Home Counseling Services
Comprehensive housing counseling services
The Housing Assistance Program of Essex County, Inc. is a HUD Certified Housing Counseling Agency providing comprehensive housing counseling services to Essex County residents free of charge.
- pre-purchase counseling/post purchase counseling
- pre-rental
- post-occupancy problems
- home improvement/rehabilitation
- energy conservation
- information on fair housing
- budgetary counseling
- mortgage default counseling
- financial fitness counseling
Our Most Popular Services
1. Counseling
The housing counseling service is extremely important to the residents of the county, since it gives the housing consumer a technical expert to help negotiate the paperwork and to provide explanations on various housing programs.
Counseling functions include the following:
- Evaluate current housing/energy needs
- Discuss possible housing/energy solutions
- Act as a resource person to the available county resources and make appropriate referrals
- Offer financial/budgetary counseling (evaluate current income, debt load)
- Derive appropriate household budget
2. Form Preparation
Assistance in the preparation of housing/energy applications is available for the following programs:
- Rural Development 502 Home Ownership Program and the 504 Home Improvement Program
- Other appropriate applications where necessary, i.e., Department of Social Services and Rental Housing
- HUD Section 8 Rent Subsidy Program
- HUD Community Development Block Grants
- NYS Affordable Housing
- Mortgage Default Counseling (HUD Assistance Program)
- Home Repair Programs
If appropriate, additional information on other available home ownership programs, i.e., SONYMA,
NYS Affordable Home Ownership Program, and available conventional financing options, can be provided.