24 C.F.R. § 5.111
§ 5.111 Housing counseling. (24 CFR Part 5)
Operative Text
(a) Any housing counseling, including homeownership counseling or rental housing counseling, as defined in § 5.100, required under or provided in connection with any program administered by HUD shall be provided only by organizations and counselors certified by the Secretary under 24 CFR part 214 to provide housing counseling, consistent with 12 U.S.C. 1701x. (b) For purposes of this section, required under or provided in connection with any program administered by HUD means: (1) Housing counseling required by statute, regulation, Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), or otherwise required by HUD; (2) Housing counseling that is funded under a HUD program; (3) Housing counseling that is required by a grantee or subgrantee of a HUD program as a condition of receiving assistance under the HUD program; or (4) Housing counseling to which a family assisted under a HUD program is referred, by a grantee or subgrantee of the HUD program.
Under § 5.111, any housing counseling—whether focused on homeownership or rental housing—that is required by or connected to a HUD-administered program must be delivered exclusively by organizations and individual counselors who hold HUD certification under 24 CFR part 214. This requirement applies across a broad range of scenarios, including counseling mandated by statute or regulation, counseling funded through HUD programs, counseling that a grantee or subgrantee makes a condition of receiving assistance, and counseling to which a HUD-assisted family is referred. The rule effectively closes off the use of uncertified counselors or organizations in any context tied to HUD program participation.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers who participate in HUD-administered programs—such as those involving HUD grants or subsidies—should be aware that § 5.111 governs any housing counseling they require or refer tenants or applicants to receive. A compliant operator generally verifies that any counseling organization or individual counselor they direct program participants toward holds current HUD certification under 24 CFR part 214 before making a referral or imposing counseling as a condition of assistance. Operators who administer HUD-funded programs as grantees or subgrantees typically maintain documentation confirming the certified status of any counseling providers used in connection with those programs.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under § 5.111, if you are receiving assistance through a HUD-administered program and are required or referred to attend housing counseling, you have a right to receive that counseling from an organization or counselor certified by HUD under 24 CFR part 214. If you believe you have been directed to an uncertified counselor as a condition of your HUD program assistance, you may raise this as a concern with the relevant program administrator, contact HUD directly, or reach out to a tenant-rights organization familiar with federal housing programs for general information about your options.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 4, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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