HUD Announces Public Access To Early Warning System

The Neighborhood Watch system is a web-based software application that displays loan performance data, by loan types and geographical areas, using FHA insured single family loan information. The system was initially developedto aid HUD staff in evaluating its programs and in monitoring the performance of FHA-approved lenders. Neighborhood Watch was made available to lenders in March 1999, via the FHA Connection, so that lenders couldpolice themselves. Now, the public, including community advocacy organizations, local governments and others, willhave access to this data.Public access provides community-based organizations and state and local governments with a powerful new tool tomonitor and influence lender performance in their communities and target specific neighborhoods for housingcounseling, education and outreach, and other types of assistance. Currently, users are able to perform analysisdown to the zip-code level. However, the FHA plans to make census tract level data available in the near future.