Hammond Housing Authority’s Housing Counseling
Program offers education and counseling to homeowners, renters and landlords.
As
a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approved counseling agency since 1984, this program promotes homeownership,
affordable and suitable rental housing, resolution of tenant/landlord disputes, monitoring of fair housing practices and homelessness
prevention.
Services include the following:
Budget Counseling
Money Management Workshops
Homebuyer
Education
Prepurchase Counseling
Mortgage Default Counseling
Reverse Mortgage (HECM) Counseling
Rental Placement Assistance &
Tenant/Landlord Information
Homeownership Services
First-time homebuyer workshops are offered.
Real estate professionals and the counselor provide training related to the home buying process, such as qualifying
for home loans, budget preparation, credit establishment & repair, money management, finding affordable housing, making
offers to purchase and the escrow process. Participants are given information about how to obtain and utilize
government assistance programs such as the downpayment, closing costs & shared equity programs.
Mortgage Default/Delinquency
Homeowners
who have delinquent mortgages and those with impending foreclosures receive assistance in accessing various FHA and VA loss
mitigation programs and in establishing repayment/forbearance agreements or loan modifications with conventional mortgage
lenders. Counselors also assist delinquent mortgagors in accessing financial resources that may be available
to help bring loans current.
Reverse Mortgage
Counseling
The Housing Counseling program also provides assistance in understanding and accessing the
HUD (HECM) reverse mortgage program which allows homeowners, 62 or older, to borrow a portion of the cash equity in their
home and requiring no repayment for as long as the owner lives in the home. This service aids seniors with
the rising cost of living in our community.
Rental
Placement & Counseling
The housing counselor provides potential tenants with information and referrals
to available rental housing. Assistance is also provided in accessing financial resources that may be available
to renters and potential renters. Tenants are provided with legal and educational housing information to
assist them in exercising their rights and to help them understand the responsibilities of tenancy.
