If you’re facing eviction or foreclosure or if you’ve already been evicted or lost your home to foreclosure, you’re not alone, and you could soon get government aid thanks to a new program created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

President Obama has made $1.5 billion available through the Homelessness Prevention Fund to help families like you avoid homelessness or find a new home.

“The need is there. You don’t know what it’s like to get calls from parents panicking about where their families are going to live,” said Sue Ehrlich, executive director of Lompoc Community Housing and Development Corp. in California, one of the agencies receiving money from the new homelessness prevention program (“Struggling Families Await Stimulus Money,” MSNBC, Feb. 28, 2009).

The aid comes with a few stipulations. You may only use the homelessness prevention funds for debt relief purposes, including to pay rent and utilities, security deposits, and other re-housing expenses, or for credit counseling services. And the states, cities, and counties allocating the aid must distribute at least 60 percent of the funds within two years and all of the funds must be distributed within three years.

For more information, visit www.hud.gov/recovery/homeless-prevention.cfm or contact your local Housing and Urban Development (HUD) office.

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