#HUDCertifiedProud Campaign
On August 9, 2022, the hashtag campaign, #HUDCertifiedProud, launched during the 2022 Community Conference. This page provides operational guidance for Housing Counseling Agencies (HCAs).
Encourage and Recognize
This campaign is intended to encourage and recognize housing counselors who have achieved HUD certification and educate others about the professionalization of housing counseling. HUD certified housing counselors serve a key role in supporting clients and communities through every step in the housing journey; from achieving the dream of homeownership to maintaining safe, stable housing, to helping those facing eviction or foreclosure.
Housing Counselor Certification
HUD certified housing counselors are now credentialed just like other housing industry professionals such as realtors, appraisers, etc. The Housing Counselor Certification is required under Section 106 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, as amended by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The Section 106 amendment aims to strengthen and improve the effectiveness of housing counseling that is required under or provided in connection with HUD programs by requiring counseling to be delivered by HUD certified housing counselors, among other measures.
How to Get Involved
Share the Hashtag
Certified housing counselors and industry leaders are invited to participate in the campaign!
- Certified housing counselors are encouraged to use the hashtag as part of their business email signature and on social media, such as LinkedIn. For example, housing counselors can alert their network on LinkedIn that they achieved HUD Housing Counselor Certification by posting, “I am officially #HUDCertifiedProud!”
- HCA Leadership and Partners may wish to celebrate certification as part of internal and external meetings, on social media, and through websites and listservs. National housing counseling partners including, the National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA), National Housing Resource Center, and the HUD Intermediary Coalition can add the hashtag to their website and distribute it to their membership to take action. Leadership at housing counseling agencies, such as executive directors, housing counseling managers, etc. may also want to share their team’s credentials with the public. For example, an HCA Executive Director can celebrate their agency’s accomplishment of all housing counselors achieving HUD Housing Counselor Certification by posting “All our housing counselors are #HUDCertifiedProud" with an image on their website.
What is a Hashtag?
Social media contains countless numbers of images and words or phrases which are difficult to track on their own. Hashtags can be created to measure how specific topics are being used across the internet. Essentially a word or phrase preceded with a “#” allows any social network to make it discoverable to everyone, even if they’re not your friends or followers. Additionally, hashtags are then tracked by number of times used and by person, organization, etc. which helps to determine its overall reach in social media.
