The Mon Valley Initiative HUD National Intermediary
The Mon Valley Initiative HUD National Intermediary has been serving the needs of housing counseling sub grantees and LHCA members since 2005. Our Intermediary history goes back to 1998 when Housing Opportunities, Inc. (HOI) established this entity with HUD and its Housing Counseling Program. The Mon Valley Initiative was HUD certified to take over the HOI Intermediary when HOI was merged into the Mon Valley Initiative and the original agency ceased operation.
The Housing Counseling Program is a reimbursement program that supports the delivery of a wide variety of housing counseling services to homebuyers, homeowners, low- to moderate-income renters, and the homeless. The primary objectives of the program are to maintain and expand homeownership and improve access to affordable housing. Counseling agencies provide guidance and advice to help families and individuals improve their housing conditions and meet the responsibilities of tenancy and homeownership. Agencies also help borrowers avoid predatory lending practices of unscrupulous lenders that can result in a loss of equity, increased debt, default, and foreclosure. Agencies also provide housing counseling to homeowners who have become delinquent on their mortgage payments, or in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure.
National Intermediaries apply for funding through HUD’s yearly Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), a competitive grant application process. The role of an Intermediary is to provide training and technical assistance to ensure HUD regulatory compliance and on-going uniform quality control. Intermediaries also provide management and accountability for sub-grant housing counseling service reimbursement allocations to their network of sub grantee and LHCA member agencies. Intermediaries conduct on-site reviews at member agency locations to ensure that all HUD regulations and requirements are successfully being met at those member agencies.
New sub grantee and LHCA applications for membership in the Mon Valley HUD National Intermediary are accepted from June 1st through August 15th of every calendar year.
Currently, there are 27 housing counseling agencies throughout 12 states participating and receiving reimbursement for their eligible HUD housing counseling activities through the Mon Valley Initiative Intermediary master contract.
If you are interested in learning how your agency can join our network of HUD Housing Counseling agencies, please email Skip Masick with your inquiry.