Finding an Advocate: I'm Ready to Go. Where Do I Start?

What Are Housing Counseling Agencies and How Can They Help Me?

Having bad credit or too much debt can make it hard for you to hold on to your housing, whether you are a renter or a homeowner. Housing counseling agencies can teach you about managing your debt and developing a healthy spending and savings plan so you can realize your housing goals whatever they might be.

Housing counseling agencies can also prepare you to purchase a home and teach you how to be a successful homeowner. To help you do this they offer:

• Homebuyer education classes, which teach you about the process from A to Z
• Individual counseling on your budget, debt repayment, and credit repair issues
• Advice on how to protect yourself from lending scams
• Classes or advice on home maintenance and repair
• Financial Fitness classes to help you budget and save so you can reach your goals
• Guidance on home purchase, repair and renovation financing
• Assistance with delinquency or foreclosure issues
• Classes to teach people how to be landlords

It is too soon to know the exact role housing counseling agencies will play in delivering state disaster aid. However, they will be able to steer you to the place to go to get state assistance, and to help you think through your housing options.