Housing & Financial Counseling
Our Program
About the Program
As a HUD approved Comprehensive Housing Counseling Agency, our Housing and Financial Counseling program is dedicated to assisting households in obtaining, maintaining or improving financial stability and permanent housing, bringing them from crisis to wholeness and helping to stabilize communities.
The Up Center provides these one-on-one services:
- Foreclosure and loss mitigation counseling
- Pre-purchase counseling
- Post-purchase counseling
- Rental counseling
- Reverse mortgage counseling
Our Clients
What Makes Us Different
At The Up Center, we believe that every individual and family can achieve financial success and stability given the right tools, information and guidance. Whether you are trying to create an effective spending plan, improve your credit, become a homeowner, or avoid foreclosure, we are here to help. Our HUD Certified housing counselors follow HUD and National Industry Standards, provide trauma informed care, and are well trained with the skills and competencies needed to help individuals and families reach their housing and financial goals. There are no fees for services with the exception of Reverse Mortgage Counseling.
Our program has helped more than 10,000 households and has been a HUD certified counseling agency since 2004. Our team has more than 26 years of combined experience in helping people secure safety and stability through housing.
Our Impact
A stable home and sound financial footing are essential for individuals to thrive. Our counselors help families navigate housing challenges, manage debt, and build financial literacy. Every year, The Up Center assists a multitude of families in dealing with their housing and financial goals.
In 2023, we helped:
155 households
improved financial capacity
246 households
received information on fair housing, fair lending and/or accessability rights
1114 clients
have been served
Other Resources
Additional information is available through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
What to Expect
Frequently Asked Questions
True Stories
“The speakers were very informative and made me feel better about purchasing my first home … thank you for this GREAT class!!!”
—Participant 8/22/2019 VHDA’s Homebuyer Education Class
“The help I received from the UpCenter to purchase my first house was exceptional. The counseling services provided by Tiffany were tremendous. She helped with my credit score when it came to understanding how important credit is when purchasing a house. The program additionally taught me to budget by looking at my spending habits monthly and by cutting back on different activities. The first-time home buying class was influential because they helped me understand the process of buying a house and made it easier for me!”
—Teria Uzzle
“I thoroughly enjoyed this class … Erica was very informative, descriptive and in depth with the details … I learned quite a bit in her class and plan to use what I learned to help with a budget.”
—Participant 10/9/2019 Art of Debt Management Class
Meet the Team
Tiffany Tritch
Manager, Housing and Financial Counseling Program
Erica Ramjohn
HUD Certified housing counselor
Erica started with The Up Center in 2016. Her primary role and passion is working with homeowners who are experiencing financial hardships and may be at risk of losing their homes to foreclosure. She acts as an advocate for homeowners, assisting them with the comprehensive process of loss mitigation. Erica also facilitates our monthly Art of Debt Management class. She resides in North Carolina with her husband and is very active in her community where she serves in different capacities, from board member of the Habitat for Humanity to co-host of the River City Reviews radio show.
Charnette Simmons
HUD Certified housing counselor
Charnette started with The Up Center as a volunteer in 2021 and joined the staff in 2023. Her passion is assisting clients in buying their first home. She works closely with clients to help them develop a spending plan, look for creative solutions to pay down debt, and help them become mortgage ready. She conducts financial education classes at the Union Mission, she is an instructor for Bank On Hampton Roads, and she serves on the Budget Committee at her church. Prior to joining The Up Center, Charnette worked for Wells Fargo Bank as a Credit Officer. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She also likes to travel.
Morgan Iavarone
HUD Certified housing counselor
Morgan started with The Up Center in 2023 as an administrative assistant. She obtained her Bachelors in Human Service from ODU in 2015 and has a passion for helping individuals and families in our community achieve housing and financial stability. In her spare time she enjoys reading, going to the beach and spending time with her family.
Info Sessions
- VHDA’s Homebuyer Education
- The Art of Debt Management
- Understanding the Importance of Credit
- Leasing and Fair Housing
These classes can be requested by external organizations and agencies on-site for 6 or more participants. For further information on setting up a class for your organization, please contact us at financialcounseling@theupcenter.org
Contact Us
Location: 222 W 19th St, Norfolk, VA 23517
Phone: (757) 965-8636
Fax: (757) 640-8402
Email: financialcounseling@theupcenter.org
Hours: M-Th 8:30am – 5:00pm and F 8:30am – 4pm
Please check the calendar for group class schedule
Also seen by appointment
How You Can Help
- Gift cards to local hardware stores
- Visa gift cards to help us incentivize budgeting and saving
- Gift cards to Pizza Hut or grocery store to provide refreshments for our group classes
- Gift cards to Staples for home office supplies
Please email us at development@theupcenter.org if you’d like to help.
To see a list of items frequently requested by families, including items for children, please visit our Amazon Wish List.
Our Mission
We are committed to partnering with children, families, and communities to improve lives and outcomes through prevention, intervention, and support services.
