R2023-205 Resolution Authorizing Agreement with Community Investment Corporation of Decatur for Managing the Decatur Homebuyer Ecosystem, Counseling and Education Program

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L J CICD COMMUNITY INVESTMENT CORPORA'iION OF UWCATIIR Program Description Pre-Purchase Homebuyer Education As part of its housing counseling program, CICD currently offers pre-purchase education and counseling to prospective homebuyers. The education is offered both in-person and virtually by CICD's HUD-certified housing counselor. The virtual counseling sessions are held using the Zoom online software platform. The education workshops curriculum includes information covering the following topics: Are You Ready to Buy?Managing Your Money,Understanding Credit, Obtaining a Mortgage, Shopping For the Home,and Protecting Your Investment. To expand the number of households that can be served,CICD plans to make a standing monthly pre-purchase group education workshop available,hire additional staff over the next three years,and enter into an agreement with eHome America to expand access to flexible,virtual education. Beginning in May 2023,CICD will offer a group homebuyer education series broken into two 4-hour sessions on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month. Initially,the workshops will alternate monthly between in-person and virtual but as interest for the workshops expands,CICD will offer both in-person and virtual workshops every month. CICD will solicit feedback from potential clients to determine the most effective schedule for its workshops. The pre-purchase workshops will include a presentation by CICD's HUD-certified housing counselor using Microsoft PowerPoint and interactive activities to encourage active participation. The goal of these workshops will be to have at least 60%of the participants return for one- on-one counseling. To make households aware of the workshops CICD will engage in its normal marketing and advertising activities for events. These include sending flyers through postal mail or email blasts to potential participants for whom CICD has addresses/information,placing a post or banner on CICD's website www.investindecaturcicd.org,and posting on CICD's Facebook page to reach individuals and local businesses. CICD maintains mailing list names and addresses compiled from previous workshops,referrals from the City of Decatur,referrals from Board members,press releases in the newspaper,and post-purchase clients previously counseled. CICD will also conduct an expanded marketing and outreach campaign advertising the homebuyer ecosystem, as discussed below. As an alternative to the workshops hosted by CICD's HUD-certified counselor,CICD has signed a contract with the online platform eHome America. eHome America is an online homebuyer education platform that allows households to complete the pre-purchase coursework at their own pace and on their own schedule.Working with eHome America will enable more households in Decatur to begin the pre-purchase process.After completing the eHome America course,clients will connect with CICD for one-on-one counseling to receive their Home Buyer Education certification. Individual Pre-Purchase Counseling Regardless of how they begin their interaction with CICD's pre-purchase education system,once a household has participated in a homebuyer education workshop,they will be contacted by CICD's housing counselor to schedule one-on- one in-office appointments to complete their counseling and receive their Home Buyer Education certificate.All one-on-one counseling conducted by CICD,including pre-purchase counseling, follows a prescribed format.At the first meeting,an action plan is developed,which includes: • Counselor and client set goals,and issues that must be resolved; • Discussion of alternative solutions/suggestions to improving their current situation based on the service requested; • Steps for reaching the goal and who will be responsible for each step; • Estimated time frame for completing steps or expected attention from client participation and when they should get back to their Counselor with updates to the plan; 2