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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 Homeownership Center or

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 Center of HUD Headquarters which has jurisdiction

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.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time: Fiscal Year 2000 funds

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 HUD Homeownership Centers or Headquarters, HUD

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