U.S. Mortgage Index

What is housing counseling and how can it help with a mortgage?

Short answer

Housing counseling is help from a counselor trained through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to review finances, mortgage options, and next steps. The CFPB says HUD-approved agencies provide foreclosure-prevention counseling at no charge and can also explain the homebuying process. U.S. Mortgage Index does not keep its own counselor directory; use the official CFPB or HUD finders.

Full explanation

A counselor at a HUD-approved agency is trained and certified to help assess a household's finances, review options if the mortgage is hard to pay, and make a plan. HUD is the federal agency that works on quality affordable housing and that trains and sponsors counselors nationwide. The CFPB says that training is a reason to treat a as equipped to explain the choices.

Those agencies offer no-cost counseling when foreclosure is a risk. They can also walk through conversations with the servicer, explain options already offered, and cover the homebuying process. Fannie Mae similarly describes a HUD-approved counselor as offering free, one-on-one support during hardship, including relief options, finances and debt, insurance claims, or an action plan. A counselor cannot promise that a home will be kept.

Official ways to find a counselor include the CFPB's Find a Counselor tool, the HOPE Hotline at (888) 995-HOPE (4673), and the CFPB at (855) 411-CFPB (2372). Fannie Mae also lists 1-855-HERE2HELP (855-437-3243). If the call is about trouble paying, the counselor will typically ask for loan facts from the latest statement and may ask for pay stubs, tax returns, recent bank statements, and other monthly bills. If foreclosure is imminent or legal papers have been served, an attorney may also be needed. This site does not publish a U.S. Mortgage Index counselor list.

Sources reviewed

Last reviewed

September 10, 2026