U.S. Mortgage Index

HUD-approved counselor

Also called Housing counseling agency

Definition

A HUD-approved counselor is a housing counselor or counseling agency approved by HUD to provide housing counseling. The label names the provider, not the homebuyer-education activity itself.

In plain English

HUD approves agencies that can counsel people about buying, keeping, or leaving a home. A counselor at one of those agencies is a HUD-approved counselor. Homebuyer education is the session or course. This page is the approved-provider identity.

Technical definition

CFPB’s HUD key-terms heading names HUD-approved housing counseling agencies and points readers to the official counselor-finding tool. That official consumer heading is PRIMARY.

Why it matters

Loss-mitigation and first-time-buyer pages often tell people to talk to a HUD-approved counselor. The provider page should stay separate from the education page.

Sources reviewed