HUD's Office of Housing Counseling is making $51 million in grants available through a Notice of Funding Opportunity to support HUD-approved housing counseling agencies and intermediary organizations across the U.S.These comprehensive housing counseling grants will help hundreds of housing counseling agencies maintain and expand their services. The funding will also assist homeowners and renters who continue to struggle financially as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, particularly individuals and families of color who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.The grant funding opportunity includes components that will allow housing counseling agencies to play a strong role in advancing racial equity in homeownership, supporting disaster relief and recovery counseling, and helping seniors to age in place by:1.Allocating new funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other Minority Serving Institutions or agencies partnering with them: HUD has allocated $3 million specifically for HUD-approved housing counseling agencies that can demonstrate their status as a Historically Black College or University, Tribal College or University, or other Minority Serving Institution, or for housing counseling agencies that will partner with such organizations.2.Prioritizing emergency preparedness and disaster recovery counseling: Emergency preparedness and disaster recovery counseling is now part of the standard grant application so that agencies providing these services may potentially receive greater funding.3.Including incentives for Home Equity Conversion Mortgage foreclosure prevention counseling: Agencies which commit to provide foreclosure prevention counseling to seniors with Home Equity Conversion Mortgages will receive additional incentives as part of the funding process.
展开▼
