Housing Advocate, HUD Certified Housing Counselor, NMLS #1850798, Licensed Realtor, Consultant, CFPB Advisory Board, National Trainer, Bi-Lingual Local and National Media Spokesperson, Author, Motivational Speaker and the highest honor, Grandmother. Sylvia is the founder and Ex. Director of the Housing & Education Alliance a HUD housing counseling agency serving over 55,000 Tampa Bay residents since 2002. She co-authored a book entitled The American Nightmare: Strategies for Preventing, Surviving and Overcoming Foreclosure. The book detailed both judicial and non-judicial processes, phases, options, consequences and even explained how a homeowner can rebuild their credit and purchase a home again. It was endorsed by Freddie Mac translated into Spanish by NAHREP and used by consumers and HUD housing counselors throughout the US.
At the start of the foreclosure crisis, budget and funding cuts caused Sylvia Alvarez to make the hard decision to close the agency, but all HEA staff refused to stay home. For over 3 years, staff continued to work as volunteers or for drastically reduced salaries helping other families who were facing the same crisis their own households eventually faced. All staff either lost their own homes or was in some phase of foreclosure. This selfless act resulted in over 14,000 families receiving the free foreclosure prevention help they needed to keep their homes . Due to Sylvia’s leadership and staff loyalty, HEA is thriving. New supporters have provided funding for HEA helping it become a force to be reckoned with. She has seen up close and personal the effect the housing crisis has had on hard-working families and has become an advocate and voice for homeless families.
She appears regularly, both locally and nationally in English and Spanish media regarding housing issues. Through her leadership, the agency has received much recognition and many awards including the coveted “NonProfit of the Year” through PBS’s national program the Be More Awards. She is a highly respected advocate of housing and has been invited to take part in meetings with US Treasury, HUD, Department of Agriculture and high-level staff at the White House in DC. She was appointed to the CFPB Consumer Advisory Board and served under two Presidential Administrations. She serves on the JP Morgan Chase Advisory Board, Lakeview Community Capital advisory board and recently joined the Greater Tampa Realtor’s Government Affairs Committee. Sylvia also served on the HOPE Now Foundation Board in Washington, DC.
