1733 - Application to Become a Participating HUD Housing Counseling Agency
Funding Opportunity Details

05 Housing Service Support

Final Application Deadline:

Description

• Application to Become a HUD Housing Counseling Agency

  Virginia Housing

  February 2025

   

  Section 106(a)(2) of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 (12 USC 1701x) provides the legislative authority for HUD to provide housing counseling services. Applicants to be a Housing Counseling Agency may apply through a HUD participating intermediary or state housing finance agency.

   

  Detailed information and additional requirements of the housing counseling program are provided in the Housing Counseling Program Handbook 7610.1. This handbook lists the qualifying criteria that all applicants must meet to receive HUD approval. Requirements include:

  • Nonprofit Status: The applicant must function as private or public nonprofit organization. The agency must submit evidence of nonprofit status as demonstrated by Section 501 (c) of the Internal Revenue Code.
  • Certification:  As of August 1, 2021, agencies applying for approval to HUD’s Comprehensive Housing Counseling Program must have a housing counselor that has passed the HUD Housing Counselor Certification Exam prior to application submission.
  • Experience: The applicant must have successfully administered a housing counseling program for at least one year.
  • Community Base: The applicant must have functioned for at least one year in the geographical area that the applicant proposes to serve.
  • Counseling Resources: The applicant must have sufficient resources to implement its proposed counseling plan no later than the date of HUD approval.

   

  Virginia Housing accepts the HUD 9900 form as an application to be a participating HUD Housing Counseling Agency under the Virginia Housing network. The 9900 must be fully completed and uploaded as a part of a completed application at vhdagrants.com.

   

  Applicants are strongly encouraged to use the HOUSING COUNSELING ELIGIBILITY TOOL prior to preparing this application.  Contact Frank Curbeira, Strategic Housing Officer, at (804) 343-5818 for questions concerning this program or assistance prior to application submission.

   

  Approval as a HUD Housing Counseling Agency does not immediately provide funding from Virginia Housing or guarantee funding in future application rounds for the HUD or other Housing Counseling grants.  Approved Housing Counseling agencies will be eligible to apply for future rounds of Housing Counseling grant funding from Virginia Housing.