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TH E M R EP O RT | 61 O R I G I NAT I O N S E R V I C I N G DATA G O V E R N M E N T S E C O N DA R Y M A R K E T THE LATEST GOVERNMENT HUD Awards Housing Counseling Funding to Offset Pandemic Impact HUD awarded $51.4 million in grants to support housing counseling programs, partnerships with minority-serving institutions, and training. H UD has awarded $51.4 million in housing counseling grants to 177 HUD-approved housing counseling agencies and intermediary organizations. This includes funding to HUD-ap- proved housing counseling agen- cies that are partnering with Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic- Serving Institutions, or other Minority-Serving Institutions. Funding supports housing counseling agencies in their criti- cal work to help stem the tide of the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on housing, maintain housing stability by helping families with foreclosure and rental eviction prevention, and help families make more informed housing choices. The awards also include funding to further training and education to attract and retain more housing counseling profes- sionals. "Whether a family is seeking affordable rental housing, buying their first home, or struggling to stay in current housing, now more than ever, housing coun- selors are supporting families' housing needs," Secretary Marcia L. Fudge said. "We are pleased to announce these grants to 177 HUD-approved housing counsel- ing agencies across the country to support their work and continue HUD's mission to ensure every American has access to safe, stable housing." Some $49.4 million of the grants awarded will directly sup- port the housing counseling ser- vices provided by HUD-approved local housing counseling agencies, national and regional organiza- tions, multistate organizations, and state housing finance agen- cies. HUD awarded $3 million of said funding to 16 HUD-approved housing counseling agencies that are partnering with HBCUs, HSIs, or other MSIs. This is designed to expand these institutions' roles and effectiveness in addressing the needs of their local communities and further their partnerships with housing counseling agen- cies. Recipients of these grants participated in the Department's two-year Comprehensive Housing Counseling Grant Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) published September 14, 2021. HUD also awarded an ad- ditional $2 million under its fiscal year 2021 Housing Counseling Training Notice of Funding Opportunity published on November 2, 2021. These grants support the education and train- ing of housing counselors. The TNOFO includes training on how to provide counseling for seniors seeking Home Equity Conversion Mortgages and train- ing on HUD's housing counselor certification exam. HUD is awarding $300,000 of the $2 million to recipient organizations that will issue training scholarships to students of HBCUs, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and other MSIs enrolled in a housing counseling workforce development program. Awards provide HUD- approved housing counseling agencies and intermediaries with funding to maintain and expand critical services for the nation's renters, homebuyers, and home- owners.