The Housing Stability Counseling Program (HSCP), funded by Congress as part of the American Rescue Plan and administered through NeighborWorks America, helped almost 93,000 Americans facing housing instability. NeighborWorks talked with two counselors whose organizations participated in the program. They told us how the program worked for their clients, what challenges remain ahead and how their own housing experiences guide their work.
NeighborWorks: What would have happened without the Housing Stability Counseling Program?
Lynmarie Hernandez, Bilingual Housing Counselor, Pathstone, Rochester, New York: What it meant for my agency to be a part of that program was to really familiarize ourselves with these clients that had fallen through the cracks. It really did capture a lot of potential renters, potential first-time homebuyers, even people who could have lost their homes due to foreclosure. It really made our agency get creative and find those beacons of stability. So it wasn’t just, “Okay, you don’t have a place to live.” It was more like, “Why don’t you? And how can we support [you]? Is it food? Is it because of your utilities? Is it because of your job? Do you need a pay raise, or do you need to transfer into a new position?”
Diane Jasso, Housing Counselor, Avenue, Houston, Texas: When I first started back in 2008, there 
were a lot more agencies offering the services right around the economic collapse. And now we’re down to maybe three or four that are active for all of Houston and the surrounding areas. HSCP helped me be able to serve the people who maybe would not have had a counselor at their side through this process.
NeighborWorks: What do you see as the most common housing challenge of the past few years?
Hernandez: The cost of living is exorbitant. It threatens all of us, because you can become unstable in a moment’s notice. I have experience with homelessness. I became homeless for the second time after COVID, and it was really because you can’t keep up with food, can’t keep up with utilities. Wages aren’t affirming the cost of living that we’re seeing when we leave the office. And a lot of my clients are struggling with that.
Jasso: Another thing that I see is that we’re looking at a lot more storms, specifically along the Gulf Coast and Houston. Insurance has gone crazy. I’ve had people calling me up, and there’s nothing wrong with their mortgage. It’s the escrow and specifically homeowners hazard insurance, which in some situations has doubled. All these little nuances have affected people’s ability to pay the mortgage and put them at risk.
Hernandez: You know, we can talk about budgeting. We could talk about savings. But if you just don’t have the income, we can’t do anything about it.
NeighborWorks: How do you describe the work that you do as a housing counselor?
Hernandez: What I can do is support you emotionally and almost empower my clients to take that leap of faith. When people move, it’s a fresh start. Whether you’ve been homeless, whether you’re moving into another home, it’s always a fresh start, which can be really scary. So I approach my counseling in a compassionate, non-judgmental way, and you really get to see these layers come off of the clients that have been told no before, have been almost beaten down. And then they feel empowered to continue the steps to follow through after they leave my office.
Jasso: I give people the truth. I say, “What is it you want?” And I can try to figure out whether that’s even a possibility. If you want a mortgage payment to be under $1,000, I look at everything and may say, “That’s not going to happen, so what else can you do? What else would you like that may be possible?”
Hernandez: What’s most rewarding is when I hear a client tell me that they told their family what they learned today or what they learned during our meeting. When I hear that they’re empowering those in their community, that’s the most rewarding.
NeighborWorks: What can the housing counselor and support community do differently right now?
Jasso: Embracing technology and trying to find a better way of communicating with your clients. I know it took me a while to start really texting; that’s where you meet people, try to meet people where they’re at. We could do that better.
Hernandez: The need is so much more than the programs that are coming in. So a community actually working together in a way that’s more coordinated and less complicated for the client. That way, as we’re helping them become stable, we’re also bringing back that trust that’s really missing in these communities.
Although the Housing Stability Counseling Program has reached its conclusion, the need for housing counselors remains. NeighborWorks network organizations across the country have HUD-approved housing counselors who can help. Look for one near you!
