HUD LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE FOR HOUSING COUNSELING AGENCIES
Online training to improve counseling skills and customer service

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today unveiled a new website (www.hudhousingcounselors.com/) specifically designed for HUD-approved housing counseling agencies, offering free on-line training covering a broad range of topics including responsibilities of homeownership and tenancy; avoiding foreclosure and eviction; financial management; and fair housing. The training is designed to help prepare housing counselors for the upcoming, mandatory HUD-certified counselor examination.

Sarah Gerecke, HUD's Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Housing Counseling said, "We're very excited to offer this free, on-line training and encourage housing counselors to take full advantage of this opportunity in advance of the publication of the final rule for housing counselor certification. This training covers a broad spectrum of housing issues required under the statute and creates a national baseline of knowledge for housing counselors. In the end, we hope the curriculum will ultimately prove beneficial to housing counseling clients that we all serve."

The training offered through this new online platform is not intended to replace existing housing counselor training offered by other entities. HUD will continue to urge housing counselors to participate in other training opportunities offered by HUD Housing Counseling Program Training grantees and other providers. Read more about the training opportunities for housing counselors on HUD's website.

HUD's new housing counselor website offers a downloadable study guide that can be accessed through tablets and other devices and will also be available in Spanish in the near future. Access to the housing counselor certification examination will become available after the final rule on HUD Housing Counselor Certification Program is published.

On September 13, 2013, HUD published a proposed rule (www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-09-13/pdf/2013-22229.pdf) outlining housing counseling certification requirements. HUD continues work on the final rule including considering all comments received during the comment period. HUD is committed to minimizing disruption to counseling agencies and their clients and to improving counselor mastery of the subject areas that will be covered by certification. Read some Frequently Asked Questions about HUD housing counselor certification.

###

HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and http://espanol.hud.gov.

You can also connect with HUD on social media and follow Secretary Castro on Twitter and Facebook or sign up for news alerts on HUD's Email List.