Housing Counseling Assistance Program

The Housing Counseling Assistance Program awards grant funds to HUD-approved housing counseling agencies that counsel and provides advice to tenants and homeowners, with respect to property maintenance, financial management and literacy, and other ma

The purpose of the grant program is to provide funds to HUD-approved housing counseling agencies that provide counseling and advice to tenants and homeowners, with respect to property maintenance, financial management and literacy, and other matters as may be appropriate to assist program clients in improving their housing conditions, meeting their financial needs, and fulfilling the responsibilities of tenancy or homeownership. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) plays an integral role in the continued stabilization of our nation's housing market by helping individuals and families obtain housing and stay in their homes through responsible homeownership or affordable rental housing. Housing counseling agencies are an important safeguard in the prevention of housing scams and discrimination and serve as an important gateway to local, state, federal, and private housing assistance and resources.

There are four categories of eligible applicants: (1) HUD-approved Local Housing Counseling Agency; (2) HUD-approved Intermediary; (3) State Housing Finance Agency; and (4) Multi-State Organizations; as defined by the Housing Counseling Program regulations, 24 CFR 214.

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

To provide housing counseling grants to HUD-approved Local Housing Counseling Agencies, Intermediaries, Multi-State Organizations, and to State Housing Finance Agencies. Grants provide a variety of housing counseling services, including pre-purchase, post-purchase non delinquency, mortgage default, reverse mortgage/HECM, rental, and homeless counseling. HUD requires Grantees to use grant funds for housing counseling and group education in accordance with 24 CFR Part 214, the Housing Counseling Handbook, and NOFO eligible activities.

To provide housing counseling grants to HUD-approved Local Housing Counseling Agencies, Intermediaries, Multi-State Organizations, and to State Housing Finance Agencies. Grants provide a variety of housing counseling services, including pre-purchase, post-purchase non delinquency, mortgage default, reverse mortgage/HECM, rental, and homeless counseling. HUD requires Grantees to use grant funds for housing counseling and group education in accordance with 24 CFR Part 214, the Housing Counseling Handbook, and NOFO eligible activities.

Funding assistance is for a discrete period of time as outlined in the Comprehensive Housing Counseling Grant Program NOFO. Funding must be spent during the grant's designated period of performance. Grant payments are released quarterly during the period of performance.

1. Applicants will be reviewed based on eligibility requirements stated in the NOFO. A technical sufficiency review will determine whether the applicants meet the threshold requirements set forth in this program and whether all required forms have been properly submitted. Procedures on correcting a deficient application are stated in the NOFO. 2. The merit review will evaluate the responses to each rating factor and other relevant information. Applications will be evaluated competitively and ranked against other Applicants.

Awards are reviewed, scored, and approved by the Office of Housing Counseling. All applications will be scored on a 100 point scale. Applicants must meet the minimum fundable score outlined in the NOFO. Applicants will be evaluated competitively and ranked against all other applicants that applied in the same funding category. The funding methodology outlined in the NOFO is used to calculate awards. Assistance can be passed through the initial grantee for further distribution to housing counseling agencies in the grantee's network.

For a period of at least 120 days, beginning 30 days after the public announcement of awards under this NOFO, HUD will provide a debriefing related to their application to requesting applicants. Information provided during a debriefing may include the final score the applicant received for each rating factor, final evaluator comments for each rating factor, and the final assessment indicating the basis upon which funding was approved or denied.