The National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) launched the application for the second round of its Housing Counseling Services (HCS) grant program as part of its multi-year Field Empowerment Fund (FEF).
Through partnerships with KeyBank and HSBC Bank USA NA, a total of $4 million was allocated to support direct-to-client housing counseling services for NCRC members. These funds will be distributed via three annual rounds to help housing counseling agencies expand services and support homeownership in underserved communities.
In 2025, NCRC awarded $1.34 million in FEF-HCS grants to 59 NCRC member organizations. $1.36 million will be awarded in grants in the 2026 round to HUD-approved housing counseling agencies that serve clients within target geographies.
The following states have eligible geographies: AL, AZ, AR, CA, CT, CO, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, MA, MD, MI, MS, MO, NC, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, DC and Puerto Rico. For more information on the eligibility determination process, agencies should review the Eligibility Maps listed on the FEF-HCS’ homepage.
The Housing Counseling Services grant program within FEF supports HUD-approved housing counseling agencies in strengthening services that help families achieve and sustain homeownership. This includes programs such as pre-purchase counseling and homebuyer education that prepare individuals and families to navigate the homebuying process successfully.
The program also helps agencies expand their understanding of heirs’ property challenges by equipping first-time and low-income homebuyers with the knowledge needed to protect and retain intergenerational wealth. By building stronger counseling programs and expanding service capacity, FEF-HCS aims to ensure underserved families not only achieve homeownership but also maintain long-term housing stability.
“NCRC is pleased to support the success of first-time homebuyers in all stages of their journey, from purchase to passing on their assets, with the expert guidance of our member housing counseling agencies,” said Laura Bentley, NCRC’s director of grant administration. “Through the Field Empowerment Fund, we look forward to boosting agencies’ capacity and knowledge, thus bolstering their continued service to their communities.”
Since its launch in 2021, the Field Empowerment Fund has provided millions of dollars in grants to NCRC member organizations working to expand wealth-building services for low- and moderate-income communities across the country.
All applications should be submitted through NCRC’s online portal no later than 5 pm ET on May 1, 2026.
Questions regarding this opportunity should be emailed to impact@ncrc.org, with the subject line “FEF-HCS.”
