HUD coalition to discuss housing issues on the Hill

Councilors from the Affordable Housing Centers of America will meet with government officials Wednesday to share their thoughts and experiences about working on the front lines of the mortgage crisis. The councilors, part of the group known as the Coalition of HUD Housing Counseling Intermediaries, will tell members of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Congress and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about what difficulties they face when securing a loan modification for families they work with. The coalition will then suggest policies to help alleviate these problems. According to the agenda, the meeting with focus on issues such as borrowers losing their homes while they are waiting for a loan mod, homeowners staying in trial mods for months without a permanent conversion, and problems with the Home Affordable Modification Program. The meeting will be held at the offices of Public Citizen in Washington from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Coalition of HUD Housing Counseling Intermediaries is a national network of HUD-approved nonprofit organizations that provide housing counseling, education and community reinvestment programs. As its name suggests, the coalition acts as the bridge between government policy makers and consumers who are affected by those policies. Groups affiliated with the coalition include Catholic Charities USA, the Homeownership Preservation Foundation and the National Urban League. Write to Christine Ricciardi.