In an earlier post I stated that the FY 2011 Continuing Resolution completely eliminated funding for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Housing Counseling Assistance Program. Well, Sens. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Olympia Snowe (R-N.J.), Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) are planning to send a letter to Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Ranking Member Susan Collins (R-Maine) requesting to reinstate $88 million in funding for FY 2012.

According to the draft letter, “[t]he elimination of funding for the [Housing Counseling Assistance Program] in Fiscal Year 2011 has jeopardized HUD housing counseling beyond this fiscal year because most of the program’s counseling functions cannot be assumed by other programs such as the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program.”

The Housing Counseling Assistance Program, established in 1968, is aimed at providing counseling for homebuyers including mortgage delinquency and foreclosure counseling. For more information on the Housing Counseling Assistance Program, see HUD’s website.