Ramos releases Buyer Beware notice about NACA event next week
Baltimore City Councilwoman Odette Ramos issues Buyer Beware notice about NACA
Baltimore, MD. Today, Councilwoman Odette Ramos released an announcement for residents to beware of the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA) and urges residents to seek out one of the 10 HUD certified housing counseling organizations here in Baltimore.
Ramos released the following statement:
“I urge residents who are looking to purchase a home to seek homeownership counseling from HUD certified housing counseling agencies in Baltimore City. The agencies listed below are respected in our communities, and will help repair credit, find homebuyer benefits so it is easier to purchase in this market, and ensure that your mortgage is legitimate and works for you.
I called into question NACA’s business practices during a City Council hearing on April 26th. We all know what happened then. The leader of this organization tried to incite a riot, insulted me - not knowing about my years of advocacy for justice in housing - and I fought back. The people he had with him were not from Baltimore and were obligated to be there by the nature of their “volunteer” requirement in the hope that one day they could get a house.
Since that hearing, I learned a lot more about the questionable practices of this nonprofit out of Boston. Potential homebuyers looking for assistance to purchase homes pay a membership and then “volunteer” with the organization. The participants that I have talked with since the April hearing reported still waiting over a year to purchase a property, strung along by NACA. Other reports are of shady loan deals and bad customer service. These conventions are a way to recruit, but they do not deliver.”
HUD certified housing counseling agencies in Baltimore City are:
Belair-Edison Neighborhoods, Inc. 410-485-8422 www.belair-edison.org
Comprehensive Housing Assistance, Inc 410-500-5300 http://www.chaibaltimore.org
Druid Heights Community Development Corp. 410-523-1350 www.druidheights.com
Garwyn Oaks Northwest Housing Resource Center, Inc 410-947-0084 http://www.go-northwesthrc.org
Harbel Housing Partnership 410-444-9152 http://harbel.org
Neighborhood Housing Services Of Baltimore, Inc. 410-327-1200 x 149 www.nhsbaltimore.org
Operation Hope-Baltimore Branch 443-885-0845 http://www.operationhope.org
Reservoir Hill Improvement Council, Inc. 410-225-7547 http://www.reservoirhill.net
Southeast Community Development Corporation 410-342-3234 www.southeastcdc.org
St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center, Inc. 410-366-8550 www.stambros.org