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:Â 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 âCommunityâ in the Community Reinvestment Act (2020)
- Recording:Â Keeping the âCommunityâ in the Community Reinvestment Act
- Presentation:Â Keeping the âCommunityâ 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 personâs 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 Lawyersâ 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)
- Recording:Â Dealing with Property of Elderly and Deceased Mortgagors
- Presentation:Â Dealing with Property of Elderly and Deceased Mortgagors
Anti-Predatory Lending Database (2018)
- Recording: Illinois Anti-Predatory Lending Database
- Presentation: Illinois Anti-Predatory Lending DatabaseÂ
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
Housing Action Awarded $1.2 Million in Housing Counseling Funds
33 Agencies to Receive Sub-Grants to Help Families Rent or Buy Affordable Homes For Immediate Release: October 8, 2019 Contact: Kristin Ginger, Communications Manager, Housing Action Illinois, kristin@housingactionil.org or 312-854-3333 CHICAGO â HUD has awarded...
CMS Guide 2.0 Released to Help Housing Counseling Agencies Replace HCO
Housing Action Illinois has just published an updated version of its Guide to HUD-approved Client Management Systems (CMSs). The digital resource, which is available for free online, helps users assess their options through an at-a-glance comparison chart and detailed...
Diversifying Revenue through Social Enterprise
A social enterprise is a publicly responsible and innovative venture, driven by unmet community needs, that exists as a hybrid of the traditional nonprofit and business models. Broadly, these ventures can be classified into three categories defined by the Social...
8 Reasons We’re Proud of 2018
1. We were awarded $1.26 million by HUD to support housing counseling programs in the Midwest The funds will be distributed across our growing Intermediary network of 33 agencies in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Missouri to support programs that help...
Housing Action Illinois Awarded $1.2 Million in Housing Counseling Funds
33 Agencies to Receive Sub-Grants to Help Families Rent or Buy Affordable Homes CHICAGO â HUD has awarded $1,259,176 to Housing Action Illinois to distribute funds to local nonprofits whose housing counseling programs help families rent or buy safe,...
Launching a Housing Counseling Program
âInformation is power,â says Guadalupe Gasca. As a housing counselor at Centro Romero, the information that Lupe gives families on the northeast side of Chicago helps them find and keep good apartments and homes. âToo many people donât know their rights,...
Welcome to Our New Housing Counseling Intermediary Affiliates
This spring, Housing Action is excited to welcome three new housing counseling agencies to our Housing Counseling Intermediary network: Central Detroit Christian CDC, The Housing Partnership, and Advantage Housing. Housing counselors work with clients at all income...
New Faces at Housing Action Illinois
Housing Action Illinois has come a long way since we hired our first full-time staff member in 1988âa single employee who shared our offices with the Lawyersâ Committee for Better Housing. Today, we have 14 full-time staff members, and weâve grown so...
7 Reasons We’re Proud of 2017
1. Housing Action Illinois turned 30! We celebrated thirty years of leading the movement for affordable homes in Illinoisâand renewed our resolve to continue working until everyone in our state has a stable, healthy, affordable place to call home. 2. We...
Housing Action Illinois Awarded $820,030 in Housing Counseling Funds: 26 Agencies to Receive Sub-Grants
HUD has awarded $820,030 to Housing Action Illinois to distribute resources to local organizations whose housing programs and services prevent foreclosures and help families rent or buy safe, affordable homes. This yearâs network of 26 housing counseling...