Housing & Homeless Programs at NRCA have 3 focus areas:

• Homebuyer education
• Housing counseling
• Homeless Intervention Program

HOMELESS INTERVENTION PROGRAM (HIP)

The Homeless Intervention Program provides time limited financial assistance to eligible people in the New River Valley who are homeless or are in imminent danger of becoming homeless. HIP provides grants for rental assistance and rental deposits and no- interest loans for mortgage assistance. HIP provides a housing counseling component to facilitate the goal of long-term financial independence for the program participants.

To be eligible for the program, applicants in permanent housing must be in danger of losing their housing. Applicants in temporary housing or without housing must be in need of a security deposit(s) and/or rental assistance to secure permanent housing. HIP recipients must be in temporary financial crisis due to unavoidable circumstances, including, but not limited to, accident, illness, job layoffs or reduction, job termination, loss of day care or transportation necessary for employment, or a delay in receiving approved benefits. The applicant must have been self-sufficient prior to the crisis, the crisis must not be a chronic problem, and the applicant must be able to be self-sufficient at the end of the HIP financial assistance. The applicant must be within the HIP maximum income limits (80% of HUD Area Median Income) and have exhausted their own resources and all other sources of assistance.

A housing counselor, together with the approved applicant, develops short-term goals which will be monitored during the course of the assistance and revised as necessary. There is an emphasis on housing counseling, financial management and budgeting skills training. Each HIP participant is required to comply with their goals to continue to receive HIP assistance. The housing counselor advocates for participants and helps them access additional support services as needed.

Contact your local NRCA office to be pre-screened:
Floyd   745-2102
Giles     921-2146
Montgomery     382-6186
Pulaski             980-5525
Radford            731-3663

HOMEOWNERSHIP EDUCATION

Educates first-time homebuyers and support them in the process of purchasing a home through classes, one-on-one assistance and connections to other community resources.

Buying a home is a complex process. It can be hard to know where to get good information and advice. That’s why New River Community Action offers homeownership classes. These free classes are taught by qualified people from local banks, local real estate offices and NRCA.

• Topics covered include:
  • Personal finances
  • Credit reports/credit issues
  • Role of the lender
  • Relationship with real estate agent
  • Fair Housing Act of Virginia
  • Home inspection
  • Loan closing
  • Home maintenance

Homebuyer’s Class schedule for 2009:
April 25, 2009
June 20, 2009
August 29, 2009
November 7, 2009

Are you thinking about buying a home? Come to New River Community Action in Radford on one of these dates to learn how. At our FREE homebuyer’s class, you learn how to apply for a mortgage, choose a real estate agent, and maintain your home. You’ll get the facts from qualified people in real estate, banking, and inspections. All classes are held on Saturdays and last from 9AM to 3PM and you must pre-register to attend. Classes are open to anyone, regardless of income. Please call New River Community Action’s Homeless Intervention Program at 540-633-5900 for more information.

HOUSING COUNSELING
Provides support and resources related to different housing situations: pre- and post-purchase, mortgage default counseling, rental counseling, fair housing, and homelessness.

New River Community Action’s trained housing counselors will listen to your situation—whether you’re buying or renting. We can talk to your landlord or mortgage company and help you find local resources to meet your need. Some agencies we partner with are: Legal Aid, local emergency assistance, Homeless Intervention Program, USDA’s Rural Development, Virginia Housing Development Authority and Virginia Cooperative Extension.

Call (540) 633-5900 to talk to a certified housing counselor. No question is too big or too small!

GET INVOLVED!
The Homebuyer Education program needs qualified real estate agents, lenders, home inspectors and other professionals to teach portions of the Homebuyer Classes. Training is offered through the Virginia Housing Development Authority.

The Homeless Intervention Program accepts interns in social work or related fields. Students work closely with HIP staff to refer clients to local resources, learn case management skills and provide support to the program.