Housing

Comprehensive Housing Counseling – a Signature Program of the National Urban League – empowers individuals to break down barriers and obtain economic equality through education, self-reliance and a greater understanding of financial tools and services. The goal is to break the cycle of poverty and level the economic playing field.

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What is Restore Our Homes?

Restore Our Homes – a.k.a. Foreclosure Prevention, a Signature Program of the National Urban League – is a wide-ranging multi-media campaign to raise awareness about foreclosure prevention and motivate homeowners to take advantage of free, intensive counseling by certified counselors. The campaign is designed to overcome individuals’ and families’ isolation, embarrassment or lack of knowledge about community resources.

The main goal of Restore Our Homes is to increase financial stability and property values in African American communities that were harmed by subprime loans and foreclosures. Additional goals are to improve the services of Urban League affiliates through technical assistance and training, and to ensure that affiliates have enough staff and resources to serve increasing community needs.

Under the Restore Our Homes banner, 38 Urban League affiliates connect people to housing counseling, homebuyer education, financial literacy workshops, credit counseling, fair housing advocacy, and foreclosure prevention assistance. HUD-certified loss-mitigation counselors show current and prospective borrowers how to make good decisions, repair credit reports, refrain from making poor refinancing deals on existing homes and identify loan products that are most likely to lead to mortgage defaults and foreclosure. Families who are unable to avoid foreclosure get help to find alternate rental housing and extra services such as workforce development, financial literacy, and adult education.

Important actions include:

Educate homeowners before they enter into inappropriate refinancing loans
Engage delinquent mortgage borrowers early so they never reach foreclosure
Counsel homebuyers before and after their purchase to avoid predatory loans
Negotiate workout agreements on behalf of delinquent borrowers to save homes
Intervene with civil and criminal legal action against predatory lenders
Advocate for legislative reform to discourage inappropriate home lending

Where is it?

Cick here to find Homeownership Centers operating under the Restore Our Homes banner

How big is it?

Since its launch in 2009, this program has served approximately 100,000 clients.

What have Restore Our Homes participants achieved?

Nearly 40% of households served were able to avoid foreclosure and remain in their homes.

Who sponsors it?

NeighborWorks America (under the Congressionally-chartered National Foreclosure Mitigation and Counseling program)
Community Development Block Grant

How can I get help?

Homeownership Centers operating under the Restore Our Homes banner are located in the following cities/markets:

Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Urban League
http://ulgatl.org/programs/housing-community-development

Birmingham, AL
Birmingham Urban League
http://www.birminghamurbanleague.net/chcs_0.aspx

Buffalo, NY
Buffalo Urban League
http://buffalourbanleague.org/housing-and-community-development-services/

Chicago, IL
Chicago Urban League
http://www.thechicagourbanleague.org//site/Default.aspx?PageID=739

Columbus, OH
Columbus Urban League
http://www.cul.org/cul-housing-services/

Dallas, TX
Greater Urban League of Dallas & N.C. Texas
http://www.ulgdnctx.com/

Elizabeth, NJ
Urban League of Union County
http://www.uloucnj.org/housing__community_development0.aspx

Elyria, OH
Lorain County Urban League
http://www.lcul.org/programs.html

Fort Lauderdale, FL
Urban League of Broward County
http://www.ulbroward.org/HOUSING

Fort Wayne, IN
Fort Wayne Urban League
http://www.fwUrbanLeague.org/fwul/programs/economic_development.cfm

Greenville, SC
Urban League of the Upstate, Inc
http://www.UrbanLeagueoftheupstate.org/index.php?option=com_content&view...

Hartford, CT
Urban League of Hartford
http://www.ulgh.org/Home.aspx

Houston, TX
Houston Area Urban League
http://www.haul.org/programs/housing

Jacksonville, FL
Jacksonville Urban League
http://www.jaxul.org/

Knoxville, TN
Knoxville Area Urban League
http://www.thekaul.org/what-we-do/opportunity-to-own-housing/

Louisville, KY
Louisville Urban League
http://www.lul.org/lul-programs/programs-housing-counseling-neighborhood...

Morristown, NJ
Urban League of Morris County
http://www.ulmcnj.org/housesvc2.ivnu

Orlando, FL
Central Florida Urban League
http://www.cful.org/programs-a-services/economic-services.html

Philadelphia, PA
Urban League of Philadelphia
http://www.urbanleaguephila.org/what-we-do/housing-counseling/foreclosure/

Phoenix, AZ
Greater Phoenix Urban League
http://www.gphxul.org/?page_id=135

Pittsburgh, PA
Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh
http://ulpgh.org/departments/have-a-home/

Rochester, NY
Urban League of Rochester
http://www.ulr.org/ProgramsServices/TheHomeStore.aspx

Saint Louis, MO
Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis
http://www.ulstl.com/economic-empowerment/hud-housing-counseling/

San Diego, CA
Urban League of San Diego County
http://www.sdul.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=bl...

Seattle, WA
Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle
http://www.urbanleague.org/housing/

Tulsa, OK
Metropolitan Tulsa Urban League
http://www.mtul.org/Development.cfm

Virginia Beach, VA
Urban League of Hampton Roads
http://www.ulhr.org/housing-NEW

Washington DC
Greater Washington Urban League
http://www.gwul.org/programs/housing

West Palm Beach, FL
Urban League of Palm Beach County
http://www.ulpbc.org/programs-services/economic-empowerment.html

Wichita, KS
Urban League of Kansas
http://www.kansasul.org/

Read more about Restore Our Homes / Foreclosure Prevention

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FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT

What is Financial Empowerment?

Financial Empowerment – a Signature Program Area of the National Urban League - is based on the premise that people struggling at the financial margins need a combination of education, coaching and support to build their financial capability to achieve financial stability and long-term financial health. The Urban League’s Financial Empowerment programming combines financial education and financial coaching in conjunction with other needed services such as job training and career development, housing counseling, education and health to break through challenges and achieve true financial success.