After passing the HUD Housing Counselor Certification Exam and transferring the exam results to the FHA Connection (FHAC), counselors must apply for certification in FHA Connection and have their employment validated by the agency FHA Connection application coordinator. Every agency must designate at least one person to serve as the agency application coordinator. This page provides detailed instructions and accompanying screenshots for Housing Counselors and Agency FHA Connection application coordinators.
The graphic below includes the entire process, inclusive of both Exam and Application steps, for counselors to become HUD certified.
You may apply as a HUD certified housing counselor, as an application coordinator, or as both. Each of these roles require different actions to be taken within FHA Connection.
This page has 3 different sets of instructions. Click on the icons below to go to each instruction set. Note that both counselors and coordinators can print counselor certificates.
HUD Certified Housing Counselors |
FHAC Application Coordinators |
Public Search |
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Prior to applying for certification in FHA Connection (FHAC):
For counselors seeking certification in FHA Connection:
For instructions to print a counselor certificate, view the “Print Counselor Certificate” section. Both counselors and coordinators are able to print certificates. |
Application coordinators have separate instructions. The purpose of the FHAC Application Coordinator is to validate the counselor’s employment at the agency and to manage the data regarding the counselor’s employment status in the future. Application coordinators must:
For instructions to print a counselor certificate, view the “Print Counselor Certificate” section. Both counselors and coordinators are able to print certificates. |
The final section covers nation-wide public search functions on HUD.gov for HUD certified housing counselors or agencies. Once counselors have become HUD certified via FHA Connection, the public can search on HUD.gov for both HUD certified housing counselors counseling agencies nation-wide. |