Housing Action Awarded $1 Million in Housing Counseling Funds

33 Agencies to Receive Subgrants to Help Families Rent or Buy Affordable Homes

CHICAGO – HUD has awarded $1,000,206 to Housing Action Illinois to distribute funds to local nonprofits whose housing counseling programs help families rent or buy safe, affordable homes and prevent foreclosures. This year’s network of 33 housing counseling agencies, listed below, serve communities in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Missouri.

Each housing counseling agency in Housing Action’s network will receive between $18,000 and $50,000 for FY2020. In addition to providing affiliates with financial support, Housing Action assists them with administrative functions and offers training and one-on-one guidance to help agencies become more effective, expand their programs, and develop staff skills to meet changing needs.

“Housing counselors are already helping clients who are facing housing instability due to COVID-19,” said David Young, Housing Action’s Director of Capacity Building. “They were on the front lines during the foreclosure crisis. The difference now is the increase in people seeking rental and eviction assistance. This time, we’re definitely seeing homeowners reaching out, but also a much larger rental population.”

According to Black Knight, a mortgage data company, 4.3 million homeowners missed their mortgage payments in May—more than double the 2 million reported at the end of March. In addition, a U.S. Census Bureau survey released on May 20 found that 21.3% of adults had only slight or no confidence in their ability to pay next month’s rent or mortgage on time.

Housing counseling agencies provide community residents with guidance on budgeting, renting, and purchasing a home. Housing counselors help families access mortgages and manage mortgage delinquency, avoid discriminatory or predatory lending practices, and prevent foreclosure and homelessness.

“In the best of economic times, housing counselors play a critical role in educating and working with clients through each step of the process to become new homeowners or to avoid foreclosure,” said Derek Adkisson, Director of Finance and Operations at South Suburban Housing Center. “During these challenging and uncertain economic times, South Suburban Housing Center is preparing for an increased demand in loan modification applications and to assist clients in negotiating their forbearance repayments.”

HUD Housing Counseling Intermediary Affiliates 2020 – 2021

• Access Living – Chicago, IL
• Advantage Housing, Inc. – Kokomo, IN
• Brightpoint – Ft. Wayne, IN
• CDBG Operations Corporation – E. St. Louis, IL
• CEDA – Chicago, IL
• C.E.F.S. – Effingham, IL
• Center for Changing Lives – Chicago, IL
• Central Detroit Christian CDC – Detroit, MI
• Community Investment Corporation (CIC) of Decatur – Decatur, IL
• Community Service Council of Northern Will County – Bolingbrook, IL
• Cornerstone Community Development Corporation– Ford Heights, IL
• Embarras River Basin Agency – Greenup, IL
• Genesis Housing Development Corporation – Chicago, IL
• H.O.M.E. DuPage – Wheaton, IL
• HOPE of Evansville – Evansville, IN
• Housing Opportunities – Valparaiso, IN
• Housing Opportunity Development Corporation – Techny, IL
• The Housing Partnership, Inc. – St. Louis, MO
• Justine Petersen, Inc. – St. Louis, MO
• Kingdom Community – Chicago, IL
• Lake County Housing Authority – Grayslake, IL
• Latin United Community Housing Association (LUCHA) – Chicago, IL
• Menard County Housing Authority – Petersburg, IL
• METEC – Peoria, IL
• Northside Community Development Corporation – Chicago, IL
• Oak Park Regional Housing Center – Oak Park, IL
• Open Communities – Evanston, IL
• Partners in Community Building – Chicago, IL
• Respond Now – Chicago Heights, IL
• Restoration America – Crystal Lake, IL
• South Suburban Housing Center – Homewood, IL
• Total Resource Community Development Corporation – Chicago, IL
• Western Egyptian Economic Opportunity Corporation – Steeleville, IL