OBAMA ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES NEARLY $73 MILLION IN COUNSELING GRANTS TO HELP FAMILIES FIND AND KEEP HOUSING
HUD funding critical to support 26 Pennsylvania counseling agencies

PHILADELPHIA - In an effort to help families find decent housing and to prevent future foreclosures, the Obama Administration today announced nearly $73 million in housing counseling grants to more than 500 national, regional
and local organizations. As a result of the funding announced today, 26 Pennsylvania housing counseling agencies
will receive $1,104,807 to help households across the state have a greater opportunity to find housing or keep the homes they have.

The grants announced today represent a $13 million, or 22 percent increase over last year's funding level. In announcing the grant awards, Donovan said HUD-approved housing counseling agencies are a critical part of the nation's housing recovery.

"These organizations are on the front lines of helping families who are desperate to remain in their homes," said Donovan. "Now, more than ever, it's crucial that we support these agencies that are working with struggling families on a one-to-one basis to manage their money, navigate the homebuying process, and secure their financial futures."

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.

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

Nearly $68 million will support the direct provision of housing counseling services by 24 national and regional organizations, 5 multi-state organizations, and 484 state and local housing counseling agencies. In addition, HUD is awarding more than $5 million to three national organizations to train approximately 4,500 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 grassroots organizations that provide 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.

Counseling agencies will use $9.5 million to help assist senior citizens seeking reverse mortgages or Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM). These agencies will provide counseling for the rapidly growing number of elderly homeowners who seek to convert equity in their homes into income that can be used to pay for home
improvements, medical costs, and other living expenses.

The organizations that provide housing counseling services help people become or remain homeowners or find rental housing, and assist homeless persons in finding the transitional housing they need to move toward a permanent
place to live. Grant recipients also help homebuyers and homeowners realistically evaluate their readiness for a home purchase, understand their financing and downpayment options, and navigate what can be an extremely confusing and difficult process.

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

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 performance reviews to maintain their HUD-approved status.

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.
For your convenience, the Pennsylvania grant summaries are included at the end of the release.

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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.

PENNSYLVANIA
Blair County Community Action Agency (BCCAP)
Altonna, PA
$42,865.98 - Comprehensive Counseling
BCCAP was incorporated on June 8, 1965 as a private, nonprofit corporation pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. BCCAP has developed a comprehensive support system to assist county residents with all levels of housing needs. BCCAP provides programs that help community residents overcome homelessness through a holistic, intensive case management approach. BCCAP has provided one-on-one case management and assistance
for individuals and families with non-homeless housing issues through its Housing Counseling Program. Assistance has been provided to families on issues such as home purchase, mortgage delinquency, finding a rental property, evictions, and any other housing related issue they may be encountering.

Bucks County Housing Group (BCHG)
Wrightstown, PA
$43,849.23 - Comprehensive Counseling
BCHG opened the first homeless shelter in Bucks County in 1980. BCHG works to transform the lives of the client families it serves. BCHG was instrumental in the development of Pennsylvanian's Homeownership Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (HEMAP) in 1984. BCHG advocates for the development of programs to assist first-time homebuyers to secure their mortgages. BCHG's unique First-Time Homebuyers Boot Camp program is a 6-month support group session for people who need additional assistance in evaluating their credit, actively saving towards a home, and learning the home purchase process. All services and programs are designed and implemented to bring about a lasting, purposeful alteration in the lives of the clients.

Center for Family Services, Incorporated
Meadville, PA
$43,357.60 - Comprehensive Counseling
The Center for Family Services, Inc. is located in Meadville, PA. The agency is non-governmental and local with a volunteer board of directors. Agency history dates back to 1863 when a group of local women organized to assist
the families of Civil War Veterans with food and clothing. The agency has grown into a multi-service 501(c)(3) organization providing Essential Services and Family Oriented Education. The Center provides Rental Assistance Programs, Homeless/Displacement Counseling, Utility Assistance Programs, Pre-Purchase, Post-Purchase, Reverse Mortgage and Delinquency and Default counseling and Workshops for Homebuyers, Predatory Lending and Fair Housing.

Chester Community Improvement Project (CCIP)
Chester, PA
$42,865.98 - Comprehensive Counseling
CCIP is a community-based organization with the mission of helping to "revitalize the City of Chester by building the base of homeownership." CCIP's mission is accomplished through public-private partnerships that focus on targeted housing rehabilitation and new construction, supported by comprehensive pre and post-purchase homeownership counseling programs, credit and budget counseling, and foreclosure prevention. CCIP works with providers of construction skills training to address workforce development and underlying economic problems of our target neighborhoods. CCIP serves low-to-moderate income families in the City of Chester and throughout Delaware County.

Commission on Economic Opportunity of Luzerne County
Wilkes-Barre, PA
$42,865.98 - Comprehensive Counseling
The Commission is a private nonprofit corporation established in 1965 as a committee of the United Way of Wyoming Valley. The Commission on Economic Opportunity has developed a wide variety of programs to meet the needs of the poor and the elderly of Luzerne County. Presently, the Commission operates more than thirty (30) separate programs in areas of Housing, Weatherization, Energy Assistance, Nutrition, Emergency Assistance, Home Improvement and
Employment/Training, Economic Development, Outreach and referral, In-Home Services, Summer Youth Recreation
and Employment.

Community Action Committee of Lehigh Valley, Inc.
Bethlehem, PA
$35,000.00 - Comprehensive Counseling
The Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley, Inc., located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania was incorporated
in 1965 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation in order to combat poverty. CACLV provides programs that meet basic needs while encouraging self-sufficiency; contributes towards the economic and community development of low-income neighborhoods; engages in community planning and advocacy efforts; and establishes partnerships with community organizations, local government, and the private sector.

Community Action Southwest (CAS)
Washington, PA
$39,424.61 - Comprehensive Counseling
CAS is a nonprofit agency founded in 1965 with a mission to serve as a catalyst to mobilize the resources of the entire community to enable families and individuals in Washington and Greene Counties to attain the skills,
knowledge, motivation, and opportunity to become self-sufficient. CAS is dedicated to moving people out of poverty by facilitating programs for emergency assistance, housing, employment, adult education, family literacy, early childhood education, senior services, nutrition services and asset development. CAS is a Local Housing Counseling Agency that directly provides a variety of housing counseling services to homebuyers, homeowners, low to
moderate-income renters, and the homeless. Primary objectives are to expand homeownership opportunities, improve access to affordable housing and preserve homeownership.

Credit Counseling Center (CCC)
Richboro, PA
$42,865.98 - Comprehensive Counseling
$20,000.00 - Mortgage Modification and Mortgage Scams Assistance
CCC is nonprofit community service organization. The central purpose of the Credit Counseling Center is to provide
the highest quality, community based services to families and individuals who are in need of financial literacy though programs designed to improve money management skills for life long independence. CCC has helped thousands of clients repay debt, establish a household budget, improve credit, attain homeownership, prevent foreclosure and improve financial literacy, knowledge and skills.

Fayette County Community Action Agency (FCCAA)
Uniontown, PA
$41,391.11 - Comprehensive Counseling
FCCAA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Established in 1966, FCCAA focuses on economic and community development in the Fayette County community in southwestern Pennsylvania. FCCAA's mission is to strengthen individuals and families to become more self-sufficient, achieving their potential by taking advantage of
opportunities, improving the conditions in which they live and taking ownership of their community. Agency services include education, energy, housing and the development of housing, emergency assistance, employment and
training, youth activities, empowerment and leadership development, casework and service coordination, family supports, food and nutrition, personal care, transportation, recreation, health, medical and community development services.

Greater Erie Community Action Agency (GECAC)
Erie, PA
$41,391.11 - Comprehensive Counseling
GECAC's mission is to provide "services directed toward elimination of poverty or causes of poverty in the Greater
Erie Area." GECAC's housing counseling program provides default delinquency counseling to households seeking to improve their rental situations and to those who are behind in their mortgage payments (as early as one month behind) and further advance our efforts to provide Erie County residents "the opportunity to live in decency and dignity."

Housing Alliance of York
York, PA
$40,000.00 - Comprehensive Counseling
The Housing Alliance of York delivers an array of housing programs and services: Rental Assistance, Down Payment and Closing Cost Assistance, Mortgage Default Programs, Tenant Landlord Workshops, Tenant Landlord Complaints, First-Time Homebuyer Education Workshops and the Family Savings Account Program.

Housing Authority of the County of Butler
Butler, PA
$41,882.73 - Comprehensive Counseling
The Butler County Housing Authority administers comprehensive services to Butler County residents through its housing counseling program. The program was initiated in 1997 to fill the
gap in the local services system to assist traditionally under-served low-to-moderate income residents to achieve successful homeownership. The housing counseling program targets families in the 80 percent of area median income or lower. These families include single mothers who are the head of the household, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and welfare to work participants. Counseling services include pre-occupancy, rental, delinquency/default, eviction/foreclosure prevention, pre-purchase, post-purchase, first-time homebuyers and homeownership opportunities.

Lawrence County Social Services Incorporated
New Castle, PA
$43,849.23 - Comprehensive Counseling
Incorporated in 1974, Lawrence County Social Services, Inc., a member of Lawrence County Community Action Partnership is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life within Lawrence County by eliminating and preventing the causes and effects of poverty by mobilizing and directing resources to assist, educate, and promote self-sufficiency. Services available will include: pre-purchase/homebuyer education, post-purchase education, delinquency/default counseling, rental counseling, and homeless counseling.

Media Fellowship House
Media, PA
$35,100.00 - Comprehensive Counseling
Media Fellowship House is a non-sectarian, non-political group of diverse members, who all agree on the need to promote understanding and acceptance of all people without regard for their race, culture, gender, age or disabilities. Our organization is centrally located in Media, Delaware County but our housing counseling services reach as far as Chester, Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties. We specialize in helping low and moderate-income individuals and families attain the dream of homeownership by providing education and funding for potential first-time homebuyers. We also help our clients avoid losing their homes to foreclosure by providing individual counseling sessions to those that are in financial distress. We have been helping our neighbors for more than sixty years.

Mon Valley Initiative (MVI)
Homestead, PA
$1,174,684 - Comprehensive Counseling
Incorporated in 1988, MVI is a nonprofit coalition of community development corporations representing communities
in the Monongahela River Valley, south of Pittsburgh. MVI continues to strive to meet its mission of working together to unite these communities and restore their economic vitality. It works to meet this goal by renovating and constructing high quality, affordable housing and assisting communities to develop and maintain their main street districts; by providing individuals with the tools they need to enter the workforce; by providing in-depth, one-on-one housing counseling and group education services to put people on the path to successful home ownership; and by helping member Community Development Corporations to become efficient and effective organizations.

Mt. Airy, U S A
Philadelphia, PA
$39,916.24 - Comprehensive Counseling
Mt. Airy USA is a nonprofit that utilizes real estate development strategies to revitalize the communities within which it works. Founded in 1980, Mt. Airy USA's successful efforts have included the construction of commercial and retail buildings, along with affordable homeownership housing. Mt. Airy USA offers comprehensive housing counseling services to low and moderate-income, first-time homebuyers, as well as older homeowners aging in place and struggling with home repair needs. Client services include one-on-one mortgage counseling, credit repair, financial management, anti-predatory loan counseling, deed-related concerns, foreclosure prevention and default and delinquency counseling.

Nueva Esperanza (Esperanza)
Philadelphia, PA
$450,000 - Comprehensive Counseling
With a national network of 12,000 faith- and community-based agencies, Esperanza is one of the leading voices for Hispanics in America. The organization focuses its work on five key areas: advocacy, education, capacity building, community development, and workforce development. As an intermediary, Esperanza provides funding and technical assistance to emerging organizations that might otherwise not receive funding. The Esperanza housing counseling network provides bilingual services including: pre- and post-purchase counseling, rental counseling, home inspection counseling, pre- and post-purchase loan counseling, services for deed-related problems, housing consumer
education, rental delinquency counseling, post-occupancy counseling, housing mortgage counseling, and homeowner counseling across the United States. For more information, visit www.esperanza.us.

Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA)
Harrisburg, PA
$182,868.93 - Comprehensive Counseling
PHFA was created by the state legislature in 1972 to help enhance the quality and supply of affordable homes and apartments for older adults, persons of modest means, and persons with disabilities. To meet this mandate, the Agency operates three (3) basic programs: a single-family homeownership initiative; a multifamily rental housing development effort; and a foreclosure abatement measure. In addition to its major programs, PHFA conducts housing studies, promotes counseling and education for renters and homebuyers, and offers supportive services at
apartments it has financed, administers more than 40,000 Section 8 subsidized unit contracts, and acts as an advocate to promote the benefits of decent affordable shelter for those who need it most. PHFA has provided more than $7,000,000,000 of funding and tax credits for 140,000 home mortgage loans and 83,000 apartment units, and has saved nearly 44,000 houses from foreclosure.

Philadelphia Council for Community Advancement (PCCA)
Philadelphia, PA
$37,949.74 - Comprehensive Counseling
PCCA has served the Greater Philadelphia area for more than 44 years. The agency provides high quality, comprehensive housing counseling services to a broad-based constituency, including women, people with disabilities, immigrants and families of low and moderate-incomes. PCCA has assisted over 76,000 individuals and families to date, with homebuying and financing, reverse mortgage counseling and homelessness-prevention strategies critical to helping families to become self-sufficient and avoid foreclosure and eviction.

Schuylkill Community Action (SCA)
Pottsville, PA
$38,441.37 - Comprehensive Counseling
SCA is a private, nonprofit, community-based organization serving the needs of low-income individuals and families throughout Schuylkill County for over 40 years. The SCA's Housing Counseling Program started in 1992; and it
provides a range of housing counseling services including affordable housing development, housing rehabilitation, counseling, homeless services, and mortgage and rental assistance. These services are part of an overall strategy geared to alleviate short-term crises for low-income families while promoting long-term self-sufficiency.

Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Services, Inc.
Washington, PA
$42,865.98 - Comprehensive Counseling
For forty-one years, Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Services, Inc. has been providing an ensemble of legal and supportive services to low-income individuals and families residing in this predominantly rural area in southwestern Pennsylvania. The program has been recognized throughout the state and nationally as a leader in the development
of initiatives combining legal and social services to provide comprehensive assistance to the low-income rural community clientele.

Tabor Community Services, Inc.
Lancaster, PA
$42,865.98 - Comprehensive Counseling
Tabor Community Services was founded in 1968 to help low-income and minority families find affordable housing. Tabor has steadily offered a wider, more comprehensive array of services in Lancaster, Pennsylvania to fulfill its mission to rebuild communities by helping families find housing and financial solutions. Tabor counsels over 4,000 households (over 10,000 individuals) each year, teaching them the skills and disciplines that empower them to
become productive, responsible members of the community. Services provided include budget counseling and education, consumer credit counseling, rental counseling to prevent homelessness, transitioning sheltered persons
to independent living, first-time homebuyer counseling, default mortgage and predatory lending counseling and education, self-sufficiency counseling to get recipients off rental assistance, and independent development
accounts to help the low-income save to make an asset-building purchase, such as a home or education.

Trehab
Montrose, PA
$41,882.73 - Comprehensive Counseling
The TREHAB Center, a Community Action Agency in Northeastern Pennsylvania, has been serving the needs of the local population for over 35 years. The Homeownership Program covers Bradford, Tioga, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Wyoming Counties offering low and moderate-income first-time homebuyers one-on-one counseling and workshops
on mortgage foreclosure, pre-purchase education and reverse equity mortgage (HECM).

Unemployment Information Center (UIC)
Philadelphia, PA
$39,916.24 - Comprehensive Counseling
UIC is a nonprofit community-based organization which has provided housing counseling services related to Default and Delinquency, Foreclosure Prevention and rental assistance since 1976.

United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania (UNC)
Scranton, PA
$41,391.11 - Comprehensive Counseling
UNC of Northeastern Pennsylvania is a neighborhood-based, grassroots social service agency providing programs and services to poverty and low-income households in northeastern Pennsylvania since 1923. UNC's mission is to work together with neighbors to provide services and create opportunities which empower individuals and build strong interdependent communities.