HUD's Web Management Operating Procedures

Appendix I: Using The Web To Implement HUD’s Strategic Goals

HUD's Web Managers have generated a number of ideas that managers may want to consider as you develop your Plans.

A. Strategic Goal 1: Increase homeownership opportunities

Opportunities:

1. Promote/market information already on HUD's website by educating staff about its availability and publicizing it to HUD partners and the public through speeches, presentations, advertising, and other outreach efforts. Examples of specific information already available that supports this goal include:

• Homebuyers kit
  • English
  • Spanish
• Common Questions from First-time Homebuyers
  • English
  • Spanish
• Housing counseling
  • English
  • Spanish
• Local homebuying programs - including programs to help with down payments
  • English
  • Spanish
• Homeownership vouchers
  • English
  • Spanish
• Borrower's rights
  • English
  • Spanish
• Fair housing
  • English
  • Spanish

2. Incorporate "good stories" about homebuying experiences, including ways that local people purchased their first home using FHA loans or other local-homebuying programs funded through Block Grants.

3. Work with housing counseling agencies to identify local homebuying issues/problems, and then post commensurate information on the website.

4. Showcase espanol.hud.gov whenever promoting minority homeownership, and inform partners (lenders, brokers, etc.) about the information available from HUD's Spanish website

5. Post sample forms used at settlement so prospective homebuyers know what to expect (including examples of state-mandated forms).

6. Advertise/publicize homebuyer education classes.

7. Webcast a local homebuyer education class or a Q&A session with HUD staff on homebuying

8. Add explanations/tips on financial literacy, including, including local credit education programs and local down payment assistance programs.

9. Seek and publish "good stories" about people who have moved from rental housing to homeownership.

10. Use realtime chat capabilities to answer potential homebuyer questions.

11. Create a homeownership discussion room, where potential homebuyers can exchange knowledge and interact with knowledgeable HUD staff

12. Use the kiosk LED feature to promote housing opportunities