NRMLA submitted letters to the leadership of the Senate Banking Committee and House Financial Services Committee to seek their assistance with the recent Reduction in Force (RIF) involving HUD’s Office of Housing Counseling.
On October 10, the Office of Management and Budget fired over 300 people at HUD, including 36 people in OHC.
Why it matters: While a federal judge this week issued a temporary injunction that blocks the firing of federal workers during the government shutdown, NRMLA remains concerned about the long-term impact that the RIF will have on HUD’s oversight of the HECM counseling program.
OHC is responsible for oversight and approval of counseling agencies, managing the roster of HECM counselors and performing essential compliance monitoring, as detailed in the HUD Housing Counseling Handbook 7610.1.
Bottom line: In its letter, NRMLA asked lawmakers to “immediately investigate the impact of these staff reductions on the OHC and to take necessary action to reverse these firings and/or allocate emergency resources to ensure the continued, lawful administration of the HECM program.
