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At the Urging of U.S. Senator Tina Smith, HUD Secretary Ben Carson Extends Critical Deadline for Housing Counseling Organizations at Risk of Losing Funding

Press Release

Date: Aug. 1, 2020
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Housing and Property

U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) says that Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Ben Carson heeded her call to extend the August 1, 2020 deadline for housing counselor certification for HUD's Housing Counseling Assistance Program by at least one year. The move will help ensure counselors will be available to financially-strapped Americans facing evictions, foreclosures, and housing instability during the current economic crisis.

Smith led a group of Senators--including Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)--in pressing Secretary Carson for this extension so that counseling agencies can continue to get members of their organization certified to assist people in Minnesota and across the country who need help. Many agencies would have been unable to complete this process before August 1 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and therefore risked losing HUD funding.

"I fought for this extension to prevent a disruption in the delivery of housing counseling services in communities across the country," said Sen. Smith. "These services are important, and will be in greater demand as temporary protections for homeowners and renters expire. It is vital that community organizations receive the resources necessary to help households maintain stable housing."

Sen. Smith said that the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed existing disparities and economic inequities in Minnesota and across the U.S. Approximately 30 million Americans have lost their jobs since early spring, and this disproportionately impacts communities of color and low-income households. Housing counseling services can play a vital role in preventing a wave of evictions, foreclosures, and housing instability within these communities, but only if these organizations are able to continue operations and receive HUD support.

You can access a copy of the letter Sen. Smith and her colleagues sent in April here or below.


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