In December 2016, HUD published new housing counseling certification standards. The Housing Counseling Certification Requirements Final Rule implements statutory requirements that housing counseling required under or provided in connection with all HUD programs must be provided by HUD Certified Housing Counselors by August 1, 2020.

Organizations funded under a variety of HUD programs, such as CDBG, CDBG-DR, HOME, HTF, and NSP, are delivering housing counseling around the country. Organizations need to determine which of the services being delivered are considered housing counseling, and how they may need to comply with the final rule. To help housing counseling agencies and organizations funded under other HUD programs comply with the final rule, HUD has been collecting best practices, FAQs, and instructional pages. These resources are available on the HUD Exchange to help you navigate the certification process for your organization!

Upcoming Webinar: Housing Counselor Certification Rule – HUD Community Planning and Development (CPD) Programs

Date: November 4, 2019
Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST
Register Today

This upcoming webinar will provide an overview of the HUD Housing Counselor Certification Rule and review how the rule applies to HOME, HTF, CDBG, CDBG-DR, CoC, and ESG Programs.

HUD Exchange Resources

View the HUD Exchange Housing Counseling Certification page to gain access to the collection of available certification webpages, including existing and new pages.

Existing Pages

New Pages

HUD Programs Covered: Read this page to figure out if a HUD program is covered by the final rule and review options for complying.
Tracking Progress: View a tracking graphic and accomplishments to find out how close housing counseling agencies are to meeting their goal of having a HUD certified counselor by August 1, 2020.
Success Stories: Learn about best practices, lessons learned, and stories shared from agencies working to get their counselors certified.