Family Housing Advisory Services

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People Served
Family Housing Advisory Services, Inc., (FHAS) provides top-notch impact-oriented housing services to about 10,000 low-to-moderate income individuals annually, changing lives, revitalizing communities, and developing lifelong skills. Housing services range from homeless assistance to home ownership, foreclosure prevention, reverse mortgage counseling, financial management and individual development accounts. 2007 services resulted in the following benefits and impact:
Homebuyer Education
Participants in our 12-hour homeownership education workshops, work towards the American Dream of home ownership, gaining knowledge of the home buying process through the workshops, one-on-one counseling and follow-up. We help demystify the home buying process, and develop savings, investment, and wealth building behaviors that last a lifetime. As a result of our Homebuyer Program:

754 prospective homebuyers understand the benefits and responsibilities of home ownership

168 previous renters are now homeowners

586 future homeowners continue to work toward home ownership

Foreclosure Prevention Services
Foreclosure prevention services help homeowners learn about resources and alternatives to foreclosure. Counselors negotiate best possible solutions for homeowners; reducing vacant homes and foreclosures in the community. Last year:

23 homeowners saved their homes from foreclosure

Reverse Mortgage Services
Many elderly residents are rich in equity, nut need cash. Often, this leaves them accessible to become targets of scandals resulting in the loss of their homes and equity. The reverse equity mortgage (REM) allows our elderly residents to receive income from the equity in their homes and shelters them from being victimized.

22 elderly persons received a reverse mortgage loan to make needed repairs, purchase medicines, pay utility bills, and avoid predatory lending

Financial Literacy Services
Consumers receive education about the importance of savings, the affects of credit on everyday life, and building assets to achieve financial security. Consumers also received education on predatory lending in regards to credit cards, payday cash advance companies, and car and mortgage loans.

287 clients received budgeting and financial literacy education throughout agency programs to help budget for rent deposits, down payments, clearing credit blemishes or to meet other housing obligations

Individual Development Account (IDA) Services
IDA's are dedicated, matched savings accounts that can be used to invest in homeownership, education, micro business start-up or expansion. Target population households are 200% or below the median poverty level. IDA's give people hope and hope gives people the incentive to make the decisions that produce long-term positive changes.

Families have access to a better life thru a two-year matched savings account resulting in funds to purchase a home, continue their education or explore a business venture

$39,400 total participant savings

3 participants opened and are operating micro-Businesses

14 participants purchased homes to date

Homeless and Renters
Case Advocates move homeless residents (in shelters, vehicles, abandoned buildings, viaducts, etc.) to emergency shelter and permanent housing, connecting them with housing subsidies, rental assistance, meals, clothing, income sources, and other community resources. Participants receive tenant education, housing search assistance, and budgeting to prepare for housing, and move toward self-sufficiency.

718 attended the Rental Housing Clinic

158 homeless and near-homeless families served are living in permanent housing

228 prevented homelessness/retained housing

120 monthly support for senior/transitional/residential housing

Fair Housing Center
The Center ensures equal access to housing for all through education and outreach, investigation of fair housing complaints, and direct assistance to ensure compliance. As a result:

211 concerns were reviewed for violation of federal, state, or local fair laws: 61% disability-related, 8% familial status, 9% national origin, 12% race

116 workshops conducted for 2,624 persons in the tri-county area

Omaha/Metro 100 (Homeowner Finance)
Omaha 100 (Metro 100 in Council Bluffs) provides affordable housing financing to low-to-moderate income individuals who qualify for affordable financing options, down-payment assistance, and soft-second mortgages to make their dream of home ownership more affordable and attainable.

58 new homeowners in 2007 (832 total new homeowners)

20 second mortgage loans

38 third mortgage loans

6 mortgage rehabilitation loans

$6 million total loan production

Para hablar con un representante en espanol por favor llama 546-1013 o mande nos un e-mail a: SouthO@fhasinc.org