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Release of HUD Housing Counseling Program Handbook 7610.1 Rev-6.1, and Reminder: Please Submit 2nd Quarter Form HUD-9902HHUD Office of Housingto me
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Release of HUD Housing Counseling Program Handbook 7610.1 Rev-6.1
Today, HUD’s Office of Housing Counseling (OHC) published an update to its Housing Counseling Program Handbook 7610.1 Rev-6.1. This publication is effective on April 01, 2024, and supersedes Housing Counseling Program Handbook 7610.1 Rev-6 in its entirety.
This update clarifies policy requirements for the Housing Counseling program and will ensure that HUD’s housing counseling program participants have ready access to the information they need to meet the needs of individuals and families seeking to buy, rent, or sustain their homes. Additionally, the Handbook outlines how to become a HUD-approved housing counseling agency or HUD certified housing counselor and details the grant application process for those seeking HUD funding for their housing counseling programs. For additional information:
View the updated HUD Housing Counseling Handbook 7610.1 Rev-6.1Email questions to [email protected] and please type “handbook question” into the subject line.
Housing counselors play a pivotal role in helping low-to-moderate income households, particularly communities of color, prepare financially to obtain safe, decent, and affordable housing which can lead to wealth building potential through homeownership. HUD-approved housing counseling agencies, individuals, and families provide services to address a full range of housing counseling needs. These services include assisting homebuyers in evaluating their readiness for a home purchase, navigating through the homebuying process, helping individuals and households find affordable rental housing, offering financial literacy training to individuals and families, and providing foreclosure prevention counseling to distressed homeowners. In addition to providing counseling to homeowners and renters, HUD-approved housing counseling agencies support emergency preparedness and disaster recovery efforts, assist homeless persons in finding transitional housing, and help seniors determine whether a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) or other reverse mortgage options make sense for them.
To locate a HUD-approved housing counseling agency, visit HUD’s online locator or call (800) 569-4287 to use the interactive telephone locator service.