For nearly a decade, HACE has provided professional housing counseling services to residents of Eastern North Philadelphia. The program serves as a supportive base for families requiring these services, and furthermore, as an organizational core program in working with tenants and homeowners of HACE's housing development projects. Our mission is to provide counseling assistance to the at-large community and to our residents and tenants towards achieving the goal of homeownership while providing employment opportunities as part of our economic development activities.

The services provided through HACE' Housing Counseling Program include:

• Homebuyers Counseling
• Mortgage Default and Delinquency
• Tenant Counseling
• Housing Consumer Education
• Home Inspection Counseling

• Information on the home purchasing process including the rights and responsibilities of homeownership.
• Analysis of employment income, cash, credit and debts in accordance with lender underwriting criteria.
• Determine special mortgage and assistance programs based on client eligibility.
• Review, assist and provide advice on sale agreements and loan documents.
• Provide families with sales comparable analysis in determining property values.
• Assist in resolving credit problems.
• Represent and assist client throughout the process of purchasing, mortgage application, financing alternatives, including house inspections.

• Direct dialogue and developing of a plan for reinstatement by lender, based on an assessment of the problem.
• Modifying mortgage loan documents.
• Negotiating forbearance agreements.
• Reinforcement of rights and responsibilities of homeowners including money management.
• Assisting in the stay of foreclosure pending application to FHA, PHFA Emergency Mortgage Assisting and other mortgage relief programs.
• Assisting in voluntary conveyances and obtaining alternative housing.

Tenant Pre-Occupancy

• Housing selection assistance.
• Review of lease and its conditions.
• Review of financial status and advice on money management.
• Provide comprehensive pre-occupancy counseling in Fair Housing Laws and lease agreements.

• Provide an initial assessment in determining the cause of any problems.
• Development of financial plans for reinstatement as part of negotiating for agreements.
• Advice on rights and responsibilities; landlord tenant laws; eviction procedures; deposit for escrow funds and anti-lockout laws.
• Assist in the re-certification process for subsidies.
• Assist tenants in obtaining alternative housing to prevent displacement and homelessness Provide comprehensive post occupancy counseling in Fair Housing Laws, money management, grievance procedures, tenant rights and responsibilities and lease agreements.

• Money management and budgeting to include older children in the family, if any.
• Use of credit and procedures for correcting credit.
• Home maintenance and repair with referrals to available resources.
• Assistance in obtaining access to home improvement loans and grants.
• Assistance in the use of utilities and obtaining utility rebates and emergency assistance.
• Assistance in identifying other governmental and/or community resources for education home improvement and neighborhood improvement programs.

• Explaining the importance of a Home Inspection.
• Ordering Home Inspection.
• Reviewing inspection report with client.
• Assisting client with preparing proposal letter to seller.
• Assisting with follow-up calls to real estate agent for repair status.
• Ordering final home inspection before closing.

• Provide post-occupancy counseling designed to avoid mortgage default, teach homeownership responsibilities, money management and home maintenance.
• Assist qualified low-income families in obtaining settlement assistance as part of the Philadelphia 500 Program.
• Establish lines of communication with lenders and families for loan monitoring to provide further assistance in case of delinquency or other related loan problems.
• Budgeting
• Housing care and management
• Availability of grants or loans for which client may be eligible.

• Change in income (loss of employment)
• Utility delinquency
• Home maintenance emergencies
• Strained relationship with lending institutions
• Mortgage default and delinquency counseling

• Preliminary Intake Sheet - Collects all demographic information and a brief problem statement. The form also provides for case type, assigned counselors name and referral information.
• Case Management Form - An interview sheet that identifies clients' problems and objectives, counselor objectives and action plan.
• Client Authorization Form - This form authorizes HACE to represent the client and provides for the confidentiality of the case file and use of information.
• Activity Log - This form is used for recording on-going activity between the Agency, client and third parties and documents all efforts made by date, time and narrative notes.
• All case files are maintained in individual folders and kept in secure filing cabinets.
• Computerized File System - HACE will use a data base file program for the recording of all case files. The system allows for demographic reporting, case identification and generation of statistical data.