Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Counseling topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bill Would Require Housing Counseling When State Funds Construct or Rehab Housing; Counselors Ask For Stable Funding
Summary
Delegate Rosenberg's bill would require housing counseling be offered for purchasers or prospective tenants of state‑assisted properties; HUD‑certified counselors and community groups urged passage and sought reliable funding for counseling agencies.
Delegate Delia Rosenberg presented House Bill 1302 requiring that recipients of state funding for residential construction, acquisition, or rehabilitation offer housing counseling services to prospective residents. Rosenberg said counseling helps new homeowners and renters understand affordability, program eligibility and to avoid foreclosure.
The nut graf: Counselors said pairing capital investment with HUD‑certified counseling improves outcomes and helps people sustain homeownership; agencies urged the committee to couple any requirement with funding for counseling providers, who are few and underresourced.
Lisa Budlow, CEO of CHAI, testified that HUD‑certified counseling provides essential one‑on‑one services — from pre‑purchase readiness and subsidy navigation to foreclosure prevention — and that few counseling agencies statewide (fewer than 50, fewer than 20 in Baltimore City/County) face capacity constraints. Budlow urged an amendment to identify sustainable funding sources for HUD‑certified agencies; she suggested foreclosure filing fee increases as one option (a separate bill in Judiciary was mentioned).
Community Development Network representatives also supported the bill and urged better marketing and funding to expand counseling reach.
Ending: The committee heard broad favorable testimony and counsel that a requirement should be paired with funding support for HUD‑certified housing counseling agencies so services can reach potential beneficiaries of state‑assisted housing projects.
