THE OFFICE OF HOUSING COUNSELING NEWSLETTER

THEBRIDGE

FOCUSING ON EFFICIENT PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

VOLUME 06, ISSUE 10 APRIL 2018

INSIDE THE ISSUE From the Deputy !ssistant Secretary <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<;; 2 Home Equity Conversion Mortgage Default �ounseling <<<<<<<<<<< How to Prevent the Recapture of Grant Funds <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<; Part 2: What Happens During a Performance Review <<<<<<<<<<<;< The !��’s of Reporting: The HUD-9902 Quarterly Report <<<<<<<<;<;; Housing Partnership Network Announces New Industry Collaboration ...... Five Tips to Prepare for the Housing �ounselor �ertification Exam <..<<;; Solicitation: Housing Counseling Federal Advisory Committee Members < Federal Register Notice for Disaster Recovery Funds <<<;;<<<<<<;<<; �uilding !wareness for HUD Housing �ounseling <<<<<<<<<<..<<.<; Upcoming Training <<<<<<<<<<<;<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<;;<;<<;

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THE OFFICE OF HOUSING COUNSELING NEWSLETTER

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FROM THE DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY

Sarah Gerecke Deputy Assistant Secretary Office of Housing Counseling

Greetings,

Spring is in full swing and the Office of Housing Counseling has been working to bring a fresh, new look and increased accessibility to the resources that support housing counselors.

You may have noticed in the last few months that our website and resources have a new look and feel that is more modern, more accessible, and more integrated. This change in our products is no coincidence. In fact, it reflects our office’s commitment to creating new opportunities to better support housing counselors.

Every month, The Bridge provides ideas and tips to help housing counselors in turn help families to achieve their housing goals. This particular issue highlights a range of tools, tips, and resources to help housing counseling agencies navigate their clients’ needs. Read on to learn more about how the Office of Housing Counseling and our partners are engaged in efforts to:

Establish partnerships that will standardize and integrate housing counseling practices to better alignwith the mortgage industry;

Help housing counselors educate and inform buyers about maintaining a safe and healthy home andknowing their rights to address potential health hazards;

Share best practices and lessons learned for preparing for the HUD Certified Housing Counselor Examination;

Support HUD Housing Counseling Program grantees in decreasing, and ultimately preventing, therecapture of grant funding;

Enhance knowledge of and familiarity with Home Equity Conversion Mortgage Default Counseling as anessential service for borrowers at risk of defaulting on real estate taxes and property insurancepayments; and

Help agencies track necessary information for quarterly grant reporting and performance reviews.

In everything we do, it is our goal to improve HUD Housing �ounseling !gencies’ ability to support current and prospective homeowners and renters, and we embrace the chance to create new opportunities that allow agencies to assist their clients efficiently and effectively.

Sarah

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Home Equity

Conversion Mortgage

Default Counseling

What is Home Equity Conversion Mortgage default counseling? This is a specific service related to Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM), a reverse mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration. A reverse mortgage is a type of loan that allows qualified borrowers to use the existing equity in their home and doesn’t require immediate or monthly interest or principal payments like a traditional home equity loan. Although monthly payments on reverse mortgages are not required, there is still a risk of default if the borrower fails to pay real estate taxes, homeowner association fees, or local assessments (e.g., sewer); maintain hazard insurance; or remain in the property as the principal residence.

This counseling is geared towards borrowers who are at risk of failure to maintain the property as their primary residence, or at risk of defaulting on real estate taxes, property insurance, other property charges, or special assessments (i.e., condominium fees or homeowner’s association dues). Counselors with experience in HECM default

counseling work with borrowers to do the following:

Contact the loan servicer as soon as possible if the delinquency can be resolved;

Determine options for additional financial assistance;

Explore other housing options; or

Refer the borrowers to a local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) for additional guidance and counseling.

These services should be able to provide borrowers with the following outcomes:

An understanding of the reverse mortgage foreclosure process and the consequences of not resolving their delinquency;

A full overview of their financial situation;

Negotiation with the servicer about repayment options; and

An understanding of the options available to resolve their delinquency and to maintain their property charges going forward.

Who currently provides HECM default counseling? Counselors from the intermediary agencies listed below provide HECM default counseling but may not be the only available resources. Other HUD participating counseling agencies may be providing these services as well. Please contact any of the below intermediary agencies to obtain HECM default counseling:

Greenpath (888) 860-4167

Money Management International (877) 908-2227

National Foundation for Credit Counseling (866) 698-6322

NeighborWorks America (888) 990-4326

Housing Options Provided for the Elderly (844) 432-6467

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How can agencies add HECM default counseling to their portfolio of services? Agencies with counselors who have experience in the HECM program and default counseling may provide this service. HECM default counselors do not have to be on the HECM roster but should have in-depth knowledge of HECM loan servicing requirements. HECM loss mitigation options are significantly different than forward mortgages. The Office of Housing Counseling provides counseling guidelines for working with HECM borrowers who are delinquent on real estate taxes, property insurance, or other property charges or special assessments. Additionally, Neighborworks provides a course on understanding HECM Default and Foreclosure.

Agencies who wish to add these services should provide their HUD Point of Contact with a modified workplan that includes HECM default counseling and resumes of staff providing the counseling. Agencies and counselors are also encouraged to use the National Council on Aging’s online tool, Benefits CheckUp (BCU). This free tool can assist counselors in identifying other federal, state and local resources that may assist the client. Agencies are encouraged to contact their HUD Point of Contact with questions.

Where can additional guidance on HECM default counseling be found? Find additional guidance at:

2016-07: Expanded Permissive Loss Mitigation for Home Equity Conversion Mortgages and Mortgagee’s Optional Extension to Submitting a Due and Payable Request

2016-05: Additional Guidance related to Mortgagee Letter 2015-15, Mortgagee Optional Election (MOE) Assignment for Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM) with an FHA Case Number assigned prior to August 4, 2014

2015-26: Extension of Certain Timeframes in connection with Mortgagee Letter 2015­11, Loss Mitigation Guidance for Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM) in Default due to Unpaid Property Charges

2015-24: Single Family Foreclosure Policy and Procedural Changes for HUD Title II Forward Mortgages and Reverse Mortgages

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How to Prevent the

Recapture of Grant Funds

HUD awarded more than $50 million in comprehensive and training grants to hundreds of national, regional, and local organizations in Fiscal Year 2017. Housing counseling agencies work with limited budgets to conduct the important work that they do. HUD, like the housing counseling agencies in its programs, must be prudent when working with and distributing limited government resources. As such, there are some situations that require HUD to recapture funds from agencies that do not expend their grant funds in a timely manner.

Although the Office of Housing Counseling typically recaptures a small fraction of the overall funding in any fiscal year, HUD and housing counseling agencies should work together toward the goal of eliminating the recapture of grant funds. Recapturing funds means that HUD is unable to allocate scarce resources to those who could have utilized the limited resources to counsel families in foreclosure or provide counseling to first-time homebuyers needing guidance. In recent housing counseling grant competitions, HUD considered recaptured funds as a factor when distributing future grant funds.

Here are helpful tips to avoid recapture of grant funds:

Ask your HUD Point of Contact for a grant extension, if needed. Grants normally need to be expended by certain deadlines, and balances should be monitored frequently. If an expenditure deadline approaches and the agency still has a significant amount of money yet to be spent down, the agency should ask for a no-cost grant extension. Extensions are granted on a

discretionary basis and are designed to give agencies more time to draw funds for eligible housing counseling activity. The agency will need to provide a justification for the extension, such as a temporary loss of a staff member.

Assign a specific person(s) to monitor the grant, utilize tracking tools, and review financials frequently. It is a best practice to appoint a specific person(s) within your agency to monitor and track the agency's budget versus actual spending and to alert management in a timely fashion if the agency might not meet its expenditure deadline. Agencies should use a tracking tool like an Excel spreadsheet to track draw-downs and grant balances. Programs such as Excel can be used to run customized reports at predetermined times on your calendars. Additionally, when there is staff turnover, it is imperative that the new staff member(s) be trained to comply with the grant agreement and understand the approved budget, grant deadlines, and overall grant policies and procedures. Housing counseling program staff should work closely with accounting and other relevant departments so that everyone involved in the grant administration

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process is aware of the grant amounts, deadlines, and timelines involved. Financials should be reviewed frequently, and managers should be immediately made aware of any imminent issues.

Request technical assistance when needed. Agencies should be proactive about requesting technical assistance from their HUD Points of Contact if they need training on how to access the Line of Credit Control System (LOCCS), HUD’s primary grant disbursement system used to draw-down funds in the housing counseling program. Grantees access the system through e-LOCCS and must register with and connect through Secure Systems to access e-LOCCS. Authorized staff members must log into LOCCS at least every 60 days, even if the grantee has no remaining grant funds, so their account(s) do not become inactive. If the agency needs technical assistance for draw-downs or anything else pertaining to LOCCS, they should not hesitate to reach out to their Point of Contact. Sharing Secure Systems IDs and passwords will cause an immediate, permanent termination of staff from the LO��S systems; If you don’t know who your Point of Contact is, send an email to housing.counseling@hud.gov to request this information. A LOCCS team member who works on solving problems related to LOCCS may also be assigned to your agency to assist with any problems.

Request a budget modification. HUD recognizes that change happens. Unexpected events often require a budget modification. Agencies may request budget modifications to repurpose funds to accommodate different line items (from their approved budgets), so long as they are allowable, allocable, and reasonable. Agencies should refer to the grant agreement, Notice of Funding Availability application, and/or HUD Point of Contact for guidance on what constitutes an allowable, allocable, and reasonable cost. Budgets must be approved by your HUD Point of Contact before implementation. Oversight agencies should provide their sub-agencies with deadlines and timetables for meeting their goals and monitor them carefully to make sure that they are meeting their benchmarks.

Some resources that may help with the prevention of recapture of grant funds are:

Archived Webinar: “Managing Expenditures and Avoiding Recapture of Housing Counseling Funds;”

eLOCCS Process and Procedures (HUD Exchange)

When completing the HUD-27054E LOCCS Access Authorization Form, must my agency send a voided check? (HUD Exchange)

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What Happens During a

Performance Review

and How Does an

Agency Prepare?

This article is a follow-up to “What is a Performance Review and What is Its Purpose?,” featured in the February 2018 issue of The Bridge.

When it is time for your agency to have a performance review, whether it is a desk or on-site review, your Point of Contact will schedule it for a mutually convenient date and time. The review is based on the expiration date of the agency, internal quality controls, and whether the agency received a grant or not. A desk review is a review that occurs via conference call and an on-site review is where the Point of Contact travels to the agency to conduct the review in person. A confirmation letter will be sent out in advance confirming the date of the review, along with a list of requested documents and a deadline for furnishing those requested documents to the Point of Contact.

The documents should be identified and returned – preferably via email – by the deadline provided so that there will be enough time for the Point of Contact to thoroughly examine and evaluate all of the agency’s documents; For on-site reviews, the Point of Contact will request a list of client files for a specific period, including client names and addresses, client type, date, counselor, and client numbers. From that list, the Point of Contact will randomly select a minimum of five client files and two group files for review. The Point of Contact may need to request additional information after reviewing the initial documents. It is best to be cooperative and prompt in responding to all requests. Before the review, the following actions

should be taken by the agency to ensure a productive review:

Copies of all documents requested by and sent to the Point of Contact should be readily available so that the agency personnel is in a position to reference all of the materials. This includes the HUD-9910 form with the agency’s portion already filled out.

If your agency has an on-site review scheduled, set aside a private, quiet, secure area before the Point of Contact arrives where he/she will be able to spend a couple of hours reviewing documents. A copy

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machine should also be made available to the Point of Contact in case he/she needs to copy any materials.

The agency’s housing counseling client and group files should be readily available to allow for random selection and review.

If any files are electronic, a computer and your agency’s �lient Management System should be accessible so that the Point of Contact can randomly sample and review files.

Any file(s) containing grant supporting information dating back over the past three years should be handy in the event the Point of Contact wants to see supporting documentation.

In the case of an on-site review, be prepared to give a tour of your entire agency, including the area(s) where any paper files are stored, counseling and group education is conducted, and entrances/exits for handicap access are located.

Make sure that your agency’s files are properly organized and labelled.

Most on-site and desk reviews follow this format:

Entrance Interview. During the entrance interview, the Point of Contact will discuss the purpose of the review, the scope of activities to be examined, and when the closing interview will take place and what

will be covered. Also, the interview enables the agency to discuss their programs and services’ successes, goals, and training opportunities.

Review. The Point of Contact spends time going over items such as the agency’s workplan, HUD-9910, Quality Control Plan, client and group files, staff resumes and trainings, financial audit, budget, leveraged funding, disclosure statements, grant supporting documents, billing procedures, HUD-9902s, Housing Counseling System, Personnel Activity Reports and timesheet reporting. The Point of Contact may need clarification on various topics and will provide technical assistance as required.

Exit Interview. The Point of Contact and the housing counseling agency hold an exit interview to summarize the review, discuss any findings and/or observations, and provide a time frame for delivery of the report, which is due within 45 days of the review. The Point of Contact will also answer any follow-up questions from the agency. In addition, the exit interview offers an opportunity to provide additional explanations on any performance review-related topics, and/or clarification required on specific subjects that were discussed during the entrance interview. The Point of Contact then closes the review, if there are no other further questions.

For more information on performance reviews, refer to the HUD Handbook 7610.1 Rev 5.

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The ABC’s of Reporting:

The HUD-9902

Quarterly Report

Housing counseling agencies are often told how important timely reporting is, and many have heard their fair share on the subject. Agencies receive emails, are asked about their reporting habits on grant applications, and may have received a phone call or two on its importance. So what is all the fuss about? Do an agency's reports really make a difference in their level of funding, their potential partnerships, or their relationship with HUD? To accurately answer these questions, let's take a closer look at the HUD-9902 Quarterly Report and how HUD uses this information to benefit its housing counseling agencies.

HUD grantees receive funding from the Department to support their mission to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD grantees include state and local governments, non-profit and for-profit organizations, public housing authorities, and tribal entities. Grantees are required to submit plans, reports, and other data to HUD for tracking compliance, performance, and outcomes via the HUD-9902 Quarterly Report.

The HUD-9902 Quarterly Report is vital to HUD's Office of Housing Counseling and its partners as it records housing counseling and education activity by agencies participating in the Housing Counseling Program. Using the HUD-9902 Quarterly Report data, HUD can accurately demonstrate to Congress and the Office of Management and Budget the impact of the program in order to justify proposed appropriations, identify housing needs and trends, and report on the accomplishment of performance goals. When 100% of housing counseling agencies submit their reports on time, the Office of Housing

Counseling can work with complete datasets. This ensures that the Office of Housing Counseling can identify housing counseling trends and client demographics, and also assess the impact of services offered by housing counseling agencies. Since Fiscal Year 2007, all agencies participating in HUD’s Housing �ounseling Program are required to submit the HUD-9902 Activity Report quarterly.

HUD recommends counseling agencies transmit the HUD-9902 Activity Report early through their Client Management System so that the HUD Point of Contact has time to review the data and validate the report. Early submission ensures that if there are any errors, there will still be time to correct the data by the due date. Submission delays due to system technical difficulties are more likely to be avoided when transmitting the HUD-9902 early. If transmission problems are encountered, please contact your HUD Point of Contact immediately.

HUD-9902 Quarterly Reporting Periods and Due Dates

HUD Fiscal Quarter (Q)

Period Covered Due Date

1st Quarter October 1st to December 31st

Due no later than January 31st .

2nd Quarter October 1st to March 31st

Due no later than April 30th . Include clients reported in Q1 report plus new clients served in Q2.

3rd Quarter October 1st to June 30th

Due no later than July 31st. Include clients reported in Q2 report plus new clients served in Q3.

4th Quarter October 1st to September 30th

Due no later than December 31st. Include clients reported in Q3 report plus new clients served in Q4.

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Please be aware that Housing Counseling Agencies who do not transmit their HUD-9902 Activity Report by the due date may jeopardize their agency’s status as a HUD-approved housing counseling agency. If your agency is a HUD housing counseling grantee, late reporting may affect timely processing of your agencies grant voucher by HUD.

For additional technical assistance, please contact your HUD Point of Contact or email housing.counseling@hud.gov.

Need More Information? For more information on HUD-9902 reporting requirements, refer to the 9902 Desk Guide and the HUD-9902 Activity Report. The HUD-9902 Quarterly Reports summarize the information submitted on a quarterly basis by housing counseling agencies from Fiscal Years 2007 to 2017.

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Housing Partnership

Network Announces New

Industry Collaboration

to Standardize and Integrate

Home Counseling Practices

Housing Partnership Network is a national business collaborative of affordable housing and community development nonprofits. Along with HomeFree-USA, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, UnidosUS, and Fannie Mae, it is pleased to announce a joint effort to develop an exciting new platform for the housing industry that serves the needs of prospective and existing homeowners and renters across the U.S.

The platform, a new client management system using Salesforce.com technology, will help housing counselors integrate with the mortgage industry by offering automated underwriting tools like Fannie Mae’s Desktop Underwriter®. By combining these tools with improved case tracking and a standardized process, housing counselors can better partner with mortgage lenders and deliver essential services more efficiently and effectively.

“The new platform is being created by housing counseling practitioners to meet the real world needs of today’s homebuyers and renters,” said Chuck Wehrwein, Chief Operating Officer at Housing Partnership Network; “The vision of our collaborators is to one day see prospective homebuyers seek out a housing advisor before purchasing their first home as part of a successful journey to building lifelong financial security;”

According to Matt Ribe, general counsel for the National Foundation for �redit �ounseling, “The timing couldn’t be better; !s communities have recovered from the Great Recession and real estate

markets have heated up, millions of Americans are struggling to attain the credit, savings, and income needed for sustainable homeownership. And many don’t see homeownership as a realistic option; Through this collaboration with Housing Partnership Network, our members will be better positioned to meet the need;”

“The challenges are even greater for communities of color,” said Marcia Griffin, president of HomeFree-US!; “Over the next ten years, 75 percent of net new U.S. households are projected to be persons of color, and yet the homeownership rates in these communities continue to decline, and with it hopes of building family wealth. Our network is hungry for enhanced tools to better position our clients to succeed in sustainable homeownership;”

As an investor, Fannie Mae is focused on empowering industry partners and expanding the use of homeownership education; “There is a growing appreciation among mortgage lenders of the value that housing counselors can offer, especially to make sure that first time homebuyers are well positioned for long term success. This technology initiative is a key element to more fully integrating housing counseling into the mortgage process,” said Jonathan Lawless, Fannie Mae’s Vice President of Product Development and Affordable Housing.

The first version of the new technology platform is expected to launch and be available by the end of 2018. HUD counseling intermediary organizations and mortgage lenders that are interested in joining the effort are encouraged to reach out to Lyndsay Burns at Housing Partnership Network to learn more.

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Five Tips to Help You

Prepare for the HUD

Housing Counselor

Certification Exam

While 2020 seems far away, time moves quickly— especially when it comes to preparing for the HUD Housing Counselor certification exam. At BALANCE, formerly known as Consumer Credit Counseling Service of San Francisco, they made the test a top priority but were nevertheless surprised by a few curveballs along the way.

!lmost 90% of �!L!N�E’s housing counselors have passed the exam. To help you prepare, here are a few things they learned:

1. Leverage existing resources. As they approached the exam, they drew heavily on the material provided by the interactive online training and

study guides from HUDHousingCounselors.com. Both resources led their team through the six subject areas of the test in a careful and detailed manner.

Additionally, BALANCE added two extra tests. Before their counselors began the online training, they went through a 100-question pre-test. Then, after completing all 15 modules and HUD’s practice exam, they were assigned a post-test. Both tests used questions based off of those found in the study guides, from all six subject areas. Taken together, the pre- and post-test provided extra opportunities to familiarize housing counselors with the material.

2. Pace yourself. A 90-question exam covering six subject areas is quite intimidating. By tackling one subject at

a time at a manageable pace, you can alleviate your exam anxiety. To help counselors set such a pace, BALANCE provided each one with a study schedule using the existing structure on HUDHousingCounselors.com as a guide.

For example, counselors were required to cover the first four modules on Budget, Credit, Managing Assets, and Protecting Assets by the end of the first week of study. For the following week, the next two modules, Renting vs. Buying and Affordable Housing Options, were due. At this pace, the counselors could finish the training on HUDHousingCounselors.com in two months. While this timeline may seem lengthy, keep in mind that a counselor often does not have the luxury of studying for eight hours a day at work. Limiting the number of modules due per week increases a counselor’s flexibility as they thread their study efforts into their usual work routine.

3. Plan ahead. Make sure to build in a cushion of time before the exam. For counselors, this will provide more opportunities to review the material. For staff members who are coordinating the exam, this allows more time to iron out logistics. Depending on how the test is taken, arranging it can become a more involved process.

At BALANCE, they used both the online proctoring setup and the off-site testing centers. For the former, the logistics proved to be a little more challenging than expected because of the technical requirements, such as the need for a specific type of webcam. They had hoped to use the webcams embedded in their agency’s laptops, as a number of their housing counselors already used them. But because the online proctor needs to see both the test taker and their screen, they bought a couple of USB webcams instead to share among their counselors.

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Another requirement was the software used by the online proctoring service; �!L!N�E’s Training Department was unable to get the software to work on their computers, even after multiple attempts. They realized their network’s settings prohibited anyone without administrative access from using the software. However, thanks to the BALANCE IT Department and the technical support staff at Kryterion (the online proctoring vendor), they figured out a solution. Without the extra lead time, they would have had to reschedule or cancel exams.

4. Get input from your community. As agencies across the country work toward meeting this new requirement, everyone stands to benefit from sharing their experiences and providing resources to help prepare for the exam. To that end, this community has already provided great insights.

Some of the BALANCE counselors attended workshops and classes presented by organizations such as the Rural Community Assistance Corporation and The �ounselor’s �orner. They also solicited advice from housing counselors across the country. !nd don’t forget to utilize the community

within an agency. For example, if there is more than one housing counselor, start a study group. Once a few of the BALANCE counselors passed the exam, the organization arranged for them to lead a group review session for their colleagues who had yet to go through the certification process. Whether it’s a community of agencies or fellow employees, a group provides valuable insights in preparing for this exam.

5. Be mindful of test anxiety. Initially, the BALANCE Training Department focused on the content of the exam and the logistics of taking it. But the degree to which counselors felt comfortable taking the exam was lost in the shuffle. To ease their nerves, BALANCE researched test anxiety tips and held breathing exercises before the exam began. Focusing on the test takers themselves, in addition to the test, helped BALANCE set their counselors up for success.

Overall, earning your HUD Housing Counselor certification is like accomplishing any other goal. To succeed, BALANCE found that using existing resources, starting early, setting a manageable pace, planning ahead, working with peers and colleagues, and staying loose were all crucial. BALANCE hope these tips will help all housing counselors in their efforts. Good luck!

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Solicitation for Members for the Housing Counseling

Federal Advisory Committee

A Federal Register Notice, published on April 9, 2018, announces vacancies on the Housing Counseling Federal Advisory Committee (Committee). HUD is seeking nominations to fill eight vacancies. Of the eight new members, there must be two representatives from each of the following four categories: mortgage industry, real estate industry, consumers, and HUD-approved housing counseling agencies. Individuals may nominate themselves. Please carefully read the Federal Register Notice before submitting a nomination.

Nominations to the Committee must be submitted via HUD Form 90005, which is available on the Office of Housing Counseling's Federal Advisory Committee webpage. Each nominee will be required to provide all the information on HUD Form 90005, as well as the following:

The name, title, and organization of the nominee and a narrative description of how the applicant is representative of at least one of the following four categories: mortgage industry, real estate industry, consumers, or HUD-approved housing counseling agencies;

The nominee's mailing address, email address, and telephone number;

A narrative statement summarizing the qualifications, unique experiences, skills, and knowledge the nominee will bring to the Committee, along with reasons why the nominee should be appointed;

A statement agreeing that the nominee will submit to any pre-appointment screenings HUD might require of Special Government Employees, as defined in 18 U.S.C. 202;

A statement confirming that the nominee is not a registered federal lobbyist; and The nominee’s signature and date;

Incomplete applications may be rejected from further review. Applications are due no later than May 9, 2018, at 11:59 pm ET. Nominations must be submitted via email to HCFAC.application@hud.gov. Individuals that do not have internet access may submit nominations to the following address:

Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Housing Counseling, HUD 451 7th Street SW, Room 9224, Washington DC 20410 (Please note that this address replaces the one on the application form.)

Please see Information for the Public on the HCFAC and Application for Membership for more details on the Committee. Additional information can also be found on HUD Exchange.

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Federal Register Notice for Disaster Recovery Funds

HUD issued a Federal Register Notice / Vol. 83, No. 28 allocating $7.39 billion in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funds for the purpose of assisting in long-term recovery from 2017 disasters. Given the extent of damage to housing in the eligible disaster areas and the very limited data at present regarding unmet infrastructure and economic revitalization needs, this notice requires each grantee to primarily consider and address its unmet housing recovery needs. Grantees are also required to coordinate with HUD-certified housing counseling organizations to ensure that information and services are made available to both renters and homeowners.

Disaster No. Grantee Allocation 4332 State of Texas $5,024,215,000

4337 State of Florida $615,922,000

4336 & 4339 Commonwealth of Puerto Rico $1,507,179,000

4335 & 4340 U.S. Virgin Islands $ 242,684,000

The 2017 Disaster and Emergency Resource Page for Housing Counselors contains resources, news, and updates regarding hurricanes in 2017. Check this page for resources for housing counseling agencies, news, and updates as they become available. View Disaster Recovery Flyers to help inform members of your community about the benefits of working with a housing counselor during emergency and disaster recovery.

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Building Awareness

for HUD Housing

Counseling

A NEW LOOK, A NEW FEEL. NEW COMMUNICATION TOOLS.

HUD’s Office of Housing Counseling is committed to creating greater awareness of housing counseling, the countless consumers and professionals that utilize it, and all it has to offer. A new visibility initiative is underway, comprised of several crucial components.

A new identity for the Office of Housing Counseling has been developed – not only to create a consistent, cohesive, immediately recognizable graphic fingerprint across all forms of communication, but also as a powerful outreach program designed to:

Increase stakeholder awareness of housing counseling services;

Positively change stakeholder perceptions of housing counseling services;

Motivate behaviors that lead to acquiring housing counseling services;

Create partnerships among stakeholders, so they can readily access available resources and disseminate information.

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A MESSAGE THAT HITS HOME. Our simple positioning statement clearly defines who we are, what we do, and what differentiates us in the marketplace: “HUD Housing Counseling provides trusted resources to empower consumers to make informed housing decisions.”

VISUAL IMPACT.

The bold new color palette is clean, modern, and attention-grabbing; You can’t miss our name and our promise. A bright orange rooftop tells you that it all happens under one roof – and the HUD Office of Housing Counseling logo is emblazoned on the chimney.

AN EMPOWERING NEW TAGLINE.

“Let’s Make Home Happen” says it all; It’s not a sales pitch, it’s a call to action; Whether we’re collaborating with consumers, lenders, licensed real estate professionals, or even our own coworkers, we’re working together to Make Home Happen – for anyone and everyone.

NEW COMMUNICATIONS TOOLS.

Housing Counseling Agencies will soon have an array of compelling, informative brochures and flyers designed to promote their services to the various audiences they serve – addressing the unique needs of each of those audiences.

We’re soon to enter our second 50 years of Making Home Happen – but we’re just getting started; For any questions concerning the new graphic identifier and its use, please contact Mr. Ben Yanetta at Benjamin.t.yanetta@hud.gov or 904-208-6022.

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LET’S CONNECT

UPCOMING TRAINING Check out some of the upcoming training opportunities available both virtually and in-person. Visit the Office of Housing �ounseling’s Trainings page for up-to-date announcements on training, events, and webinars. If you missed a webinar, visit the Webinar Archives to access previously recorded sessions.

HUD-Approved Training Opportunities

April 24-26, Phoenix, AZ RCAC Training: Housing Counseling Essentials for the Beginning Counselor Learn about the mechanics of housing counseling, industry best practices, and HUD compliance requirements.

April 25, 2:00-3:30 PM ET NCRC National Training Academy: Housing Counseling Program Delivery Webinar Series View the third installment of this webinar series, which will identify general program standards, explore best practices, and discuss strategies to successfully implement general standards in your housing programs.

May 1, 12:00-2:00 PM ET UnidosUS Training: HUD Compliance Webinar Learn about a unique of topics including the history and evolution of discriminatory lending.

May 1, 1:00-3:00 PM ET RCAC Webinar Series: Student Loan Debt Counseling – Part 1 Learn about pre-loan counseling and how to use interactive links to show students their best options.

May 1-2, Denver, CO RCAC Training: Improving Your Counseling Program Through Financial Capability and Coaching Learn how to integrate the latest tools and techniques from the financial capability field into your homeownership program.

May 2, 12:00-2:00 PM ET UnidosUS Training: Basic Client Management Using CounselorMax Webinar This course covers a variety of client managements topics for housing counselors including flow of a client from start to finish, homebuyer education, the HUD-9902 report, and keeping clients engaged.

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May 3, 10:00-12:00 PM ET RCAC Training: Understanding FHA Loan Products Online Examine the basic framework associated with all Federal Housing Authority loan products, including down payment requirements, mortgage insurance calculations, qualification requirements and underwriting.

May 3, 12:00-2:00 PM ET UnidosUS Training: Basic Client Management Using Home Counselor Online Webinar Counselors will learn each step of client management in Home Counselor Online, from intake to reporting and closing a file via visual screenshots. This webinar is designed for housing counselors with limited knowledge of Fannie Mae’s Home Counselor Online.

May 7-11, Kansas, MO NeighborWorks Training Institute Participate in a five-day training to improve your knowledge of topics such as affordable housing, lending, and nonprofit management and leadership.

May 8, 12:00-2:00 PM ET UnidosUS Training: Predatory Lending Webinar Learn about the history and evolution of predatory and discriminatory lending.

May 8, 1:00-3:00 PM ET RCAC Webinar Series: Student Loan Debt Counseling – Part 2 Learn about pre-loan counseling and how to use interactive links to show students their best options.

May 9, 12:00-2:00 PM ET UnidosUS Training: Homebuyer Education Delivery Webinar This course provides counselors with the basics of delivering homebuyer education.

May 9-10, Houston, TX Detecting and Addressing Hazards from Mold, Houston, TX Learn about mold detection, causes, health concerns and remediation procedures in housing units and common areas. This training is intended for public housing agency staff.

May 10, 12:00-2:00 PM ET UnidosUS Training: Fair Housing Webinar Learn the components of the Fair Housing Laws and the tools needed to better understand this issue.

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LET'S MAKE HOME HAPPEN

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May 15, 12:00-2:00 PM ET UnidosUS Training: Rental Counseling Webinar Learn about a variety of rental housing topics including providing assistance in locating rental property, costs associated with renting, lease agreements, and landlord/tenant responsibilities.

May 15, 1:00-3:00 PM ET RCAC Webinar Series: Student Loan Debt Counseling – Part 3 Learn about pre-loan counseling and how to use interactive links to show students their best options.

May 17, 1:00-3:00 PM ET RCAC Training: Best Practices in the Home Inspection Process Learn how the home inspection industry is regulated and how to help consumers select a home inspector.

May 17, 12:00-2:00 PM ET UnidosUS Training: Disaster Victims Counseling Web Seminar Learn about a variety of topics for counseling disaster victims including financial issues related to homes being destroyed and working with insurance companies.

May 22-24, Troy, NY RCAC Training: Core Competencies for HUD Certification Learn about all six competency areas to build and/or maintain your competency for the certification exam.

Other Training Opportunities

April 17, 2:00-4:00 PM ET The Counselor’s Corner: Alternatives to Foreclosure Review the programs available to help you and your clients navigate the "decision tree" of options when facing foreclosure.

April 24, 2:00-4:00 PM ET The Counselor's Corner: How to Study for the Certification Exam Learn about study techniques, the practice exam, and breaking down the questions and answers into parts to enhance understanding.

EDITORIAL BOARD

Editor-in-Chief Emelda Johnson Kennerly

Assistant Editor Suzanne Isaacs

Featured Writers Beth Eilers

Lorraine Griscavage-Frisbee

Helen Maxwell

Kevin Meirose

!drenace “Shae” Williams

For additional information about an article in this issue,

or to submit features of interest, general information,

testimonials, or announcements, contact

The Bridge at thebridge@hud.gov.