Nguoi Viet, News Report, Posted: Feb 07, 2011

WASHINGTON, D.C. ― The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD) a $785,000 grant to administer a national housing counseling program targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in 10 states. The grant is part of the $73 million program that supports HUD-approved counseling agencies throughout the country in an effort to expand and preserve homeownership opportunities, as well as provide assistance to lower income renters and tenants. Of the 28 HUD-approved national housing counseling intermediaries, National CAPACD is the only organization focused on serving AAPI communities.

“Many of national CAPACD’s member organizations are at the frontlines assisting AAPIs survive the current foreclosure crisis,” said Lisa Hasegawa, executive director of National CAPACD. “This grant from HUD represents a significant investment in our communities and an indication of this administration’s commitment to addressing needs in our communities that are often overlooked.”

In the current housing crisis, the services of nonprofit housing counseling agencies are more critical than ever, providing objective information about homeowner’s options for avoiding foreclosure, how to responsibly and sustainably purchase property, transitioning into rental housing and how to prevent homelessness. Recent Census data show that homeownership rates for AAPI have been declining since 2007 and a study from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco found that AAPI homeowners are more likely to lose their home in foreclosure than white or African American homeowners. However, AAPI families often cannot find language-appropriate and culturally sensitive assistance to address their housing options and needs.