This Program was specifically designed to assist households that have experienced housing damages from disasters, in making financial decisions regarding rehabilitation or replacing their homes. To implement the Governors' Relief Program, the counselors will assume a more critical role in helping families and individuals in making difficult choices in deciding whether to rehabilitate or replace their home and 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 renters to ensure that they continue to apply for FEMA rental assistance for as long as they cannot find suitable rental property at the rate they were paying for rent prior to the hurricane;
• Assist homeowners whose homes are to be purchased under the buyout to locate comparable housing outside the 100-year floodplain;
• Serve as the gateway for low-income homeowners who do not qualify for a SBA loan and whose home is not subject to buyout;
• Work with the family to determine if the home can be repaired and if so, work with the family and the local government to secure repair funding. If the home must be replaced, they will refer the family to the local government Housing Finance Agency Intermediary for the funding and will aid the family in securing a new home;
• Work with the renters to become first-time homeowners, when feasible;
• Direct families who have qualified for SBA loans to County Department of Social Service to receive grants based on their eligibility;
• Advise families and renters on whether to appeal and/or ask for a reconsideration of FEMA/SBA grants and awards;
• Work with families and individuals to prepare households budgets, as needed;
• Work with families and individuals to resolve their credit problems, if feasible;
• Work with families and individuals to develop a housing plan to get them back into permanent housing by the end of the year 2000;
• 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.