HOUSING & EDUCATION ALLIANCE INC

HEA, A 501(C) 3 HUD CERTIFIED HOUSING COUNSELING AGENCY, WAS FOUNDED IN 2002 TO PROVIDE CULTURALLY SENSITIVE, MULTILINGUAL HOUSING COUNSELING SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY. AS A MEMBER OF NATIONAL HOUSING AND HOUSING COUNSELING ORGANIZATIONS, HEA CAN BRING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO HELP THE RESIDENTS OF THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE. HEA HAS RECEIVED RECOGNITION AND MANY AWARDS BOTH LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY. EDUCATION & ONE-ON-ONE COUNSELING: SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2002, HEA HAS DELIVERED OVER 513,000 HOURS OF EDUCATION AND ONE-ON-ONE COUNSELING TO MORE THAN 56,200 FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS ON THE SUBJECTS OF FINANCIAL LITERACY AND THE HOME-BUYING PROCESS. OUT OF THOSE SERVED, MORE THAN 11,400 PURCHASED THEIR FIRST HOME EITHER WITH OR WITHOUT GOVERNMENT DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE. HEA CERTIFIES HOMEBUYERS THROUGH AN EIGHT-HOUR, INSTRUCTOR-LED CLASS OFFERED VIA ZOOM AND IN-PERSON SESSIONS. PARTICIPANTS GAIN A SOLID UNDERSTANDING OF THE ENTIRE HOME-BUYING PROCESS IN THIS ENGAGING AND INFORMATIVE COURSE. IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR ANYONE PREPARING TO PURCHASE A HOME, APPLY FOR A MORTGAGE, OR SIGN A PURCHASE CONTRACT - EVEN THOSE WHO ARE NOT FIRST-TIME BUYERS. TOPICS INCLUDE UNDERSTANDING AND IMPROVING CREDIT, READING A CREDIT REPORT, SELECTING AND WORKING WITH A LENDER, NAVIGATING THE MORTGAGE PROCESS AND ITS TERMS, CHOOSING A REALTOR, FINDING THE RIGHT HOME, REVIEWING CLOSING DOCUMENTS, KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT AT CLOSING, AND MORE. HEA USES ITS OWN PROPRIETARY, AWARD-WINNING CURRICULUM HOMETRACK, A PROGRAM THAT TEACHES THROUGH THE USE OF EDU-TAINMENT. THE CURRICULUM COVERS BOTH PRE- AND POST-PURCHASE TRAINING AND EXCEEDS HUD AND THE NATIONAL INDUSTRY STANDARDS FOR HOMEBUYER EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS. THE LESSONS ARE ENGAGING AND INTERACTIVE, HELPING DIFFICULT CONCEPTS BE EASILY UNDERSTOOD. WE HAVE ADAPTED OUR ONLINE VERSION FOR USE IN THE CLASSROOM. MORTGAGE READY: ONCE DEEMED MORTGAGE READY, OUR COUNSELORS DETERMINE WHICH DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS CLIENTS QUALIFY FOR AND HELP ASSEMBLE ALL THE DOCUMENTATION FOR THE PROGRAMS AND FUNDING OPTIONS. OUR COUNSELORS ARE UP TO DATE ON ALL THE BEST PROGRAMS FOR FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS, WITH THE PROGRAMS CHANGING FREQUENTLY. OUR EXPERT STAFF CAN EVEN LAYER DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE FUNDS TO MAXIMIZE A CLIENT'S BUYING POWER. IT MAY BE POSSIBLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LOCAL MUNICIPALITY, THE STATE OF FLORIDA, AS WELL AS ASSISTANCE FROM BANKS AND LENDERS. OUR COUNSELORS CAN HELP ACCESS ALL THEY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR AND DEPENDING WHERE THEY WANT TO PURCHASE AND THEIR OWN PARTICULAR SITUATION, THEY COULD RECEIVE UP TO 100,000 OR MORE TO HELP PURCHASE THEIR HOME. HOMEBUYER ADVANCEMENT PROGRAM (HAP): THE HAP PROGRAM IS THE BEST TOOL WE HAVE TO HELP CLIENTS WHO WANT TO PURCHASE A HOME BUT NEED HELP FIXING THEIR CREDIT. OUR HAP PROGRAM NOT ONLY HELPS CLIENTS REPAIR AND REBUILD THEIR CREDIT, BUT ALSO HOW TO BUDGET AND PAY DOWN BILLS FOR THOSE OVERLOADED WITH DEBT. HAP WILL HELP FIX ALL THE OBSTACLES KEEPING CLIENTS FROM ACHIEVING THE GOAL OF HOMEOWNERSHIP. HAP HAS ALWAYS BEEN 100% FREE. WE HOPE WE CAN KEEP IT THAT WAY; HOWEVER, IF WE HAVE TO START CHARGING, IT WILL BE A MINIMAL CHARGE. CLIENTS MUST TAKE A CLASS AND PAY FOR A CREDIT REPORT, THEY PAY NOTHING MORE. ALSO, THE COUNSELING CAN BE DONE AFTER NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS UNTIL 8 P.M. REMOVING THE BARRIER OF HAVING TO TRAVEL, LEAVE HOME, NEED CHILD CARE, OR TAKE TIME OFF FROM WORK. OUR COUNSELORS WILL WORK WITH CLIENTS AS LONG AS IT TAKES, 6 MONTHS, 1 YEAR, 2 YEARS, ETC., UNTIL THEY ARE MORTGAGE READY. HOPE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM (HAP2): FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT QUITE READY TO BUY A HOUSE BUT NEED HELP WITH CREDIT OR BUDGETING, THE HAP2 PROGRAM WILL DELIVER RESULTS. NOT HAVING GOOD CREDIT CAN PREVENT SOMEONE FROM GETTING A BETTER PAYING JOB, RENTING AN APARTMENT, AFFECTING THE RATE THEY PAY FOR LOANS, CREDIT CARDS, AUTO INSURANCE, AND MUCH MORE. THE SUCCESS OF OUR HAP PROGRAM PROMPTED HEA TO EXPAND THIS PROGRAM TO THOSE WHO JUST WANT TO FIX THEIR CREDIT AND GET THEIR FINANCIAL HOUSE IN ORDER. HEA HAS PARTNERED WITH CAREERSOURCE TAMPA BAY TO BRING THE HAP2 PROGRAM TO THEIR CLIENTS AND INTO OUR COMMUNITY.