To
counsel homeowners, homebuyers, prospective renters and tenants
under HUD, conventional and other government programs in improving
their housing conditions and in meeting the responsibilities of
tenancy and homeownership.
TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE:
Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
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.
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, 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/fha/sfh/hcc/hccprof13.html);
and (3) return application to the HUD Homeownership Center (HOC)
with jurisdiction, or, if appropriate, HUD Headquarters.
Pre-application
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
Procedure: 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
Procedure: 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.
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-9902, 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.
Obligations:
FY 01 $9,791,000; FY 02 est $20,000,000; and FY 03 est $35,000,000.
Range
and Average of Financial Assistance:
For fiscal year 2002, the grants will range from $5,000 to a maximum
of $100,000. For fiscal year 2001, the average local agency counseling
grant was $18,000.
For fiscal year 2001, HUD provided funding for 340 local housing
agencies, 11 HUD-approved intermediaries, and 18 state housing finance
agencies. For fiscal year 2002, plans are to fund approximately
340 local housing agencies, 14 HUD-approved intermediaries and 20
State housing finance agencies.
REGULATIONS,
GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
No Housing counseling regulations have been issued. The revised
Housing Counseling Program Handbook 7610.1 REV 4 was distributed
in August 1995 to all HUD Offices. Copies are available by contacting
Headquarters.
INFORMATION
CONTACTS:
Regional
or Local Office: Persons are encouraged to contact
the Homeownership Center serving their State, 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, SW, Washington, DC 20410. Telephone:
(202) 708-0317.
Web
Site Address: http://www.hud.gov80/progdesc/snglindx.cfm
