HUD Housing Counseling: A New Program at Catholic Charities of North Louisiana Kathy Schimschock, Development Director Catholic Charities of North Louisiana is offering a new program—HUD Housing Counseling—so that the working poor can become homeowners.This program will help the community at large because homeowners become taxpayers. Our clients will be the biggest beneficiaries of this program. It may take up to two years, but with our help, these potential home buyers will increase their credit score, understand the home-buying process, save for a down payment, and feel pride when they are successful. CCNLA is pleased to announce the addition of Yvonne Bartley to our staff. Yvonne has been in the Shreveport/ Bossier area since 1980. A graduate from Northeast LA University (University of Louisiana Monroe), she is the only certified HUD Housing Counselor in North Louisiana. Her expertise is in helping clients with soft services, such as improving FICO Scores to purchase a home or car and most importantly, keep their home. Most of the clients Yvonne works with don’t know how to navigate getting an automobile or mortgage loan. The training involved includes one-on-one confidential credit counseling and creating a credit action plan, preparing a budget specifically for them, and walking them through the process of shopping for a home, home inspector, and a mortgage. Clarifying the myths versus the truth with credit repair can take 3 months to 2 years, depending upon the severity of the case. Holding the hands of clients who need long term help is what she does best. No case is too small or too big. If a client is willing to put in the work, she’ll be right there with them to get them back on track and where they need to be. 18
CATHOLIC CONNECTION
Certified HUD Housing Counselors also help people who already have a house but, are in jeopardy of losing that house. At that time, the lender or HUD will refer the client to the HUD Housing counseling agency to obtain loan modifications if other options are not available. The majority of the clients Yvonne works with don’t know their options or if they have an FHA, Fannie, or Rural Development Loan, nor what the difference is. The counselor will help the client prepare the paperwork, send it to the lender and monitor the process from the time the application is filled out, inception and to the very end. All this is done to save the home. Being a no-nonsense counselor, the long story short is, if you are spending $300 - $400 a month on personal care such as hair and nails, or hobbies such as hunting and fishing trips, and you can’t pay your mortgage, something must change. There have been a few times when homeowners are not willing to make that change and she’s honest and straightforward by letting them know, she can’t help them. Before she retires in September 2023, Yvonne will make sure that Catholic Charities of North Louisiana becomes an approved HUD Housing Counseling Agency, usually a two-year process. Executive Director, Meg Goorley noted, “Our goal is to have four Certified HUD Housing Counselors to cover the entire Diocese of Shreveport.” When asked how Meg Goorley found her, Yvonne emphatically answered, “By the Grace of God. If there is anywhere that God means for me to be, it’s here doing this with Catholic Charities. I know this without a doubt.” God’s plan
Yvonne Bartley, Certified HUD Housing Counselor
for Yvonne was years in the making and CCNLA will reap the benefits of all she has to teach us in the months and years to come. Catholic Charities is blessed to have her on staff. If you want to make a difference in the lives of the people we serve at Catholic Charities of North Louisiana, please send your donation to CCNLA, Attention: Development, 902 Olive Street, Shreveport, LA 71104. Perhaps making a donation is not possible for you at this time, but volunteering would be something you would consider. Please pray for us and the programs we offer as we continue our mission of bringing Christ’s love to the poor and vulnerable by providing quality social services to families and individuals without discrimination and in accordance with Catholic Social Teachings and professional standards.
