Housing Counseling

HUD provides support to a nationwide network of Housing Counseling Agencies (HCAs) and counselors. HCAs are trained and approved by HUD to provide tools to current and prospective homeowners and renters so that they can make responsible choices to address their housing needs in light of their financial situations.

Learn more about the Housing Counseling Program.

HUD Posts Interim Final Rule to Amend Housing Counselor Certification Deadline to Ensure Vital Counseling Services Remain Available During COVID-19 National Emergency

HUD published an Interim Final Rule on the Federal Register website to announce an amendment to the deadline for housing counselors to become HUD certified. The new final compliance date is August 1, 2021. The amendment is meant to ensure that vital housing counseling services remain available to the nation’s homebuyers and renters, particularly those who need housing and mortgage assistance to recover financially from the effects of the COVID-19 national emergency. Read the Interim Final Rule in its entirety on the Federal Register website.

Learn More About Certification

Housing Counseling Program Impact Data Displays

HUD’s new 9902 Data Displays are dynamic, interactive dashboards that display data from the HUD-9902 Housing Counseling Activity Report.

View the new Housing Counseling Program Impact Data Displays.

COVID-19 Emergency Information for Housing Counselors

This page is a summary of key resources related to COVID-19 for HUD-approved housing counseling agencies.

View the recently added COVID-19 frequently asked questions (FAQs).

Housing Counseling Resources

Housing Counseling Federal Advisory Committee

Housing Counseling Toolkits: Topics include Agency Capacity Building, Disaster Recovery and Emergency Preparedness, Consumer Protection and Predatory Lending, and HUD Integrity Bulletins.

Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) Counseling

Housing Counseling National and Regional Coalitions

Research and Studies

Housing Counseling Outreach

View a suite of brochures your agency can use to promote housing counseling including the social media toolkit, homeowners guide to success, first-time homebuyer videos and much more.

Order and Download Outreach Materials

Disaster Resources for Housing Counselors

Housing Counseling Disaster Recovery Toolkit

The Housing Counseling Disaster Recovery Toolkit is an online guide created to help HCAs prepare for disaster events and engage with local partners that receive funding following disasters.

Disaster and Emergency News and Resources

This page contains a collection of news, resources, and guidance to assist housing counselors with response and recovery efforts specific to disasters. View the Disaster Recovery Flyers to help inform members of your community the benefits of working with a housing counselor during emergency and disaster recovery.

Housing Counseling Technology

The Technology page is for housing counseling agencies to incorporate technology and leverage web platforms in their counseling delivery.

HECM Default Counseling Guidance

HUD recognizes the need to expand the number of agencies and counselors who can provide default counseling for HECM borrowers and has released new guidance to help meet this goal.

View the HECM webpage on the HUD Exchange to view HUD's guidance on both origination and default HECM counseling.