When Paying Her tried to find housing in California’s Central Valley, she did what many in her Hmong community did: She turned to a housing agency for guidance. Unfortunately, a predatory agency falsely claimed it could advance her position on the Section 8 waiting list for a payment — costing her all of her savings. Years later, when she became a program manager focused on community building at an organization called FIRM, she saw many community members place money on her desk with the same hopes and misconceptions.
FIRM, which stands for Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries, has become a lifeline of support for the local Hmong community that came to the Central Valley from Laos looking for a better life. Established in 1994 to serve relocated refugees, FIRM now supports over 10,000 people from refugee communities.
Fresno’s Hmong community faces similar challenges to many immigrant and refugee communities forced to flee their homes and work hard to establish new roots: rising costs, limited resources, housing insecurity and a lack of in-language services. As clients increasingly asked for housing assistance for issues such as applying for benefits or translating materials for community members with limited English proficiency, FIRM identified a gap in trustworthy housing counseling services in the Central Valley.
In 2017, FIRM sought technical assistance to develop its own housing counseling program and joined the housing counseling network at National CAPACD — the first, longest-running and only U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program intermediary primarily focused on serving Asian American (AA) and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities. Through National CAPACD’s network, established HUD-certified agencies like Hawaiian Community Assets and Center for Pan Asian Community Services helped FIRM develop the operational knowledge, technical skills and infrastructure to run a successful housing counseling program.
By 2020, HUD conditionally approved FIRM as a counseling program. National CAPACD staff invested time reviewing cases with FIRM’s housing counselors and partnered with them to meet federal HUD requirements. “FIRM’s progress in developing a comprehensive housing counseling program is remarkable,” shares National CAPACD Housing Capacity Building Manager Brian Kim. “Their staff have built systems that meet HUD compliance while genuinely supporting their clients’ unique needs.”
The investment paid off during the pandemic when housing insecurity peaked. In just one year, FIRM served more than 300 families facing the dual challenges of rising rents and stagnant incomes. As just one example, when an elderly Hmong client had fallen behind on rent during the pandemic, FIRM submitted a rental assistance application and advocated tirelessly with his landlord, city officials and attorneys, successfully securing $8,000 in relief that kept him housed.
FIRM Executive Director Christine Barker says, “Our work is just beginning. We’re here to invest in our people and places, ensuring secure homes and brighter futures for everyone in our community.”
Today, FIRM is a HUD-certified agency. FIRM’s journey demonstrates how National CAPACD strengthens organizations serving AA and NHPI communities nationwide. Through technical assistance and peer support, National CAPACD is building a pipeline of HUD-certified agencies that understand both federal requirements and community needs.
National CAPACD’s Housing Counseling Network connects trusted counselors and financial coaches to AA and NHPI tenants, homeowners and potential homebuyers, providing services that are culturally and linguistically appropriate. The network helps build organizations’ capacity to secure HUD certification, access funding and meet compliance standards, ultimately creating a deeper, more resilient network of agencies that are equipped to help AA and NHPI community members secure housing and build wealth.