WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Bill Delahunt today announced the award of $85,000 in Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grants to Quincy Community Action Programs and the Plymouth Redevelopment Authority.

“This year has been another extremely challenging one for the housing and human service organizations that work with families and individuals in our region who are prospective homeowners, renters or homeless,” Delahunt said. “I commend HUD for providing these much needed funds to the South Shore to assist new homeowners in avoiding the dangers in the home buying process.”

As part of the grant award, Quincy Community Action Programs will receive $40,000 and the Plymouth Redevelopment Authority $45,000 under HUD’s Housing Counseling Program.

"QCAP is grateful to Congressman Delahunt for his support of this much needed resource - we receive more calls each day from homeowners at risk of losing their homes.” said QCAP Executive Director Beth Ann Strollo. “This federal support will allow us to help more folks save their homes."

Laura Schaefer, the Executive Director of the Plymouth Redevelopment Authority added: “We are pleased to be able to continue to offer housing counseling services to the Greater Plymouth Area.  Our primary focus will continue to be pre-foreclosure, reverse mortgage, foreclosure and delinquency avoidance as well as offering first time buyer education seminars.”

HUD’s Housing Counseling program is designed to expand homeownership opportunities and improve access to affordable housing. Counselors at human service agencies like QCAP and the Plymouth Redevelopment Authority help families and individuals seeking to improve their housing conditions by providing guidance on several housing pitfalls, including how to avoid unreasonable high interest rates, inflated appraisals and unaffordable repayment terms. This in turn will allow homebuyers to avoid increased debt, lost equity, default and foreclosure.

 

-30-