Opening the door to your County library branch could soon help you unlock the doors to a new home.
Six branches of the San Diego County Library are hosting Virtual Empowerment Centers where library patrons can access a wide variety of homeowner-related information in one stop through a partnership with the Housing Opportunities Collaborative (HOC).
A variety of local non-profit agencies will provide free, secure, real-time counseling on topics such as home buying, home maintenance, fair housing, credit counseling, debt management, financial well-being, foreclosure information and homelessness services referrals.
Anyone can use the service and you don’t even need to have previous computer experience. A direct phone line connects the user with a coordinator who assists them with initial data collection. They are then connected with a live counselor over the phone.
“This is another example of how technology allows libraries in the 21st century to meet the needs of our citizens in new and exciting ways,” said Jose Aponte, director of the San Diego County Library.
The centers are located in library branches in Vista, Encinitas, El Cajon, Lemon Grove, Imperial Beach and Jacumba. Services are available Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
HOC is a Housing and Urban Development-approved counseling intermediary so information collected is stored securely and all partners in the counseling are accredited.
Any local non-profit agency is welcome to apply to take part in the counseling network. For more information, visit the Virtual Counselor Network, email info@virtualcounselornetwork.org or call (619) 283-2200.
The San Diego County Library has been partnering with HOC since 2009. Since then, thousands of San Diego County residents have received free, individual and professional counseling on foreclosure issues through their series of award-winning HOME Clinics.
