HUD housing counseling agencies in your area
HUD certified, government approved housing counseling agencies provide help to current homeowners, buyers, renters and people facing foreclosure, among others. Most of the services provided by are free or have a very low cost. There are also free online or phone consultations, as well as in-person advice. Find housing agencies that are certified by HUD and that will be near you below.
The free service is national and available people of all income levels, including low-income families, people with no money or savings. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) organization has certified thousands of local non-profit housing agencies across the nation. The staff provide help to homeowners, renters, first time home buyers and anyone with a home loan or looking to apply for a mortgage.
Assistance programs for homeowners offered by HUD housing agencies
The programs offered all fall under the umbrella of the HUD's Housing Counseling Program. Each non-profit agency near you will offer their own specific programs as well as related services to help clients prevent a foreclosure. Or a HUD counselor can take a pro-active approach and work with households so that they can get back on track with their monthly mortgage payments.
The costs for their services involved will vary as well. Some/many services are free, especially for lower income families. Others will have very low costs as agencies are allowed to charge nominal fees to recoup their expenses.
One of the main benefits in working with one of these non-profits is the client will be provided the opportunity to meet face to face with the housing counselor at a local HUD office. But if the applicant is homebound or there is not a government certified HUD counselor near them, then toll free, remote sessions can be arranged. The sessions are confidential. They may be able to offer the following to the individual.
The certified HUD counselor can draft the terms of and propose a loan modification or workout proposal to the homeowner’s lender, mortgage servicer or bank. This may be the best solution for those individuals who have an affordability gap in their income when compared to their monthly mortgage payment.
Request additional time from your lender to review your situation and negotiate a solution that works for both the homeowner as well as their lender. This can give the borrower time. They can then partner with the certified HUD housing counselor to get information on, be referred to, and get help from HUD counselor with applying for various state, local, and federal government programs that will provide foreclosure prevention help. The HUD certified housing counselor may be able to intervene to delay a foreclosure if you have a sheriff sale date.
Work with HUD on reducing fees, principal, and other expenses of the home loan. For example, a HUD housing counselor can request prepayment penalty waivers or eliminate late fees. This is usually offered for those equity-challenged homeowners who are trying to sell their home, or who are in the midst of a loan modification or refinancing.
- Recent studies show that using the services of a HUD counseling agency can improve your chances of receiving mortgage help by up to 70%. The Foreclosure Counseling Outcome Study analyzed the results of thousands of cases, and the results show that asking for help early will greatly improve your chances for saving your home. Read about foreclosure counseling success rates.
The counselor from HUD will review your personal and financial situation, complete a current budget analysis of your income and expenses, and the counselor will work with you to establish a realistic budget to ensure you can get back on track with paying your mortgage as well as other bills. If the house needs to be repaired as part of this process, the counselor will also help apply for government grant money to repair a home from either the FHA, state or Housing and Urban Development.
Housing counselors are always very knowledgeable about all of the assistance programs that are offered to families by the major banks and lenders. They know how these banks and their mostly free programs can help homeowners pay a delinquent mortgage or stop a foreclosure. HID also works with major lenders such as Bank of America.
- Maybe one of the most important reasons and benefits for using an experienced housing counselor is that they can ensure you are treated fairly by your lender and ensure the communication occurs. Counselors can help ensure this occurs as they have existing relationships with lenders, and using a highly trained expert will ensure your case is taken seriously.
HUD counselors will help with past due property tax payments near you. This is a service that can help seniors who own a property too. As unpaid real estate taxes will eventually lead to a tax sale of the home. The counseling agency will help the homeowner, including senior citizens, disabled people and others get help with any property tax payments.
HUD certified counselors may sometimes be part of non-profit credit counseling organizations that offer a wide variety of free services above and beyond foreclosure prevention. These free credit and debt counseling agencies offer a variety of services.
HUD programs that help renters
While not as common, many certified HUD approved housing counseling agencies that may be near you help tenants. There is often free counseling for individuals and families that are renting their homes from a housing authority (section 8) or private landlord. A HUD counselor will also help people, including those with credit issues find a place to live, and find landlords that lease to people with poor credit.
In addition, if your income meets certain thresholds and is low enough, then the services will be provided at no cost to the client. Non-profit HUD agencies can also refer tenants to government and private home buying programs, if that is what the renter is interested in.
The HUD centers and staff that work there want to reduce evictions and the resulting homelessness in their local communities. They can also advise tenants on state and federal fair housing laws as well as the rights that a tenant has. Also, get information on home maintenance issues and what landlords are required to provide from a HUD counselor near you. Find more details on help to stop an eviction.
Certified HUD housing counselors near you
Each state has a number of offices. A wide range of non-profits, charities and other organizations will partner with HUD to be certified to help with housing issues. Select a state below for agencies and free or low-cost counselors near you.
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
Washington DC
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Additional locations of HUD counseling programs
There is a primary customer support phone number that direct homeowners, or would be buyers, to resources. To call HUD about counseling, dial (800) 569-4287. All referrals and intake is free. Or look here for additional HUD resources for families.
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