This Program was specifically designed to assist families and individuals in deciding whether to continue to rent or buy their first home. To fulfill this critical role the counselors will be educators, advocates, and facilitators for families and individuals. In these capacities the Counselors will:

• Work with the renters to become first-time homeowners, when feasible;
• Work with families and individuals to prepare households budgets, as needed;
• Work with families and individuals to resolve their credit problems, if feasible;
• Advise families and individuals of other resources and services required to meet their needs.

To be prepared to counsel families and individuals in these areas, the Counselor must be:

• Knowledgeable of all of the State Housing Recovery Assistance programs and their eligibility criteria;
• Knowledgeable of all FEMA and SBA programs;
• Knowledgeable of the local housing market and the availability of a variety housing types;
• Knowledgeable of the housing appraisals process and methods;
• Knowledgeable of the availability of licensed contractors in the area;
• Knowledgeable of other services available to include, but not be limited to social, mental health, legal, and volunteer help organizations.