The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) has announced that its director of research, Alejandro Becerra, has been appointed to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) first-ever Housing Counseling Federal Advisory Committee (HCFAC). HUD states that the committee, consisting of 12 individuals representing mortgage, real estate, consumer and housing sectors, will serve to “improve the efforts to provide consumers with the knowledge they need to make informed and lasting housing decisions.”
“Access to quality housing counseling is critically important for first-time homebuyers, especially in low and moderate income communities” said Joseph Nery, NAHREP President. “Alejandro Becerra will do a tremendous job advising HUD in all areas of housing, especially with regard to the Hispanic community.”
According to HUD, the Housing Counseling Federal Advisory Committee will seek opportunities to reach more homebuyers though its counseling programs, strategically plan to support community-based counseling programs and strengthen the impact of federal funding for housing counseling.
NAHREP presented the Lifetime Achievement in Housing Award to Becerra in April for his tireless efforts in support of Latino housing issues throughout his long and prosperous career. Born in Mexico City and raised in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico, Becerra migrated to El Paso, Texas at age 11. Prior to his career in housing, he was director of the Peace Corps in Paraguay. He is a well-known fixture at housing events in Washington, D.C. and has assembled an impressive body of work advocating for fair housing and homeownership for the Latino community.
Also nominated to the committee was Linda Ayers from New American Funding, a NAHREP corporate partner. Ayers will be representing the mortgage sector.
For more information about the Housing Counseling Federal Advisory Committee visit www.hud.gov. For more information about NAHREP visit NAHREP.org.
