HOUSING AND EDUCATION ALLIANCE (HEA) values your trust, and we are committed to the delivery of high-quality services and to the responsible management, use and protection of personal information. This notice describes our policy regarding the collection and disclosure of personal information and our policies regarding conflict of interest. As a non-profit community development organization founded in 2002 with the mission of providing culturally sensitive (English and Spanish services) housing education, post purchase education, foreclosure prevention counseling, credit rebuilding, financial literacy education, back to work mortgage counseling, and other housing related programs offered by HEA in the future.
AUTHORIZATION, DISCLOSURES, POLICIES AND PRACTICES
The final rule defines Homeownership Counseling as Housing Counseling related to homeownership and residential mortgage loans when provided in connection with HUD’s Housing Counseling Program or required or provided in connection with HUD Programs. Homeownership Counseling is housing counselling that covers the decision to purchase a home, the selection and purchase of a home, issues arising during or affecting the period of ownership of a home (including financing, refinancing, default and foreclosure and other financial decisions) and the sale or disposition of a home. This Definition applies to pre-purchase consulting, Mortgage delinquency, non-delinquency post-purchase.
HEA offers the following Counseling services for First Time Home buyers
Pre-Purchase Counseling, Pre-Purchase Homebuyer Education Workshops, Fair housing Pre-Purchase Education Workshops, Predatory Lending Education Workshops, Mortgage Delinquency and Default Resolution Counseling, Resolving/Preventing Mortgage Delinquency Workshops, Financial Management/Budget Counseling/Credit Review, Financial Management/Budget/Credit Workshops, Non-Delinquency Post-Purchase Workshops for Homeowners, Rental Housing Counseling, HomeTRACK Online Education.
Relationships/Affiliations/Conflict of Interest:
HEA has or may have a financial affiliation and/or a professional affiliation with Bank of America, Wells Fargo, J P Morgan Chase, Third Federal, Synovus, Citi, Unidos US, Fifth Third, Trust, PNC, Republic Bank, HUD, Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, Pasco County, Orange County, City of Tampa, Google, HEA Housing Solutions, Greater Tampa Realtors, Signature Mortgage Funding, Career Source, Florida Housing Finance Corporation
As a Housing counselling, program participant, I acknowledge that am not obligated to use the products and services of Housing Education and Alliance (HEA) Inc or their Industry Partners.
Alternative Services, Programs and Products & Client freedom of Choice:
Housing Education and Alliance has a first-time homebuyer program developed. I acknowledge that I am not obligated to participate in this or other HEA programs and services while I am receiving housing counselling from the agency. I may consider seeking alternative products and services from entities including Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Freddie Mac, VA, or USDA for first-time homebuyer loan programs. HEA can recommend and refer you to the best mortgage products available that you may be eligible for including but not limited to the following banks: Bank of America, Chase, Third Federal, Wells Fargo, Synovus, Loan Depot, Republic Bank, Regions Bank, PNC, Valley National and Trust. You are entitled to choose whatever real estate professionals, lenders and lending products that best meet your needs.
Housing Counseling Agreement
By participating in our homebuyer education, post purchase education, foreclosure prevention counseling, credit rebuilding, financial literacy or back to work mortgage counseling program, you are agreeing to receive counseling, education, information and application assistance, including computations, assessments and procurement of services, in connection with your pursuit of (a) a home purchase, qualifying for a mortgage loan or other homebuyer assistance program (c) obtaining better loan terms with your current mortgage loan or (d) preventing a home foreclosure. While you are welcomed and encouraged to do so, you are in no way obligated to participate in any of our home partner services, grant programs, or other services. HEA is also not obligated to enroll you in any other program because of your participation in any homeownership education program. Each HEA program is administered separately, and you should seek application information pertaining to your program of interest. I give permission for program administrators and/or their agents to follow-up with me for the next 3 years for the purposes of program evaluation.
Real Estate Development Projects and Other Grant Programs
HEA may own and develop real estate property for the purpose of renting or selling to low-income families in relation to its mission of community development. Participating in HEA’s Homeownership Education or counseling programs does not obligate you to purchase or rent any property owned by HEA and, HEA is in no way obligated to sell or rent you any of our development properties, provide you with any monetary assistance, or provide you with any additional services. Each service and program outside of Homeownership Education and Counseling is offered independently and has its own application, procurement process and participation guidelines.
Program Fee
A fee is assessed for enrollment in the homebuyer education seminar: $50 per attendee. A fee for Housing Counseling is assessed at.
$50 per hour for an individual and $75.00 for married couple. Your first housing counseling session will also include your credit report, mortgage readiness assessment, action plan, budget review, etc. Other fees may be charged for services provided by HEA.
Credit Report Fee
A Credit Report fee is assessed if your credit report is ordered by HEA. This fee will be the sole responsibility of the client. This fee may be waived if you meet very low-income criteria and is not applicable for “foreclosure prevention” counseling services.
PRIVACY POLICY AND AUTHORIZATION
Personal information, as used in this notice, means information that identifies an individual personally and is not otherwise publicly available information. It includes personal financial information such as credit history, income, employment history, financial assets, bank account information and financial debts. It also includes your social security number and other information that you have provided us on any applications or forms that you have completed.
Confidentiality and Security
We restrict access to personal information about you to those of our employees who need to know that information to provide products and services to you and to help them do their jobs, including making loan decisions, aiding you in obtaining loans from others, and financial counseling. We maintain physical and electronic security procedures to safeguard the confidentiality and integrity of personal information in our possession and to guard against unauthorized access. We use locked files, user authentication and detection software to protect your information. Our safeguards comply with federal regulations to guard your personal information.
Information We Collect
We collect personal information to
- Support our financial fitness counseling,
- Assist in qualification for our affordable home development projects
- Perform a mortgage affordability assessment
- Assist you in shopping for and obtaining a home mortgage from a lender.
We collect personal information about you from the following sources:
- Information we receive from you on applications or other forms,
- Information we receive from a consumer reporting agency,
- Information we receive from independent third parties (lenders, realtors, DPA reviewers) authorized by you to provide us with your information for record keeping and funding programs.
Information We Disclose
We may disclose the following kinds of personal information about you:
- Information we receive from you on applications or other forms, such as your name, address, social security number, employer, occupation, assets, debts, and income.
- Information we receive from consumer reporting agency, such as your credit bureau reports, your credit history, and your creditworthiness.
To Whom Do We Disclose
We may disclose your personal information to the following types of unaffiliated third parties:
- Financial service providers, such as companies engaged in providing home mortgage or home equity loans,
- Others, such as nonprofit and/or governmental organizations involved in community development, but only for program review auditing, research, and oversight purposes.
- We may also disclose personal information about you to third parties as permitted by law.
☐ I acknowledge
Monitoring for Possible Fraud
Monitoring for possible fraud requires the identification of processes, controls, and other procedures to mitigate risk, including an effective secure information system and appropriate monitoring and quality assurance activities.
Prior to sharing personal information with unaffiliated third parties, except as described in this policy, we will give you an opportunity to direct that such information is not disclosed. Directing Us Not to Make Disclosures to Unaffiliated Third Parties
If you want to opt out, direct us not to make disclosures about your personal information (other than disclosures permitted by law) as described in this notice.
In connection with determining my ability to obtain a mortgage loan, I (we)
□ Authorize □ Do not authorize
HEA to share with potential mortgage lenders, governmental agencies, UnidosUS (HEA’s HUD Intermediary Organization), and/or other non-profit agencies my credit report and any information that I have provided, including any computations and assessments that have been produced based upon such information. I acknowledge that the information obtained will be used solely by HEA and UnidosUS for the purpose of creating a housing counseling plan. If authorized, these lenders may contact me to discuss loans for which I may be eligible for, and these non- profit and governmental agencies may contact me for program evaluation purposes or offer other services. I understand I may revoke my consent to these disclosures by notifying HEA Homeownership Program.
Credit Reporting Authorization
In connection with my request to receive housing counseling and my pursuit to (a) purchase real estate obtain a mortgage loan, and/or
(b) receive mortgage delinquency counseling and/or post-purchase and refinance counseling, and (c) for review purposes lasting up to 3 years from the date of the initial counseling session.
□ Authorize □ Do not authorize
E-mail/Text/Media
I give HEA Inc, permission to communicate with me via email I provided or text message to my cell phone provided for follow up and strictly business purposes; use of class photograph may be used for website use/or promotional services for First Time Homebuying. My signature below provides authorization.
