Counseling Services

Tarrant County Housing Partnership, Inc. (TCHP) provides housing counseling services at no cost to participants.  For more information please contact our offices at 817.924.5091 or visit our website at www.tchp.net.

Homebuyer Outreach/Orientation Sessions

TCHP holds sessions to inform the Tarrant County community of the opportunity for homeownership, pros and cons of homeownership, and the availability of TCHP pre-purchase programs and their benefits.  These workshops are held twice a month in the TCHP offices and at the Arlington Housing Authority.  These sessions are typically 2 hours long and will answer all questions about TCHP and our services.  TCHP staff is also willing to answers questions by phone with households to provide information and referral regarding TCHP’s services.

TCHP offers individual counseling with a household to assist the household with home purchase. Clients will work one-on one with HUD Certified Housing Advisors on topics regarding:

• An assessment of the housing need (look at income, debt, credit, savings);

• Development of an action plan with short and long-term goals for addressing budgeting, resolving credit problems, establishing a debt reduction/savings plan;

• A signed commitment by the client that they agree with the plan and understand and are ready to carry out their responsibilities to accomplish it;

• Work with clients as a part of a longer term plan to reestablish good credit or build savings;

• Follow-up with households at least every three months to assess progress toward achieving housing goal(s);

• Individual counseling available throughout the home buying process, including assistance with home and neighborhood selection, the home inspection process, negotiation of a purchase price, selecting the best mortgage product, and the mortgage application process.

TCHP’s Homebuyer workshops are given to educate the potential homebuyer and prepare the household for homeownership. These workshops are given the third Saturday of the month and the client must be pre-registered to attend.  This class is a time that answers to the many questions a potential homebuyer has are reviewed.  Industry professionals facilitate certain sections.  Topics covered at this workshop include: How to Secure a Mortgage, The Appraisal Process, Down Payment and Closing Cost Assistance, Insurance Basics, Shopping for a Home, Getting the Most of Your Mortgage Dollar, and Life as a Homeowner.  In the workshop the participant will get the opportunity to view the entire home buying process in a comfortable setting before they begin the actual process.  Workshops are held from 9:00am – 3:00p.m. and lunch is provided.

TCHP offers these workshops to provide information and support to current homeowners. Typically workshops are held at TCHP’s most recently completed sub-division.  All recent homebuyers are encouraged to attend.  Topics offered cover such topics as routine maintenance; successful landscaping; decorating on a budget; home repairs and home improvements; weatherization; property management; and financial planning and budgeting. These workshops are typically 3 hour workshops that include a celebration of these recent homebuyers.  In addition to imparting useful information, the goal of these workshops is to educate homebuyers on how to maintain their finances and investment.  Another goal is to remind the homebuyer that they can contact our organization if they experience any problems or need information or advice.

TCHP Housing Advisors offer individualized post-purchase counseling.  The counseling information and support includes budgeting as a homeowner; advice and reminders on needed regular homeowner maintenance; taxes and escrow; credit counseling; and fielding questions regarding mortgage refinancing. Home equity loans, and the home mortgage deduction. It also includes referrals to other community-based organizations from which the household can receive advice and support, such as job training and placement agencies. The goals of this counseling are to support (new) homeowners and to remain visible to homeowners should they run into future problems meeting their mortgage obligations.

TCHP offers delinquency and foreclosure counseling an individual counseling, in-person that is early intervention (30 to 45) days) to determine the reason for the delinquency and to work with the household to bring the mortgage current. Foreclosure prevention counseling is in-person and more intensive counseling (often following a delinquency contact). It includes assistance with budgeting in a time crisis, assessing the viability hardship and a plan of action to a lender, and navigating the workout process.

Renter counseling assists households who need help locating a rental unit or meditating a tenant/landlord dispute. TCHP also works with many local housing authorities to provide self-sufficiency counseling with an end result of homeownership.  The goal of this counseling is to secure or stabilize the household in safe, affordable, and appropriate housing.