U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) today announced that the U.S. Department for Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded a $13,599 Housing Counseling Program Grant to the Paterson Housing Authority. The grant will be used to help Paterson tenants and homeowners weather the COVID-19 pandemic by increasing financial literacy, expanding home ownership opportunities, and improving access to affordable housing.

“Now more than ever, people need to know their rights as tenants and homebuyers. COVID-19 has upended much of our lives, but transparency in homebuying and access to housing cannot fall by the wayside. This federal grant will help ensure that it doesn’t,” said Rep. Pascrell, a former Paterson mayor who is New Jersey’s only member of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee. “This grant will help the Paterson Housing Authority educate the tenants and homeowners it serves as we continue to weather this public health crisis together.”

“The primary goals of the Homeownership Counseling program are to instill financial literacy, encourage budgeting and responsible financial behavior, provide information on the home buying process, and prepare buyers for the unique maintenance challenges associated with owning a home,” said Irma Gorham, Executive Director of the Paterson Housing Authority. “Our ultimate goal right now is to ensure that folks know that the Paterson Housing Authority is there to guide them through this crisis by giving them the facts and information they need.”