Recently, SERCAP’s Housing Counseling Program delivered 10 in-person Group Education Workshops, for the first time in over two (2) years, at the Dumas Center and the Dorcus House in downtown Roanoke, VA. Since becoming a HUD approved Local Housing Counseling Agency (LHCA) in 2012, SERCAP’s Housing Counseling Program has provided clients with no-cost one-on-one housing counseling, financial literacy, and group education services. During the bulk of 2020 and 2021, these services have primarily been provided over the phone and through online workshops. However, beginning in April 2022 SERCAP’s Housing Counseling Program has returned to providing in-person group education workshops.
Specifically, over the past three (3) months the Housing Counseling Program delivered these in-person workshops on a wide variety of topics, including: Goal Setting, Budgeting, the Truth About Credit, Predatory Lending, Rental Topics, and Home Maintenance Education. Overall, these workshops provided over 100 households with the tools, resources, and information needed to help the participants in achieving their short-term and long-term financial goals, whether that be increasing personal savings, or ultimately purchasing a home.
Without SERCAP’s full slate of Programs and Services, many rural communities and low-to-moderate income (LMI) individuals would be forced to go without such necessities as reliable access to clean drinking water, indoor plumbing, safe and affordable housing, community development and infrastructure needs, water/wastewater infrastructure solutions, and more. It is important to remember that even in the US in the 21st Century; there are those who do not have reliable access to clean, safe drinking water, environmentally sound septic facilities, and affordable housing. In order to help SERCAP continue to provide assistance to both the individuals and communities in need, please consider making a donation to SERCAP’s Water Life! Fund!
Donate Today: https://sercap.networkforgood.com/ (opens new window)
*Funding for SERCAP’s Housing Counseling Program is made possible by two grants from Virginia Housing: the HUD Housing Counseling Grant and the Housing Counseling & Education (HCE) Grant, as well as support from Wells Fargo. The program is additionally leveraged by a Budget Appropriation, approved by the Virginia General Assembly, and administered by the Virginia Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD).