Print pageFor Immediate Release
April 21, 2025
Contact: Douglas Robinson
New Report Shows Effectiveness of NeighborWorks America Housing Stability Counseling Program During Economic Upheaval
Washington, D.C. – A new report on emergency assistance provided to homeowners and renters found the delivery of a Congressionally funded housing counseling program developed and administered by NeighborWorks America was effective in stabilizing the housing situation of renters and homeowners impacted by the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Researchers from the Urban Institute report the NeighborWorks Housing Stability Counseling Program (HSCP) that provided training and technical assistance to more than 800 housing counseling agencies in targeted regions of the United States reached more than 90,000 homeowners and renters. The housing counseling agencies that received grants focused on counseling to the households and neighborhoods most severely affected by the pandemic.
The report noted that “HSCP’s design and implementation produced client take-up that exceeded statutory requirements.”
By launching an effective program quickly and aligning it with the structure of existing housing counseling services, NeighborWorks America altered the trajectory of housing counseling services. The report noted, “beyond direct client service, HSCP’s impact extended to the field at large, as its training, standardized forms, and program-related support provided enduring capacity for housing counselors to serve clients. This systemic contribution underscores HSCP’s significance beyond the number of clients counseled.”
“Nonprofit housing counseling is an important resource for renters and homeowners undergoing financial strain, but more importantly it is a tool that when paired with financial counseling more broadly enables consumers to make choices that prepare them for sustainable housing outcomes," said NeighborWorks America President & CEO Marietta Rodriguez.
About NeighborWorks America
For more than 45 years, Neighborhood Reinvestment Corp., a Congressionally-chartered national nonpartisan nonprofit known as NeighborWorks America, has strived to make every community safer and more prosperous. Our network of excellence includes nearly 250 nonprofits in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and on Native lands. NeighborWorks offers grant funding, peer exchange, technical assistance, evaluation tools and access to best-in-class training as the nation's leading trainer of housing and community development professionals. NeighborWorks network organizations build homes and apartments, expanding the supply of affordable housing in every community; provide financial counseling and coaching that increases self-sufficiency; encourage resident leadership, and collaborate with local stakeholders in the areas of health, economic development, employment and education. In Fiscal Year 2024, for every dollar received from Congress, the NeighborWorks network and NeighborWorks America attracted an additional $71 of investment from other sources.
