Housing Counseling Resources

Explaining Housing Counseling
Making the Case for Housing Counseling
Research on the Benefits of Housing Counseling
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During 2017, HUD-approved housing counseling network of 1,842 agencies assisted over 880,000 individuals and families across the country.
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In 2018, 73% of counseled households had incomes below 80% of area median income, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition
- In a 2021 HUD presentation, Measuring Impact of Rental Counseling on Evictions, it was reported that in the last fiscal year there was a 65% increase in households that received rental counseling and also avoided eviction, as well as a 28% increase in households that received rental counseling and improved their living conditions.
Research on the Barriers to Homeownership
Housing Action Training Materials
Home Appraisal
Helping Illinois Homeowners Navigate the Home Appraisal Process (2022)
Foreclosure & Bankruptcy
Rentals, Foreclosures, and Bankruptcy Court in the Time of COVID-19 (2020)
- Recording: Rentals, Foreclosures, and Bankruptcy Court in the Time of COVID-19
- Presentation Slides: Resources for Homeowners
- Presentation Slides: Resources for Renters
- Handouts
- Presenters joined from Legal Aid Chicago and Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing
Fair Lending
Keeping the ‘Community’ in the Community Reinvestment Act (2020)
- Recording: Keeping the ‘Community’ in the Community Reinvestment Act
- Presentation: Keeping the ‘Community’ in the Community Reinvestment Act
- More information: Woodstock Institute
Rent to Own (2018)
- Recording: Protections for Rent to Own Homebuyers in Illinois
- Presentation: Protections for Rent to Own Homebuyers in Illinois
Fighting Housing Discrimination
Find our brochure on fair lending, info about the Community Reinvestment Act, contact info for fair housing enforcement agencies, and more at our page on fair housing.
Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing: The Role of Housing Counselors
- Request Recording: Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing: The Role of Housing Counselors
Fair Housing Legal Rights and Responsibilities: Tools for Housing Counselors (2020)
Fair Housing Webinars (2016)

We hosted this webinar on the fair housing rights of people with disabilities in July 2016. The presentation covered reasonable accommodations, reasonable modifications, service animals, illegal inquiries about a person’s disability, effective communication, and other legal issues. It relied on hypothetical scenarios as the main teaching tools.

Fair Housing Legal Rights and Responsibilities: Tools for Housing Counselors
In May 2016, we hosted this webinar with expert presenter Jessica Schneider, Staff Attorney in the Educational Equity and Fair Housing Projects of the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. The presentation included information on fair housing laws, legal rights and responsibilities for housing seekers and housing providers, and resources for filing complaints for fair housing violations.
Best Practices
Grant Writing: Best Practices (2017)
Check out our introductory webinar on best practices for grant writing. This advice is relevant not only when you’re applying for funding from IHDA but also when applying for funding from other sources.
Another good resource for advice on grant writing is Forefront, a statewide membership association for nonprofits, grantmakers, public agencies, and advisors. Forefront hosts webinars and trainings throughout Illinois, some of which are free.
Additional Topics
Dealing with Property of Elderly and Deceased Mortgagors (2019)
Anti-Predatory Lending Database (2018)
- Recording: Illinois Anti-Predatory Lending Database
- Presentation: Illinois Anti-Predatory Lending Database
Choosing a HUD-Approved CMS
Housing counseling agencies rely on Client Management Systems (CMSs) to track clients and outcomes. Trying to compare these complicated systems can be daunting so we created profiles of each CMS to help housing counselors assess their options. See the CMS Guide 2.0.
Getting Your HUD Certification
Beginning August 1, 2021, housing counselors will be required to become certified via a HUD-administered exam.
Visit our HUD Certification page to learn more.
Latest News for Housing Counselors
Uplifting the Community: HANA Center
HANA Center was created in 2017 when Korean American Community Services and Korean American Resource and Cultural Center merged, joining together with the goal of empowering Korean American and multiethnic immigrant communities through social services, education, and...
Making Dreams Possible: Housing Counseling in Spanish & English
Léelo en español: Haciendo posibles los sueños: Consejería de vivienda en español e inglés Spotlight on: Cory Hernandez, Financial Literacy & Home Ownership Counselor with Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission It was her own experience as a first-time...
Housing Action Awarded Nearly $1.4 Million to Distribute to Housing Counseling Agencies & Host National Trainings
Housing Action will distribute subgrants to 35 housing counseling organizations and facilitate national trainings for agencies For Immediate Release: August 31, 2022Contact: Kristin Ginger, Manager of Communications & Development, Housing Action Illinois,...
Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing: The Role of Housing Counselors
Fair housing is the right to choose housing free from unlawful discrimination. This training is to help housing counselors better understand the how fair housing works in the United States and why it is so important. Learn about the history of the Fair Housing Act and...
Housing Action Awarded Nearly $1.6 Million to Distribute to Housing Counseling Agencies & Host National Trainings
Housing Action will distribute subgrants to 35 housing counseling organizations and facilitate national trainings for agencies For Immediate Release: January 31, 2022Contact: Kristin Ginger, Manager of Communications & Development, Housing Action Illinois,...
Housing Action Awarded More Than $1 Million in Housing Stability Counseling Program Funding
CHICAGO – HUD has awarded $1,000,206 to Housing Action Illinois to distribute funds to local nonprofits whose housing counseling programs help families rent or buy safe, affordable homes and prevent foreclosures. This year’s network of 33 housing counseling agencies, listed below, serve communities in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Missouri.
New Initiative: Introducing the Housing Counseling Corps
Housing Action Illinois is excited to bring together two of our programs—supporting housing counseling agencies and managing a network of AmeriCorps VISTA Members—for a new initiative: the Housing Counseling Corps. We plan to launch this initiative in the fall of...
HUD Certified Housing Counselor Exam FAQ
In December 2016, HUD issued a Final Rule for the Housing Counseling program that requires that all individuals who provide housing counseling in connection with a HUD program must take and pass a HUD-administered certification exam. HUD Certification Exam Online...
2020 Silver Linings
Silver Linings in 20202020 has been a difficult year—marked by the COVID-19 public health crisis, related economic downturn, and widespread social unrest in response to systemic racism. A heartbreaking number of people are facing housing insecurity at a time when it...
Spotlight: Virtual Housing Counseling and Accessibility during COVID-19
When Wanda met Michael, he was staying at the Pacific Garden Mission shelter. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic meant he was doing an apartment search virtually, which was a challenge compounded by his disability. He wasn’t sure if he could trust that photos would line up...