Housing Counseling Assistance Program

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Program Accomplishments

For fiscal year 2007,agencies participating in the program provided having counseling services to approximately 1,700,000 households.

Uses and Use Restrictions

To provide housing counseling grants to HUD-approved local housing counseling agencies; to HUD-approved national and regional intermediaries; and to State housing finance agencies.

Grants provide a variety of housing counseling services, including single family home buying, homeownership, mortgage default, HECM, rental, and rental delinquency under HUD and other programs.

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Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Qualified public or private nonprofit organizations.

There are three categories of eligible applicants: (1) HUD-approved local housing counseling agency; (2) HUD-approved national or regional intermediary; and (3) State housing finance agency.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Individuals, groups of individuals, and families who are renters, tenants, homeowners, and home buyers under HUD, conventional and other government programs.

Credentials/Documentation

To be eligible to apply for a housing counseling grant through the SuperNOFA, agencies, except state housing finance agencies must be HUD approved. HUD-approval must be secured by the SuperNOFA publication date. To become a HUD-approved housing counseling agency, applicants must (1) meet the requirements of the Housing Counseling Handbook 7610.1 as revised; (2) consult the HUD website to learn about the eligibility requirements for becoming HUD-approved and obtain application (available on the HUD website at www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hcc/hcc_homes.cfm); and (3) return application to the HUD Homeownership Center (HOC) with jurisdiction, or, if appropriate, HUD Headquarters.

Aplication and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

The availability of funds (HUD SuperNOFA) is announced in the Federal Register.

There is no application kit.

Potential applicants and community-based organizations are invited to view and participate in a satellite broadcast that reviews the application process.

For a copy of the SuperNOFA, or for the satellite broadcast schedule, applicants can visit the HUD website (www.hud.gov) or call the SuperNOFA Information Center at 1-800-HUD-8929.

Persons with hearing or speech impairments may call the Center's TTY number at 1-800-HUD-2209.

This program is excluded from coverage under E.O.

12372.

Application Procedures

Applicants must submit by the required date the items and forms requested in the SuperNOFA, such as a description of the housing counseling services to be provided, and indicators by which benefits / impact will be measured.

Award Procedures

Applicants will be evaluated competitively and ranked against all other applicants that applied in the same funding category. National and regional intermediaries are rated and ranked by HUD Headquarters. Local agencies and State housing finance agencies are rated and ranked by the Homeownership Center (HOC) with jurisdiction. A funding formula outlined in the SuperNOFA is used to calculate awards. This program is subject to the administrative requirements established in OMB Circular A-102, Grants and Cooperative Agreements with State and Local Governments, which was implemented by 24 CFR part 85; OMB Circular A-110, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Other Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals and Other Nonprofit Organizations, which was implemented by 24 CFR part 84; and OMB Circular A-133, Audits of States, Local Governments and Nonprofit Organizations, which was implemented by 24 CFR Parts 84 and 85. Grants awarded under this program are also subject to the cost principles in OMB Circular A-87 for State and local governments and Indian tribal governments and OMB Circular A-122 for nonprofit organizations.

Deadlines

Due dates and times for the receipt of applications for housing counseling grants are specified in the application.

Authorization

Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, as amended.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

Award announcements typically occur 5-7 months after applications are received.

Appeals

Applicants for housing counseling grants may appeal their denial of a grant award or the insufficiency of the grant amount to HUD.

Renewals

Grantees must submit a new application and compete through the SuperNOFA each year.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

Formula is outlined in the SuperNOFA. This program has no matching requirements. However, applicants are required to demonstrate funding from other resources.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Funding assistance is for a discrete period of time, generally 1 year. Grantees invoice HUD on a periodic basis for housing counseling services delivered. Payments of grant funds are subsequently made to grantees via direct deposit/electronic funds transfer (DD/EFT).

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Grantees must file periodic invoices including semi-annual performance reports as well as final reports pursuant to grant agreement.

Moreover, Form HUD-96010, Housing Counseling Agency Fiscal Year Activity Report is required at year-end from funded agencies.

Audits

HUD-approved housing counseling organizations are subject to a biennial performance review by HUD to retain status as a HUD- approved counseling agency.

Records

As required in grant document and Housing Counseling Handbook, HUD 7610.1 REV-4 dated August 1995.

Financial Information

Account Identification

86-0205-0-1-604.

Obigations

(Grants) FY 07 $38,580,000; FY 08 est $47,000,000; and FY 09 est $60,000,000.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

Range and Average of Financial Assistance: For Fiscal Year 2006, the grants ranged from $20,000, the minimum award for a local agency, to $4 million, the maximum award for an intermediary. The average local agency counseling grant was approximately $36,000. The average intermediary award was approximately $1.2 million.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature

Regulation issued September 28, 2007 at 24 CFR Part 214. The revised Housing Counseling Program Handbook 7610.1 REV 4, Change 1, was distributed in October 1997 to all HUD Offices. Copies are available by contacting Headquarters at (800) 767-7468.

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

Persons are encouraged to contact the Homeownership Center serving their State (see http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hoc/hsghocs.cfm), or the nearest local HUD Office. See Catalog address Appendix IV for a list of offices.

Headquarters Office

Program Support Division, Office of Insured Single Family Housing, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20410. Telephone: (202) 708-0317.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

Outlined in SuperNOFA.