National Housing Resource Center (NHRC) had a powerhouse 2024, and we are planning high-impact initiatives for 2025:

1. Very Low-Income Homeownership Program

NHRC leads a national coalition to reform and expand HUD’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership Program, enabling housing subsidies to be applied toward mortgage payments of very low-income homeowners. By combining this with down payment assistance and expert housing counseling, we are creating pathways to wealth building and reducing the homeownership gap for Black and Latino households.

  • Impact so far: Over 600 housing counselors trained, 80+ lenders engaged in best practices, and HUD improving and promoting the program.
  • Next steps: Scaling up this program in local markets to increase homeownership accessibility and impact.
  • This is one of the few low-income affordable homeownership programs that should grow in 2025. We can explain this in detail when we meet.

2. Housing Counseling Career Path

Addressing the shortage of certified housing counselors, NHRC is making housing counseling a viable and exciting career option.

  • What we are doing: Recruiting diverse candidates, preparing them for the HUD certification exam with high quality trainings, and connecting them with top performing counseling agencies through internships, scholarships, and full-time positions.
  • Success story: Our first project in Florida trained 64 participants in 6 months, and we are launching new initiatives in New York and Pennsylvania.

3. Empowering Consumers in Climate Change Programs

With growing investments in energy conservation, NHRC is collaborating with environmental and consumer organizations to train Home Energy Advisors.

  • Advisor role: Help consumers navigate energy programs, access rebates, thread together conservation programs, choose trustworthy service providers, and avoid predatory practices (watch out for rampant solar sales schemes).
  • Why it matters: These navigators are essential to ensuring federal and local climate investments reach and benefit consumers effectively. These environmental investments are critical, but will not be successful without knowledgeable, independent navigators to help consumers through the complicated process.

4. Housing Counselor Education and Support

Our Leaders in Housing Counseling Webinars continue to provide housing counselors with cutting-edge insights and expertise.

  • Topics covered: Mortgage products, student loans, foreclosure prevention, cybersecurity, climate change, disaster recovery, housing counseling technology, consumer credit, and more.
  • Impact: These webinars are recognized as must-attend events for housing counseling professionals nationwide, attendance is up substantially, and NHRC is developing new partnerships and topics. In 2024, we presented 22 Leaders Webinars, 4600+ attending, 5000+ YouTube viewers.

We look forward to working with you in 2025.

Bruce, Ellie, Eboni, Cristy, MisIvy