department of housing counselor
GPASS DHC is one of the many successful housing counseling programs in the City. We work to promote housing stability in the lives of the residents surrounding our local area and in the outlying Pennsylvania area by assisting residents in retaining their housing, improving their existing housing, and acquiring better housing.
Our efforts also help to improve the stability of the community by increasing the number of homeowners, reducing the number of defaults and foreclosures, and improving the housing stock in the neighborhood. Given the billions of dollars that have been invested in fostering homeownership, it only makes sense to adequately fund programs that protect the wealth in the community.
counseling Services
Pre-Purchase Counseling
Post-Purchase Counseling
1. The Division of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) supports the City of Philadelphia’s Philly First Home program. The program offers a home buyer assistance grant of up to $10,000 (or 6% of the purchase price, whichever is less) to help first-time home buyers.
This grant is to assist with down payment and/or closing costs. Grants will be provided while funding is available. If you move or refinance before living in the home for 15 years, the grant must be repaid.
This grant is to assist with down payment and/or closing costs. Grants will be provided while funding is available. If you move or refinance before living in the home for 15 years, the grant must be repaid.
Who
To be eligible for the grant, you must:
- Be a first-time home buyer or a buyer who has not owned a home for at least three years.
- Purchase a single-family home or duplex in Philadelphia (condominiums are not eligible).
Requirements
To qualify for the Philly First Home Program, you must complete a City-funded home ownership counseling program. You must complete this program before you sign an agreement of sale. Your agreement of sale must be signed by the homebuyer and seller after completing housing counseling.
2. PHFA works with First Front Door lenders. The First Front Door (FFD) program provides eligible first-time homebuyers with matching down-payment funds up to $20,000. FFD is subject to availability of funds. Find out more about the program by visiting this web page. https://www.fhlb-pgh.com/ffd
Post-Purchase Counseling
Post-Purchase Counseling
If you are interested in buying a home now or in the future, GPASS can help you through the process. You may be curious about whether you are ready to stop renting and start owning. You may have seen a home you are interested in buying, or may have even consulted a lender about pre-qualifying for a loan.
Your initial counseling session will cover topics such as home buying basics, budgeting for mortgage payments, money management and referral to financial assistance programs. If applicable, we perform a review of HUD loan qualifications with you, assuring that Fair Housing laws are understood.
Your following session will focus on credit counseling in which we will review your credit report, attempt to repair delinquencies (if any), and teach you common practices that will improve your credit score.
At the end of your pre-purchasing counseling, you will receive a PA Housing Financing Agency (PHFA) Certificate provided all requirements are met.
Default and Delinquency Counseling
Default and Delinquency Counseling
GPASS provides default counseling to any individual with a current or expected delinquent mortgage situation on a FHA, VA, or conventional mortgage. A certified housing counselor will help you prepare an assessment of your financial situation to determine the root cause of the problem and the best course of action to resolve your issues based on your capability to handle the mortgage payment.
Our housing counselors work with lenders in loan modifications, short sales, and deeds in lieu of foreclosure, to name a few. Steps include negotiation of repayment plans, assistance with loss mitigation options, assistance through mortgage modification programs, recasting/refinancing agreements, explanation of relief programs and arranging forbearance agreements. We will refer you to a bankruptcy lawyer, as a last option to prevent homelessness.
We will serve as a mediator and will contact your lender with you on your behalf. Homeownership is something many consumers cherish and we are here to help preserve that dream.
Budget and Credit Counseling
Default and Delinquency Counseling
With GPASS we help you balance the scales of bad credit by engineering your score using state of the art credit tools and “What If” generators to get you the best score possible to qualify for the loan you can afford.
What counselor does? Counselor advises client to manage your money, reduce debt, and improve your financial literacy.
Re-Entry Counseling
The GPASS is providing housing counseling to both men and women rental assistant.
First-Time Homebuyer/ Anti-Predatory Workshop
We offer a comprehensive pre-purchase education program to help consumers through the entire homeownership process, equipping homeowners with knowledge to make sound decisions regarding homeownership.
The Pre-Purchase Orientation workshop educates clients on the following topics: the homebuying process (including discussion on the role of the buyer/seller and the various professionals involved), financial pitfalls, questions to assess readiness to buy, preparing for home purchase, understanding credit, mortgage financing, tax relief programs, predatory lending and fair housing issues.
This clinic is intended to help prospective homebuyers understand the home purchase process and allow them to determine their readiness to purchase a home in Philadelphia and surrounding areas in Pennsylvania. The workshop is designed to educate people on budgeting and credit issues, with the goal of preparing them for home purchase.
Following the presentation, clients are given the opportunity to schedule an appointment to meet with a Housing Counselor regarding one of the following areas: Pre-Purchase counseling or Money/Credit counseling. This course includes one-on-one counseling at no cost. Upon completion of this course, consumers will receive a certificate at their counseling session. Certification meets the requirement for some Home Ownership Assistance and Specialized Loan Programs.