of OKC) to conduct workshops, one-on-one individualized counseling and provide information through housing fairs, and town meetings. The agency continues to ensure that homebuyers are not victims of predatory lending, that fair housing standards
are upheld, and that communities are aware of the many programs available to them.

Housing Authority of the City of Shawnee
Shawnee, Oklahoma
$44,472 - Comprehensive Counseling

The Housing Authority of the City of Shawnee, Oklahoma is a public housing authority established in 1967 and is
also a HUD-approved housing counseling agency. The Authority provides Public Housing and Section 8 Rental Assistance and offers additional services such as comprehensive housing counseling, family self-sufficiency programs, resident opportunities for self-sufficiency and site-based resident councils. The focus of the agency's HUD grant will be on one-on-one pre-purchase, rental, mortgage default and delinquency, and post-purchase counseling. The Authority will also offer group education in the form of homebuyer education classes and rental housing workshops. The agency's counselors are trained and certified through the Oklahoma Homebuyer Education Association and the NeighborWorks Center for Homeownership Education, and the agency's program complies with the National Industry Standards for Homeownership Education and Counseling.

Stillwater Housing Authority
Stillwater, OK
$39,228 - Comprehensive Counseling

The Stillwater Housing Authority has been meeting the housing needs of low-income, elderly, and disabled residents
in Stillwater for over 25 years. The mission of the Stillwater Housing Authority is designed to "ensure safe, decent, and affordable housing; create opportunities for residents' self-sufficiency and economic independence" and "recognize the residents as the agency's ultimate customer." To facilitate this mission, the Stillwater Housing Authority implemented a housing counseling program in 1997. The Stillwater Housing Authority offers counseling in
the areas of pre-purchase homebuyer education; resolving or preventing mortgage delinquency; home maintenance and financial management for homeowners; locating, securing or maintaining residence in rental housing; and
services for the homeless. Website

More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet and espanol.hud.gov.

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