Housing and Education Alliance Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- Only 36% of its spending went to programs.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
TO PROVIDE AND SUSTAIN HOMEOWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH SERVICES IN HOMEBUYER EDUCATION, COUNSELING, LENDING AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
- Income
- $909,155
- Spending
- $926,132
- Spent on programs
- 36%
- Reserves
- 4.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 62%
- Employees
- 8
- Volunteers
- 7
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 38 out of 100. Higher than 25% of charities in its peer group (housing, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.5 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 38% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 2% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 26% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1536% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 88% of charities in its peer group (housing, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 257 of 7 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $334,311 spent. HEA, A 501(C) 3 HUD CERTIFIED HOUSING COUNSELING AGENCY, WAS FOUNDED IN 2002 TO PROVIDE CULTURALLY SENSITIVE, MULTILINGUAL HOUSING COUNSELING SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY. AS A MEMBER OF NATIONAL HOUSING AND HOUSING COUNSELING ORGANIZATIONS, HEA CAN BRING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO HELP THE RESIDENTS OF THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE. HEA HAS RECEIVED RECOGNITION AND MANY AWARDS BOTH LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY. EDUCATION & ONE-ON-ONE COUNSELING: SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2002, HEA HAS DELIVERED OVER 513,000 HOURS OF EDUCATION AND ONE-ON-ONE COUNSELING TO MORE THAN 56,200 FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS ON THE SUBJECTS OF FINANCIAL LITERACY AND THE HOME-BUYING PROCESS. OUT OF THOSE SERVED, MORE THAN 11,400 PURCHASED THEIR FIRST HOME EITHER WITH OR WITHOUT GOVERNMENT DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE. HEA CERTIFIES HOMEBUYERS THROUGH AN EIGHT-HOUR, INSTRUCTOR-LED CLASS OFFERED VIA ZOOM AND IN-PERSON SESSIONS. PARTICIPANTS GAIN A SOLID UNDERSTANDING OF THE ENTIRE HOME-BUYING PROCESS IN THIS ENGAGING AND INFORMATIVE COURSE. IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR ANYONE PREPARING TO PURCHASE A HOME, APPLY FOR A MORTGAGE, OR SIGN A PURCHASE CONTRACT - EVEN THOSE WHO ARE NOT FIRST-TIME BUYERS. TOPICS INCLUDE UNDERSTANDING AND IMPROVING CREDIT, READING A CREDIT REPORT, SELECTING AND WORKING WITH A LENDER, NAVIGATING THE MORTGAGE PROCESS AND ITS TERMS, CHOOSING A REALTOR, FINDING THE RIGHT HOME, REVIEWING CLOSING DOCUMENTS, KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT AT CLOSING, AND MORE. HEA USES ITS OWN PROPRIETARY, AWARD-WINNING CURRICULUM HOMETRACK, A PROGRAM THAT TEACHES THROUGH THE USE OF EDU-TAINMENT. THE CURRICULUM COVERS BOTH PRE- AND POST-PURCHASE TRAINING AND EXCEEDS HUD AND THE NATIONAL INDUSTRY STANDARDS FOR HOMEBUYER EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS. THE LESSONS ARE ENGAGING AND INTERACTIVE, HELPING DIFFICULT CONCEPTS BE EASILY UNDERSTOOD. WE HAVE ADAPTED OUR ONLINE VERSION FOR USE IN THE CLASSROOM. MORTGAGE READY: ONCE DEEMED MORTGAGE READY, OUR COUNSELORS DETERMINE WHICH DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS CLIENTS QUALIFY FOR AND HELP ASSEMBLE ALL THE DOCUMENTATION FOR THE PROGRAMS AND FUNDING OPTIONS. OUR COUNSELORS ARE UP TO DATE ON ALL THE BEST PROGRAMS FOR FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS, WITH THE PROGRAMS CHANGING FREQUENTLY. OUR EXPERT STAFF CAN EVEN LAYER DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE FUNDS TO MAXIMIZE A CLIENT'S BUYING POWER. IT MAY BE POSSIBLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LOCAL MUNICIPALITY, THE STATE OF FLORIDA, AS WELL AS ASSISTANCE FROM BANKS AND LENDERS. OUR COUNSELORS CAN HELP ACCESS ALL THEY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR AND DEPENDING WHERE THEY WANT TO PURCHASE AND THEIR OWN PARTICULAR SITUATION, THEY COULD RECEIVE UP TO 100,000 OR MORE TO HELP PURCHASE THEIR HOME. HOMEBUYER ADVANCEMENT PROGRAM (HAP): THE HAP PROGRAM IS THE BEST TOOL WE HAVE TO HELP CLIENTS WHO WANT TO PURCHASE A HOME BUT NEED HELP FIXING THEIR CREDIT. OUR HAP PROGRAM NOT ONLY HELPS CLIENTS REPAIR AND REBUILD THEIR CREDIT, BUT ALSO HOW TO BUDGET AND PAY DOWN BILLS FOR THOSE OVERLOADED WITH DEBT. HAP WILL HELP FIX ALL THE OBSTACLES KEEPING CLIENTS FROM ACHIEVING THE GOAL OF HOMEOWNERSHIP. HAP HAS ALWAYS BEEN 100% FREE. WE HOPE WE CAN KEEP IT THAT WAY; HOWEVER, IF WE HAVE TO START CHARGING, IT WILL BE A MINIMAL CHARGE. CLIENTS MUST TAKE A CLASS AND PAY FOR A CREDIT REPORT, THEY PAY NOTHING MORE. ALSO, THE COUNSELING CAN BE DONE AFTER NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS UNTIL 8 P.M. REMOVING THE BARRIER OF HAVING TO TRAVEL, LEAVE HOME, NEED CHILD CARE, OR TAKE TIME OFF FROM WORK. OUR COUNSELORS WILL WORK WITH CLIENTS AS LONG AS IT TAKES, 6 MONTHS, 1 YEAR, 2 YEARS, ETC., UNTIL THEY ARE MORTGAGE READY. HOPE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM (HAP2): FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT QUITE READY TO BUY A HOUSE BUT NEED HELP WITH CREDIT OR BUDGETING, THE HAP2 PROGRAM WILL DELIVER RESULTS. NOT HAVING GOOD CREDIT CAN PREVENT SOMEONE FROM GETTING A BETTER PAYING JOB, RENTING AN APARTMENT, AFFECTING THE RATE THEY PAY FOR LOANS, CREDIT CARDS, AUTO INSURANCE, AND MUCH MORE. THE SUCCESS OF OUR HAP PROGRAM PROMPTED HEA TO EXPAND THIS PROGRAM TO THOSE WHO JUST WANT TO FIX THEIR CREDIT AND GET THEIR FINANCIAL HOUSE IN ORDER. HEA HAS PARTNERED WITH CAREERSOURCE TAMPA BAY TO BRING THE HAP2 PROGRAM TO THEIR CLIENTS AND INTO OUR COMMUNITY. HEA, A 501(C) 3 HUD CERTIFIED HOUSING COUNSELING AGENCY, WAS FOUNDED IN 2002 TO PROVIDE CULTURALLY SENSITIVE, MULTILINGUAL HOUSING COUNSELING SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY. AS A MEMBER OF NATIONAL HOUSING AND HOUSING COUNSELING ORGANIZATIONS, HEA CAN BRING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO HELP THE RESIDENTS OF THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE. HEA HAS RECEIVED RECOGNITION AND MANY AWARDS BOTH LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY. EDUCATION & ONE-ON-ONE COUNSELING: SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2002, HEA HAS DELIVERED OVER 513,000 HOURS OF EDUCATION AND ONE-ON-ONE COUNSELING TO MORE THAN 56,200 FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS ON THE SUBJECTS OF FINANCIAL LITERACY AND THE HOME-BUYING PROCESS. OUT OF THOSE SERVED, MORE THAN 11,400 PURCHASED THEIR FIRST HOME EITHER WITH OR WITHOUT GOVERNMENT DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE. HEA CERTIFIES HOMEBUYERS THROUGH AN EIGHT-HOUR, INSTRUCTOR-LED CLASS OFFERED VIA ZOOM AND IN-PERSON SESSIONS. PARTICIPANTS GAIN A SOLID UNDERSTANDING OF THE ENTIRE HOME-BUYING PROCESS IN THIS ENGAGING AND INFORMATIVE COURSE. IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR ANYONE PREPARING TO PURCHASE A HOME, APPLY FOR A MORTGAGE, OR SIGN A PURCHASE CONTRACT - EVEN THOSE WHO ARE NOT FIRST-TIME BUYERS. TOPICS INCLUDE UNDERSTANDING AND IMPROVING CREDIT, READING A CREDIT REPORT, SELECTING AND WORKING WITH A LENDER, NAVIGATING THE MORTGAGE PROCESS AND ITS TERMS, CHOOSING A REALTOR, FINDING THE RIGHT HOME, REVIEWING CLOSING DOCUMENTS, KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT AT CLOSING, AND MORE. HEA USES ITS OWN PROPRIETARY, AWARD-WINNING CURRICULUM HOMETRACK, A PROGRAM THAT TEACHES THROUGH THE USE OF EDU-TAINMENT. THE CURRICULUM COVERS BOTH PRE- AND POST-PURCHASE TRAINING AND EXCEEDS HUD AND THE NATIONAL INDUSTRY STANDARDS FOR HOMEBUYER EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS. THE LESSONS ARE ENGAGING AND INTERACTIVE, HELPING DIFFICULT CONCEPTS BE EASILY UNDERSTOOD. WE HAVE ADAPTED OUR ONLINE VERSION FOR USE IN THE CLASSROOM. MORTGAGE RE
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since November 2002.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.