CDCB PROGRAMS

Housing Information and Education Center

For many people, owning a home is the American dream and it can become a reality, but not without realistic goals, good advice, practical planning and an understanding of the costs involved. To assist families in this effort, and to provide counseling to homeowners at large, CDCB started the Housing Information and Education Center. CDCB is a HUD certified housing counseling agency.

CDCB’s HIEC assists individuals and families with counseling and advice to tenants and homeowners in improving their housing conditions and meeting the responsibilities of tenancy and homeownership through the effective use of a Comprehensive Housing Counseling Program.

CDCB conducts community outreach and marketing activities in English and Spanish to provide small group, targeted homeownership education, and pre and post purchase delinquency, default and loss mitigation counseling to individuals.  The objective is to increase awareness of the home buying process; to provide knowledge of and access to specialized mortgage products; to provide individualized budget and credit counseling for a specific home purchase; and to assist families in avoiding foreclosure and loss.

CDC provides neighborhood based workshops/ activities and services that include the following:

First-Time Homebuyer Workshops in targeted areas. Participants in each workshop include CDCB staff, lenders, mortgage companies, builders, realtors, and credit agencies. Individual lender booths are set up to provide individuals the opportunity to discuss specific loan needs. CDCB provides information on special loan products available to low and moderate income persons. Within the Homebuyer Workshop format, CDCB housing counselors conduct an interactive workshop for one hour that allows for first time homebuyers to learn about renting vs. owning, to learn about the purchase transaction, to analyze individual budgets, and to determine personal housing affordability. Both visual overhead and workbooks are used to solicit participation and provide for “take-home” information. The workshops are conducted in a bilingual setting.

CDCB organizes an annual series of Consumer Education Workshops, with one workshop presented monthly. Workshops are advertised through general circulation newspapers, flyers, and public television. Various professionals volunteer their time to present on topics of expertise. The series includes such topics as Reverse Mortgages; Estate Planning; Cleaning Up Your Credit; Wills; Bankruptcy; Alternative Mortgage Products; Home Equity Loans; and How Much Insurance Do You Need. In 2008-2009 CDCB had 325 families participate in Housing Education Classes. To answer the need for Loss Mitigation Counseling in the Rio Grande Valley, CDCB increased the amount of time spent on loss mitigation and foreclosure counseling. In 2008-2009 CDCB assisted 304 families and increase of 167% from the prior year.