Brown Announces More Than $225,000 For Housing Counseling Across Ohio

WASHINGTON D.C. - U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today announced that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded six Housing Counseling Program grants, totaling $226,117 to housing counseling agencies across Ohio. These funds will help provide critical housing counseling services to individuals and families to assist with property maintenance, financial management, and preparing for affordable homeownership.

"Losing a home to foreclosure or eviction turns a family's life upside down - no one should be left without a home, especially during a pandemic" said Sen. Brown. "This vital funding for housing counseling will ensure homeowners and renters - especially homeowners and renters of color who have been hardest hit by this pandemic - have the tools and support they need to navigate our nation's complex housing system."

Housing Counseling Agencies receiving funding include:

In addition to the housing counseling funds provided through HUD, in February 2021, Brown and Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) introduced legislation to expand access to housing counseling and assistance services for homeowners, renters, people experiencing homelessness, and people at risk of homelessness during the COVID-19 crisis. This legislation led to $100 million in additional housing counseling funds that were provided through the American Rescue Plan Act and distributed to local organizations through the Housing Stability Counseling Program administered by NeighborWorks America. In September, Brown announced funding through NeighborWorks America for housing counseling in Toledo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Akron, and Springfield.

HUD provides support to a nationwide network of housing counseling agencies. These HUD-approved agencies provide tools to current homeowners, prospective home buyers, renters, homeless, and victims of disaster, so they can make responsible choices to address their housing needs.