WHITE HOUSE AND HUD HIGHLIGHT CHESTER RESIDENT AS A "CHAMPION OF CHANGE" AND LEADER IN HOUSING COUNSELING

PHILADELPHIA - On Thursday, March 1st in Los Angeles, California, the White House and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will honor Larry Douglas, Chester, Pennsylvania as one of eleven housing counselors and HUD-approved organizations being recognized as Champions of Change for their hard work, perseverance and dedication to their communities. Larry Douglas has been selected for outstanding commitment and achievement representative of the collective work of thousands of housing counselors across the United States.

"Housing counselors work tremendously hard, each and every day, to help families realize the American dream," said White House Senior Advisor, Valerie Jarrett. "From helping homeowners avoid foreclosure to making sure tenants understand their rights to working with borrowers to restore their credit, the men and women we honor today truly are Champions of Change."

"Dedicated to serving, housing counselors educate and assist individuals and families navigate the complex process for sustainable homeownership," said HUD Regional Administrator Jane C.W. Vincent. "Guiding renters and potential homeowners in managing their housing choices, counselors provide critical information on rights and responsibilities, the importance of savings, ways to manage credit and debt responsibly, and how to become a good neighbor."

The Champions of Change program was created as a part of President Obama's Winning the Future initiative. Each week, a different sector is highlighted and groups of Champions, ranging from educators to entrepreneurs to community leaders, are recognized for the work they are doing to serve and strengthen their communities.

Housing counseling assistance was developed over 40 years ago at a time of severe disinvestment in housing, unaffordable interest rates, high unemployment and irresponsible lending practices. Today, HUD approves, monitors and supports counseling organizations and tracks their output. Recent initiatives have extended the number and location of HUD-approved housing counseling organizations and reduced the amount of time and complexity of the process to award HUD housing counseling grants.

To learn more about our Champions and watch video of the event, please visit www.whitehouse.gov/champions.

Larry Douglas has been the Housing Program Manager for the Chester Community Improvement Project (CCIP) in Chester, PA for the past 13 years. During this time, he has provided homebuyer education, pre-and post-purchase counseling, first-time homebuyer counseling, credit & budget counseling, and default and delinquency counseling to individuals and families residing in the City of Chester and Delaware County, PA. During his time as a certified HUD counselor, he has had the pleasure of counseling and assisting over 650 families to help them fulfill their dreams of homeownership.

###

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