Christie Administration Announces Sandy Recovery Housing Counseling Events to Help Storm-Impacted Households Access Available Assistance

Sandy Housing Counseling Agencies Are Holding Outreach Activities in the Counties Most Impacted by Sandy throughout the Month of June

Trenton, NJ – (RealEstateRama) — As part of its ongoing commitment to help families impacted by Superstorm Sandy by linking them to available resources, the Christie Administration announced that its six Sandy Housing Counseling Agencies are holding free outreach activities this month in counties most impacted by Sandy.

“The planned outreach activities show that our Housing Counseling Agencies are still hard at work assisting low- to moderate-income families impacted by Superstorm Sandy,” said New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Charles A. Richman, whose department administers many of the State’s Sandy recovery programs.

The outreach events by the non-profit Housing Counseling Agencies are aimed at informing moderate-income working families about first time homebuyer programs and reaching Sandy-impacted families, particularly of limited financial means, to inform them of available resources, which include free HUD-certified housing counseling, help in paying utility bills, weatherization assistance and legal aid, among other assistance.

The following is a list of the Sandy Housing Counseling Agencies’ outreach activities in June, which is designated as National Homeownership Month:

• June 11 – Greater Bergen Community Action Inc. is hosting a Homeownership Fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Marriott Glenpointe, 100 Frank W. Burr Boulevard, Teaneck, Bergen County. Attendees can learn everything they need to know about the home buying process and meet with the bankers, mortgage brokers, relators, credit counselors and other professionals. For more information, people can call (201) 488-5100, ext. 7979.
• June 14 – Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Newark is hosting a Homeownership Information Fair from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Newark Public Library, 5 Washington Street in Newark. Representatives of HMFA, City of Newark, First Prestige Mortgage, Affordable Housing Alliance, and Legal Shield will be present. People should call (862) 229-4464 to pre-register and receive a free parking pass.
• June 15 – Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Newark is hosting a Homeownership Month and Sandy Outreach Day from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at St. Lawrence Church Hall, 22 Hackensack Avenue, Weehawken, Hudson County. Attendees can visit exhibitors at the event to get information about housing counseling, mortgages, social services, legal aid, etc. Representatives from Valley National Bank, TD Bank, First Prestige Mortgages, Northeast NJ Legal, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, Jersey City Department of Health and Human Services (LEAD Program), College Choice Today, Mental Health Association in NJ, Puertorriqueños Asociados for Community Organization, Inc. (PACO), PSE&G, and more will be in attendance. People are asked to call (973) 424-7616 to pre-register.
• June 15 – O.C.E.A.N Inc. will hold an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its Child Development Center located at 1 N. College Drive, Building 40 on the Ocean County College campus in Toms River. The open house will feature information about the HMFA’s First Time Homebuyer Program, the Sandy Rental Assistance Program, Weatherization, and Home Energy Assistance. For more information, people can call (732) 288-2614.
• June 15 – PRAB will host a First Time Homebuyer Seminar from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at its office located at 90 Jersey Avenue in New Brunswick, Middlesex County. A representative of HMFA will speak. They will also set up a table, continuously manned, in the office lobby during the day to encourage people, including those impacted by Sandy, to learn more about housing counseling services. People can call (732) 249-9700 for more information.
• June 17 – Affordable Housing Alliance is hosting a Homebuyer’s Informational Fair from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Eatontown Recreational Center, 68 Broad Street, Eatontown, Monmouth County. Lenders, realtors, home insurance agents and other professionals will be at the fair. For more information, people can call (732) 982-5072.
• All June – Consumer Credit and Budget Counseling, which serves Atlantic and Cape May counties, is offering an Online Homeownership Education and Counseling course for free throughout the month of June. People can call 1-888-738-8233 for more information.

The six Sandy Housing Counseling Agencies provide free housing guidance to renters and homeowners who were impacted by the storm and lived in one of the nine counties the federal government determined were most affected by Sandy. Registration with FEMA is not required to receive assistance through this program.

The housing counseling provided through the program is certified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Counselors develop a customized counseling plan specific to the needs of Sandy-impacted individuals based on specific challenges faced by each individual. The counseling plan can include individual or group counseling services in such areas as foreclosure prevention, homelessness prevention, mortgages, budgeting, rental guidance, and pre/post-home purchase counseling.

For more information about the Sandy Recovery Housing Counseling Program, including contact information for each of the six non-profit Housing Counseling Agencies, visit http://www.renewjerseystronger.org/homeowners/sandy-recovery-housing-counseling-program/