The Division of Housing and City Growth has partnered with Zillow for “Let’s Make Residence the Objective,” a marketing campaign aimed toward connecting minority communities with HUD pre-housing counseling companies.
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The Division of Housing and City Growth tapped Zillow to affix “Let’s Make Residence the Objective,” a multi-year marketing campaign to teach minority communities about free pre-housing counseling companies by way of the Division’s Workplace of Housing Counseling (OHC).
The marketing campaign, which launched in 2023, has already reached 5 million potential patrons in 15 media markets. Now, with Zillow, HUD estimates the marketing campaign will attain an extra eight million potential patrons in 42 media markets by way of adverts throughout the portal’s digital and social media platforms.
“At Zillow, we’re dedicated to getting extra individuals dwelling,” Zillow VP of Authorities Affairs Jennifer Butler mentioned. “We have been based with a concentrate on transparency and offering entry to the info and data wanted to search out housing.”
“We’re increasing on that basis by serving to shoppers get related to the appropriate sources, serving to to scale back the limitations they face to securing reasonably priced housing,” she added. “Partnering with HUD on their ‘Let’s Make Residence the Objective’ marketing campaign and rising entry to high quality credit score counseling companies is a vital step to assist bridge the homeownership hole and construct generational wealth for extra households.”
Based within the 70s, the OHC pairs aspiring owners with HUD-certified housing counselors who information them by way of the buying course of, together with how you can pre-qualify for a mortgage, create a down fee financial savings plan, apply for homebuyer help, and leverage tax credit. The standard homebuyer who makes use of OHC companies saves $11,300 in whole debt, in response to the OHC’s Fb web page.
“On daily basis, HUD’s counselors present hundreds of Individuals with trusted recommendation about shopping for a house, avoiding foreclosures, and finding and sustaining reasonably priced housing. However we all know we will help much more individuals,” HUD Performing Secretary Adrianne Todman mentioned in a ready assertion.
“Collectively, we are going to attain a brand new technology of house owners, assist extra households construct generational wealth, and proceed our work to assist Individuals traditionally ignored of the homebuying course of.”
Alongside the Zillow partnership, HUD additionally introduced the Modernizing the Supply of Housing Counseling Providers ultimate rule. The rule permits HUD-approved housing counseling businesses to make use of digital and distant (e.g. cellphone calls, Zoom conferences, and so on.) strategies to contact homebuyers and renters who can’t attend in-person conferences as a consequence of work obligations, restricted transportation or incapacity.
“We’re excited to lift consciousness in regards to the availability and advantages of housing counseling,” Federal Housing Commissioner Julia Gordon mentioned of the marketing campaign and ultimate rule. “These initiatives make it simpler for households to entry the help they should navigate the homebuying course of or to safe secure, reasonably priced and steady housing.”
E-mail Marian McPherson