Housing Action Illinois, an NLIHC state partner, was recently awarded $1.2 million from HUD to distribute to local nonprofits for housing counseling services. These sub-grants will be given to 33 HUD-approved housing counseling organizations within Housing Action Illinois’s intermediary affiliates network to help families rent or buy affordable housing and prevent foreclosures. Each agency in the network will receive $12,000 to $46,000 towards assisting low to moderate income households. Additionally, Housing Action Illinois will provide support to the subgrantees through administrative assistance, training, and one-on-one guidance with the goal of helping awarded agencies build their capacity to reach more people in their communities and adapt to changing needs. Counseling services will include information on accessing fair mortgages, safe borrowing, avoiding predatory lending practices, rental counseling, and foreclosure prevention.
Since becoming a HUD intermediary in 2014, Housing Action Illinois has assisted community-based organizations in becoming HUD-approved housing counseling agencies and provided funding for that purpose. The organization began with a network of 12 affiliates in 2015 and has since been expanded to 33, with increases in HUD funding each year. During a recent nine-month period, the affiliate network collectively educated 10,531 people on their housing options and assisted 306 families in purchasing their first home.
“Essentially, what this award means is that we can help thousands more families in the Midwest region understand their housing options, including when renting or considering purchasing a home,” stated Housing Action Illinois Director of Capacity Building David Young. “By expanding our network and increasing our sub-grants, we create more opportunities for families and communities to thrive.”
Learn more about Housing Action Illinois at: https://bit.ly/2Pfy5xU