HUD-Approved Housing Counselors: What They Do for Free

Last updated: June 3, 2026

Your repair problem may have turned into a money problem: a leaking roof, broken furnace, disaster damage, code letter, missed mortgage payment, or scary foreclosure notice. A HUD-approved housing counselor will not hand you a repair grant, but the right counselor can help you sort the papers, call the right offices, and avoid costly mistakes.

What a HUD-approved housing counselor does

A HUD-approved housing counseling agency is a nonprofit or government agency that is approved to provide housing counseling through HUD’s housing counseling program. HUD says certified housing counselors give independent advice based on your housing need. The help can include mortgage trouble, foreclosure, rent problems, credit, home improvement and rehabilitation counseling, disaster preparation, disaster recovery, reverse mortgage counseling, and fair housing issues. You can read HUD’s own description at HUD housing counseling.

For a homeowner with a repair problem, the most useful part is not magic funding. It is organization. A counselor can help you see which problem is most urgent, which office handles it, what documents are missing, and what to say to your mortgage servicer, insurance company, city repair program, disaster recovery office, or legal aid group.

A counselor may help you:

• Make a simple budget when repairs are eating into mortgage money.
• Understand letters from your mortgage servicer.
• Prepare a loss-mitigation or hardship application.
• Look for local repair, rehab, weatherization, disaster, or nonprofit programs.
• Understand whether a reverse mortgage, home equity loan, PACE loan, or contractor financing is risky for you.
• Find out when legal aid, fair housing help, a city inspector, or a disaster case manager may be a better fit.

A counselor should not pressure you into a loan, contractor, or paid service. HUD says a participating agency cannot make you buy another product or service from the agency, its partners, or affiliates just to get counseling.

What help is free, and what may have a small fee

The word “free” needs careful use. HUD says foreclosure, eviction, and homeless counseling are always free through HUD participating housing counseling agencies. Other services and workshops may have a nominal, reasonable fee, but the fee must be disclosed before counseling starts. HUD’s fee rule also says agencies cannot charge for client intake and must provide counseling without charge to people who cannot afford the fee. You can check the rule at the HUD fee rule.

This matters if you are facing a repair bill and a mortgage problem at the same time. If you are behind, at risk of foreclosure, threatened with displacement, or dealing with homelessness risk, ask directly for free foreclosure, eviction, or homeless counseling. If you are asking for homebuyer education, credit classes, or reverse mortgage counseling, ask whether there is a fee and whether it can be waived because of hardship.

How to find a real HUD-approved counselor

Start with an official search tool, not an ad. You can use the HUD counselor search, use the CFPB counselor tool, or call HUD at 800-569-4287. HUD also lists national counseling agencies that may help if you cannot find a nearby agency.

When you call HUD’s line, ask for a HUD participating housing counseling agency that handles your exact issue. Not every agency offers every service. Some focus on homebuying. Some focus on foreclosure. Some handle disaster counseling. HUD says callers can ask for a live operator, language help, and phone, online, or in-person counseling. Disaster callers can call 800-569-4287 and press 5.

How this connects to home repair help

A HUD-approved counselor is often a good first call when the repair itself is tangled with the rest of your housing situation. For example, you may need a roof, but the bigger problem is that the roof bill caused missed mortgage payments. You may need mold cleanup after a flood, but the bigger problem is that insurance, FEMA, and the mortgage company are all asking for papers. You may need a ramp, but the bigger problem is finding which local program handles accessibility repairs.

The counselor may point you to programs such as:

• City or county housing rehabilitation programs funded through local housing offices.
• Programs using HUD Community Development Block Grant funds. HUD describes CDBG as funding that goes to states, cities, and counties for housing, community development, and low- and moderate-income needs. See HUD CDBG.
• HOME-funded homeowner rehabilitation programs in some areas. HUD says HOME funds can be used by states and localities for affordable housing activities, including rehabilitation. See HOME overview.
• USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants for some very-low-income rural homeowners. USDA lists the regular maximum loan as $40,000 and the regular maximum grant as $10,000, with higher disaster-area grant and combined limits in presidentially declared disaster areas. Check the current rules at the USDA repair program.
• Weatherization help for energy-saving work, heating and cooling safety, and certain health and safety measures. Learn how to apply through weatherization help.
• LIHEAP, which may help with energy bills, energy crises, weatherization, and minor energy-related home repairs where available. See LIHEAP.
• Local nonprofit, faith-based, senior, disability, veteran, and community action programs. A simple place to start is 211.

These programs are local in practice. A county may open a repair waitlist once or twice a year. A city may focus only on code violations or health and safety hazards. A rural program may depend on county income limits and rural eligibility. A weatherization agency may defer work if the home has serious roof leaks, standing water, unsafe wiring, or structural problems. The counselor’s job is to help you find the right doors and avoid wasting time on the wrong ones.

When the repair has caused mortgage trouble

Call your mortgage servicer early if a repair bill has made the payment hard to afford. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says a HUD-approved counselor can help you make a plan and work with your mortgage company. CFPB’s mortgage help page is a good official starting point.

A counselor may help you ask your servicer about options such as repayment plans, forbearance, deferral, loan modification, partial claim programs for some FHA loans, or other loss-mitigation options. The exact choices depend on your loan type, investor rules, hardship, payment history, and timing. Do not assume you have only one option just because a phone representative said no once.

Timing matters. CFPB explains in its foreclosure guide that servicers generally cannot make the first notice or filing for foreclosure until a borrower is more than 120 days behind, and that sending a complete application early can give more protection while it is reviewed. Rules and court steps can vary by loan and state, so ask the counselor and, if legal papers have been filed, ask legal aid or a lawyer quickly.

After a disaster: what a counselor can and cannot do

If your home was damaged in a declared disaster, a counselor can help you keep the recovery pieces in order. That may include FEMA, insurance, SBA disaster loans, mortgage forbearance, local disaster recovery programs, and legal aid. You still have to apply with each program separately.

For federal disaster help, use official sources first. FEMA’s FEMA assistance page explains Individual Assistance steps, inspections, documents, and appeals. The federal application portal is DisasterAssistance.gov. Homeowners and renters in declared disaster areas may also be able to apply for SBA disaster loans; SBA currently lists up to $500,000 for homeowners to repair or replace a primary residence and up to $100,000 for renters and homeowners to replace personal property after a declared disaster.

A counselor can help you avoid common disaster mistakes: missing deadlines, losing photos, confusing insurance with FEMA, ignoring mortgage payments, or taking contractor financing before you understand the cost.

When legal aid is the better call

A housing counselor can explain options and help you organize papers. A counselor is not your lawyer. Call legal aid or a lawyer if you have been served with foreclosure papers, a tax foreclosure notice, a lawsuit, a court date, a contractor lien, an insurance bad-faith concern, heirship or title problems, or a threat that someone will remove you from the home.

The Legal Services Corporation funds local civil legal aid offices across the country. You can look for help through the legal aid finder. If you are a veteran or surviving spouse, VA also says it can provide counseling to help avoid foreclosure even if the loan is not VA-guaranteed. Check VA payment-help resources or call the VA loan number listed by VA.

What to gather before the appointment

You can still call before everything is perfect. But the counseling session will be more useful if you gather the basics. Use copies when possible. Do not send original deeds, wills, titles, IDs, or court papers unless an agency clearly tells you how originals will be protected and returned.

Questions to ask during counseling

Bring a short list. Ask which deadlines matter this week, which programs you should call first, whether legal aid is needed, and whether any loan, contractor financing, PACE assessment, or reverse mortgage looks risky. Ask for the action plan in writing. If your issue is outside the agency’s services, ask for a referral.

What to do if you are delayed, denied, or waitlisted

Counseling agencies can get busy, repair programs can run out of funds, and mortgage servicers can ask for more documents. Keep records. Write down the date, person, phone number, and result. Ask for denials and missing-document requests in writing. If a repair program is out of money, ask when the next application window opens. If foreclosure papers or a court date are involved, call legal aid right away.

If your servicer will not respond or mishandles your application, a counselor may help you prepare a complaint or written request. If the problem is with a housing counseling agency’s conduct, contact HUD through its housing counseling contact information and explain what happened.

What a counselor cannot promise

Be careful with anyone who says, “We know a secret program,” “You are guaranteed,” or “Pay us first and we will save your home.” Real programs have rules. Most repair assistance depends on where you live, income, ownership, occupancy, the type of repair, funding, inspections, and whether the home can be made safe within program limits.

Scams and bad offers to avoid

Walk away or get independent help before signing if someone:

• Charges upfront for foreclosure help.
• Tells you to stop talking to your mortgage company.
• Tells you to send mortgage payments to them instead of the servicer.
• Guarantees a loan modification, grant, or stopped foreclosure.
• Pressures you to sign over the deed.
• Offers a “forensic audit” as a sure way to save the home.
• Uses a government-looking logo but does not appear in HUD’s counselor search.
• Pushes a repair loan, reverse mortgage, or contractor financing before you can compare options.

Scammers may call themselves counselors. Check the agency in HUD’s official search tool. If the person says they are from a government program, ask for the agency name, website, phone number, and a written explanation. Then call the agency through an official website, not through the number the salesperson gives you.

Special situations counselors may help sort out

Older homeowners

If a contractor, lender, or family member is pushing you to use home equity for repairs, talk to a HUD-approved counselor before signing. For an FHA-insured Home Equity Conversion Mortgage, HUD and FHA require reverse mortgage counseling from an approved counselor. HUD says a HECM can be used for home maintenance, repairs, or living expenses, but it is still a loan with duties such as taxes, insurance, and upkeep. Start with HUD’s HECM information and ask about fees before the session.

Veterans and surviving spouses

Veterans and surviving spouses should also check VA options if mortgage trouble is involved. VA says it provides counseling to help avoid foreclosure even if the loan is not VA-guaranteed. Start with VA payment help.

Disability access problems

If the repair is about safe access, such as a ramp, bathroom, doorway, or disaster damage affecting a disabled person, say that clearly. Some programs give priority to health, safety, and accessibility. If discrimination may be involved, ask about HUD’s HUD complaint form.

Rural homeowners

Rural homeowners should ask about USDA Section 504 and local Community Action or weatherization agencies. A counselor can help you decide whether to call USDA first or whether another urgent repair path is faster.

Common mistakes that slow people down

A simple plan for the next 48 hours

If you are overwhelmed, do not try to solve the whole repair at once. Do this instead:

1. Make the home safe enough for tonight, or leave if it is unsafe.
2. Put all housing papers in one folder: mortgage, insurance, repair estimates, photos, code letters, tax letters, disaster papers, and court papers.
3. Call HUD’s housing counseling line at 800-569-4287 or use an official search tool.
4. If you are behind on the mortgage, call the servicer and ask for loss-mitigation options in writing.
5. If a disaster caused the damage, check FEMA and SBA deadlines using official disaster sites.
6. If legal papers have arrived, contact legal aid the same day.
7. Do not sign a deed transfer, contractor financing, PACE assessment, reverse mortgage, or loan modification agreement until you understand the terms.