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How to get first time home buyers government grants
Housing Counseling Assistance Program
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meeting the responsibilities of tenancy and homeownership.
TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:
Project Grants.
USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
To provide housing counseling grants to HUD-approved housing
counseling agencies; to HUD-approved national, regional, and multi-
State intermediaries; and to State housing finance agencies. Grants
provide housing counseling services for single family home buying,
homeownership, mortgage default, rental, and rental delinquency
under HUD and other programs.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant Eligibility: An applicant for a housing counseling grant
must (1) Be a HUD-approved housing counseling agency in a HUDapproved
national, regional, or multi-state intermediary or a State
housing finance agency; (2) Submit an application under a Notice of
Funding Availability (NOFA) for a counseling grant; and (3) Provide
various written assurances and related documentation as part of the
application to be selected for a housing counseling grant.
Beneficiary Eligibility: An individual, group of individuals, and a
family who are tenants, homeowners, and home buyers under HUD
and other programs.
Credentials/Documentation: To become a HUD-approved
housing counseling agency, applicant must (1) Meet the
requirements of the Housing Counseling Handbook 7610.1 as
revised; (2) Contact the nearest
HUD Headquarters and confer on the eligibility requirements for
becoming HUD-approved; and (3) Obtain an application to become
HUD-approved and complete and return it to the HUD
Homeownership
and approves or disapproves the application.
APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS:
Preapplication Coordination: The HUD Super NOFA Information
Center will obtain a list of HUD-approved housing counseling
organizations from HUD's Housing Counseling Clearinghouse and
will forward application kits for housing counseling grants to the
HUD-approved housing counseling agencies; to the HUD-approved
national, regional and multi-state intermediaries; and to the State
housing finance agencies. These organizations must meet the
requirements contained in the application for a housing counseling
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grant: 1. The application must reach HUD on or prior to the final date
and time for receipt of applications; 2. The applicant or its affiliates
and/or brands must have an ongoing housing counseling program;
and 3. The applicant must be capable of starting counseling on the
effective date of the grant award. The applicant must use Standard
Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance, and other forms or
formats furnished by HUD and required by OMB Circular No. A-102.
This program is exempt from E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review
of Federal Programs". Because agencies approved by HUD are
nonprofit or public organizations, the housing counseling application
process for grants is exempt from State review.
Application Procedure: The applications for housing counseling
grants will be reviewed and evaluated by HUD. Selections for grant
awards will be based on written assurances, related documentation,
and funds requested and funds used and other criteria that
determine the grant amounts. This program is subject to the
provisions of OMB Circular No. A-110. The standard applications
forms as furnished by the Federal agency and required by OMB
Circular No. A-102 must be used for this program.
Award Procedure: Grants are awarded competitively by HUD.
Grant agreements are issued by HUD to the successful applicants.
Deadlines: Due dates and times for the receipt of applications for
housing counseling grants are specified in the application.
are available until obligated.
Appeals: Applicants for housing counseling grants may appeal
their denial of a grant award or the insufficiency of the grant amount
to HUD. Applicants may also appeal their denial of an application for
a housing counseling grant.
Renewals: HUD-approved housing counseling organizations are
subject to a biennial performance review by HUD to retain status as
a HUD-approved counseling agency. HUD may conduct a review at
any time it deems it necessary.
ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula and Matching Requirements: This program has no
statutory formula. Grantees need to leverage their HUD grant with
funding from other resources, as HUD only partially supports the
costs of housing counseling activities. This program has no matching
requirements.
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
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direct deposit/electronic funds transfer (DD/EFT).
POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports: Grantees must file periodic invoice including semi- annual
performance reports as well as final reports pursuant to grant
agreement.
Audits: A performance review once every two years is required
and made by HUD. No other audits are required, but may be
performed by
Office of Inspector General or General Accounting Office.
Records: As required in grant document and Housing Counseling
Handbook, HUD 7610.1 REV-4 dated August 1995.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION:
Account Identification: 86-0162-0-1-451; 86-0205-0-1-604.
Obligations: (Grants) FY 99 $17,500,000; FY 00 est $15,000,000;
and FY 01 est $24,000,000. (NOTE: Amounts reported reflect
allocation of new budget authority rather than obligation amounts.)
Range and Average of Financial Assistance: For fiscal year
1999, the grants ranged from $1,500 to a maximum of $100,000.
The average counseling grant was $15,000.
PROGAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
For fiscal year 1999, HUD provided funding for 342 local housing
agencies, 10 HUD-approved intermediaries, and 32 State housing
finance agencies. For fiscal year 2000, plans are to fund
approximately 350 local housing agencies, 12 HUD-approved
intermediaries and 6 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.
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INFORMATION CONTACTS: How to get first time home buyers government grants