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The Greater Kansas City Housing Information Center (HIC) works with families and individuals to meet their housing needs.  Our counselors work with clients to understand their situation and provide comprehensive housing services.

We assist a wide range of persons and families from those who are homeless to those with landlord issues as renters to homeowners facing foreclosure.  HIC also provides referrals for people in need of resources in housing, education and employment. HIC offers educational workshops for potential homebuyers, property management companies, lenders and real estate companies. HIC services are targeted to at-risk families/individuals - particularly elderly, disabled and female-headed households.

If you are facing foreclosure on your home, contact us today.

If you are a tenant – Do you know your rights and responsibilities?

1. Ask about a landlord/tenant manual to learn about your rights.

2. What is a security deposit?

3. As a tenant, can I withhold rent if the landlord won’t make repairs?

4. How do I find and select the right housing for me and my family?

If you are looking to buy a home – Do you know the steps to homeownership?

1. What type of home will best meet your needs?

2. What should I look for in a neighborhood?

3. What can I afford?

4. How do I go about obtaining a loan and entering into a real estate contract?

If you are a homeowner – Are you at risk of losing your home?

1. How much money should I set aside for routine and emergency maintenance?

2. What have I budgeted for utilities?

3. What steps do I take if the mortgage company sends a delinquent or foreclosure notice?

4. How do I tap into my home’s equity to use funds for home repairs or other purposes?

Our Comprehensive Approach to Serving Our Clients
HIC works with each person and family individually to understand and help them meet their housing needs. Our process begins by collecting some basic information on you and your housing situation.

Intake allows our Intake Specialist to collect some basic information from you, either by phone or in person.  This information is reviewed by the agency’s director, and your case is then assigned to one of the agency’s housing counselors. Client information is entered into the Mid-America Assistance Corporation (MAAC) Link system, which contains information on all emergency assistance provided in the Kansas City metro area. Clients are required to provide documentation of all expenses, obligations and income claimed. 

Appointment with a Counselor:  The counselor assigned to your case will contact you to schedule an appointment and will give you instructions on the necessary information to bring to the appointment.  “Walk-in” clients are discouraged. Generally the walk-in client does not have the necessary information and documentation to open a case. 

At the first appointment, clients can expect to go over their situation with the counselor and review documentation. The counselor may ask to make copies of information for the file, which is kept confidential. Case records contain the information necessary for the counselor to determine the appropriate strategy, to decide the nature and amount of emergency assistance, or to make a referral if the appropriate service is not offered by the Housing Information Center.  Mortgagors must have proof of ownership; tenants must have leases, rental agreements or a written notice from a landlord.

Developing a Plan to Address Your Needs: The counselor works with the client to develop a plan to resolve the housing problem. Usually, follow up appointments are scheduled.  The goal in every session is to stabilize housing for the family or individual.  Clients are required to sign an agreement for on-going counseling sessions until their housing situation become stable.  HIC also provides one-year follow-up counseling. 

Depending upon client needs, any of the following services are provided:

Mortgage default and delinquency prevention
HIC assists homeowners to avoid mortgage default and foreclosure on their properties or renters from eviction due to delinquent mortgage or rent payments. A detailed financial review is conducted, and a family budget is prepared for each client.  All options available to the client – pre-foreclosure sale, forbearance agreement, reinstatement and others – are thoroughly reviewed.  The HIC counselor will work with the mortgagee and the mortgage company to arrive at a mutually agreed upon plan.

Pre-Purchase/Pre-Qualification
HIC provides counseling to assist residents to achieve homeownership. The client authorizes a credit check and, if it appears that qualification is possible, an appointment is made for homebuyer education.  Financing options are discussed, financial reviews are conducted and a detailed budget is developed prior to referral to a lender.

Pre- and post-rental services
HIC services include affordable housing search, referrals to landlords with available vacancies, and information on housing conditions.  Other services may include emergency assistance; landlord mediation; education/training for homeless clients; or referrals to community resources.

Homeless prevention for at-risk families
HIC assists homeless families/individuals in acquiring permanent housing.  Emergency assistance may be provided to prevent eviction, to maintain current housing or to obtain permanent housing. The process may include mediation with landlords and public service agencies and education/training on homeless prevention.  Direct assistance may be given for rent, mortgage, security deposits, and utility assistance to either obtain or maintain housing. 

Fair Housing Education:
Fair housing education is offered in the area of housing search for tenants and landlords.  If there are allegations of discriminatory housing practices covered by the Fair Housing Act, HIC refers the client to the local federal housing enforcement agency for investigation. 

Household budget and credit management
Credit problems are often the reason for rejection of applicants for rental housing, rehab loans or home purchase, or may result in available loans only at higher rates.  HIC works with clients to cure underlying problems so the households will be successful in their housing search.  HIC obtains credit reports on behalf of clients for a minimal fee. 

Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) Counseling:
HIC assists elderly homeowners to maximize the value of their property to cover repairs, living expenses or other costs, and works with these homeowners to determine if a reverse equity mortgage is right for their situation.

Predatory Lending Education Program
In some cases, households may have limited incomes or a poor credit history, yet they desire to become homeowners. These households are not acceptable risks for conventional lenders, and may be offered loans at excessive interest rates. These lenders often offer their loans without fully informing the household of the true costs of the loans.