Housing Services

United Neighborhood Centers successfully administers a housing counseling program called UNC’s One Stop Shop for Housing Services Program.  This program serves the needs of hundreds of area residents annually through one-on-one counseling and group format educational workshops.  The availability of counselors to provide services on a walk-in basis has been a key to the success of One Stop Shop.  Advocacy for those in need is an on-going function of this assistance program which contributes to UNC’s long history of helping neighborhoods and people with their most pressing needs and problems with respect, sensitivity and confidentiality.

One-on-one housing counseling is available Monday -Friday from 9: 00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. and by appointment as necessary. Group format sessions are offered during evening hours to accommodate participant availability.  Counseling services are primarily provided at UNC’s Community Services building at 410 Olive Street, and is available at other convenient locations or through home visits if required.  Foreclosure prevention Counseling is available on an individual basis for homeowners at risk of losing there homes. This program is to give guidance and support for homeowners and explains the foreclosure process so that homeowners can make there own educated decisions for there future. Homeownership classes are provided in Scranton and Carbondale on a bi-monthly basis.  These courses, for first-time homeowners are also made available in Spanish several times throughout the year. Predatory lending and reverse mortgage workshops are offered regularly throughout the year. UNC staff has identified the senior citizen community as the primary recipients of predatory lending and reverse mortgage education and will continue to conduct presentations at various senior centers throughout Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Wayne and Monroe counties. In 2009 UNC added an Eviction Prevention program for City of Scranton residents that is offered on an individual basis for tenants at risk of losing there apartments.