National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling funding provides up to $5 million to be used to build mortgage foreclosure and default mitigation counseling capacity of housing counseling intermediaries and their partners through training. Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Training is being offered through four primary delivery channels:

• NeighborWorks Training Institute Scholarships:  Scholarships are available for nonprofit counseling staff to attend any of the four NeighborWorks Training Institutes in 2008. Approximately 150 scholarships will provide full tuition and lodging for up to five days of training at each Training Institute. Scholarships may be used to attend foreclosure-related courses, including a five-day foreclosure counseling certification course, an advanced foreclosure case studies practicum and a course on developing and implementing a foreclosure intervention program.  Training in certain other tracks (e.g., Management and Leadership) may also be taken under these scholarships if such training will directly strengthen foreclosure mitigation counseling efforts. Only staff from 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations may apply for these scholarships. 

• Multi-Course Regional Trainings Managed and Hosted by NeighborWorks America.  NeighborWorks America will sponsor and host eight Regional Place-Based training events, offering foreclosure-related and capacity strengthening courses.  Each of these training events will accommodate up to 225 persons.  Scholarships at these place-based training events will be offered covering the participant’s tuition and lodging. The schedule for these training events includes:

Dates and Locations

• February 11-15:                  Sacramento, California
• March 10-14:                       Providence, Rhode Island
• April 14-18:                         Philadelphia, PA
• May 19-23:                          St. Louis, MO
• June 23-27:                         Denver, CO
• July 14-18:                          Orlando, FL or Atlanta, GA
• July 28-August 1:                Los Angeles, CA region
• September 8-12:                 Memphis, TN

Each of these regional trainings will offer an array of courses, based on the needs of each region. A typical agenda of courses would include:

• HO103 Lending Basics – 3 day course
• HO109 Foreclosure Basics – 2 day course
• HO250 Homeownership Counseling Certification – 5-day course
• HO320 Developing and Implementing an Effective Foreclosure Program – 2-day course
• HO307 Advanced Foreclosure Case Study Practicum – 2-day course
• HO345 Foreclosure Intervention and Default Counseling Certification – 5-day course. 

Place-Based Trainings sponsored by NeighborWorks America and hosted by HUD Intermediaries and/or State Housing Finance Agencies. NeighborWorks America will offer up to 30 week-long place-based trainings to non-profit HUD Intermediaries and select Housing Finance Agencies during 2008.

Foreclosure Basics E-Learning Course.  NeighborWorks is developing an e-learning course so that new counselors can be quickly trained in basic skills needed to deliver quality foreclosure counseling. This course will be made available to NeighborWorks organizations, intermediaries and Housing Finance Agencies free or at a reduced rate for one year.

In all, NeighborWorks America anticipates awarding over 3,000 foreclosure-related training certificates under the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling training initiative by the end of 2008. 

For more information, visit NeighborWorks Center for Homeownership Education and Counseling Foreclosure Counseling Training.