Certification Requirement
Housing counseling required under or provided in connection with HUD programs must be provided only by certified housing counselors who work for organizations approved to participate in HUD’s Housing Counseling Program. In order to be certified, an individual must both pass a standardized written examination covering six major topic areas, and work for an agency approved to participate in HUD’s housing counseling program.
Please visit the HUD Exchange to learn how to become a HUD Certified Housing Counseling Agency. Review the HUD Exchange FAQs related to compliance for more information.
Timing
The original compliance date was August 1, 2020, which is 36 months after the date the certification examination became available. See Housing Counseling: New Certification Requirements Final Rule on the HUD Exchange for more information. On August 5, 2020, HUD published an Interim Final Rule on the Federal Register website to announce a delay in the deadline for housing counselors to become HUD certified. The new final compliance date is August 1, 2021.