Dear Kathi,
Thank you for reaching out to the HUDHousingCounselors.hud.gov Support Team to create an account on HUDHousingCounselors.hud.gov, select "Sign Up" at the top of the page and enter the information required:
- First name
- Last name
- Email address*
- State
Then, select the "Create new account" button at the bottom of the form. Verify your email to complete your registration.
*A valid email address is required for registration and account recovery purposes. Your email address will not be made public and will not be sold to third party vendors. News and notifications from HUDHousingCounselors.hud.gov will be sent to this address.
The role of the HUD participating housing counseling agency in HUD Certified Housing Counselor Application Process is to verify counselor employment in FHA Connection and to update FHA Connection when counselor employment status changes.
HUDHousingCounselors.hud.gov also acknowledges the important role agencies play in supporting counselors as they prepare for certification. To best support your counselors through the certification process, please consider the following important information:
- HUDHousingCounselors.hud.gov user accounts are owned by the user. Changes to the account or exam schedule can only be initiated by the user regardless of exam payment source. Access to user accounts and related information is not permitted by third parties unless authorized by the user.
- Counselors should be encouraged to create their user account with an email address they can access from anywhere at any time.
- Registration for the HUD Housing Counselor Certification Exam must be completed through each counselor's HUDHousingCounselors.hud.gov user account. There is no method to register and pay for a group of candidates in a single transaction.
- Agencies should avoid creating HUDHousingCounselors.hud.gov user accounts for those who do not plan to take the exam.
- Counselors should log into their user account and initiate requests for help on their own behalf at Support.
For questions about this information, please visit Support or call 210-489-1461 Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. except federal holidays.
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. In other words, you can take the certification exam without being employed at a HUD-approved agency; however, to become certified you must pass the exam and work for a HUD-approved agency.
Please visit the HUD Exchange to learn how to become a HUD Certified Housing Counseling Agency. For steps to certification visit the HUD Exchange website and view the HUD Certified Housing Counselor Application Process.
Compliance
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 was August 1, 2021.
Review Managing Certification After the Final Compliance Date and HUD Exchange FAQs related to compliance for more information.
Fees
The fee charged each time an individual takes the certification examination is based on the cost of administering the examination. As announced in the Federal Register Notice dated May 31, 2017, an online proctored exam costs $60 and an in-person proctored exam costs $100. Any changes in pricing will be published in advance in the Federal Register.
Sincerely,
The HUDHousingCounselors.hud.gov Support Team