Housing Counseling Program Guidance
This page contains guidance and tools to assist agencies comply with HUD’s Housing Counseling program. These documents provide both requirements for the program as well as best practices.
For archived webinars related to housing counseling program requirements, visit:
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Best Practices for Service Types
Manufactured Housing Quick Tips
This resource discusses important elements about manufactured housing to serve as a quick reference for housing counselors on key topics.
Date Published: June 2022
Succession Planning: Instructional Guide and Template
This resource is designed to help inform the development of a succession plan within a HUD-approved housing counseling agency (HCA). A succession plan can be a critical tool in supporting the long-term sustainability of agencies in the event of a leadership transition or another staffing change. This guide includes resources as well as samples and templates for both smaller and larger organizations to use as a starting point to identify succession planning needs.
Date Published: April 2022
Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Toolkit
This toolkit explains the LEP requirements and recommendations for HCAs, including how to understand the needs of LEP persons seeking housing counseling services; how to ensure meaningful access to housing counseling programs and activities by persons with LEP; and how to conduct outreach, educate, and affirmatively market the availability of housing counseling and housing-related services to LEP communities.
Date Published: March 2021
Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy
This collection of resources assists housing counselors in helping their clients make informed decisions about housing lending products, understand their rights, and locate resources if they fall victim of fraud schemes. It also covers consumer protection and free financial education resources that counselors can provide to their clients.
Rental Housing Counseling and Eviction Prevention
This online toolkit provides information to housing counselors to help clients find rental assistance, understand Fair Housing laws, become familiar with tenant-landlord relationships and responsibilities of each, and provide appropriate information on general housing issues.
Healthy Housing Toolkit for Housing Counselors
While healthy housing is not a required topic for housing counseling or for group education, it can be easily integrated into those settings. This toolkit includes information and checklists for educating clients—homeowners, homebuyers, and renters—about the rules that protect them and the recommended actions they can take to maintain healthy homes.
Date Published: February 2018
Establishing a Non-Profit Entity: A Step-By-Step Guide for Organizations Launching a Local Housing Counseling Agency
This manual outlines the path to becoming a HUD participating nonprofit LHCA. This toolkit prepares HCAs for the complexities and variables which affect the successful achievement of each part of the process.
Date Published: August 2012
Best Practices for Expanding Housing Counseling Services
This best practices guide is designed to assist HUD participating HCAs with expanding housing counseling services, particularly to reach rural and underserved communities. The guide also offers detailed strategies for expanding rental, homeless, and HECM counseling programs.
Date Published: July 2012
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Fair Housing
Fair Housing Fact Sheet for Housing Counselors
Fair housing and civil rights laws prohibit discrimination in the sale or rental of housing, including against individuals seeking mortgage or housing assistance, or in other housing related activities. This tool serves as a quick reference on Fair Housing topics for housing counselors.
Date Published: June 2022