Among other goals, they are developing strategies to foster responsible homeownership, which they see as an important building block for stronger communities. To return to where I began, after a long and difficult period, we are seeing welcome signs of improvement in the housing market.
An improving housing market will in turn aid the economic recovery while strengthening neighborhoods and increasing the financial well-  11  See U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (2012), Pre-Purchase Counseling Outcome Study: Research Brief Housing Counseling Outcome Evaluation (Washington: HUD), www.huduser.org/portal/ publications/hsgfin/pre_purchase_counseling.html.