Housing Counseling | Habitat for Humanity EBSV

Managing your personal finances is a fundamental step to budgeting for big purchases like buying your first home, paying-off debt, or saving for the future. As a HUD-approved housing counseling agency, Habitat offers:

One-on-one counseling services to help you develop personalized financial management tools.
Financial education workshops and webinars that cover a range of topics to help you build financial health.
First-time homebuyer classes that equip you with the skills you need to understand the process of purchasing your first home.
Habitat’s Financial Education Center that provides you with a free library of financial and homebuying educational resources you can access anytime, anywhere, 24/7.

Habitat’s housing and financial services are open to anyone of any income range wanting to improve their financial health or reach a milestone such as purchasing their first home.

Looking to buy a home with Habitat? Housing and financial counseling services, workshops, and resources are NOT part of the Habitat homeownership application process. Click here to learn how to apply.

One-On-One Counseling

One-On-One Counseling services offer free, individualized guidance from a HUD-certified Habitat Housing Counselor.

No matter your financial or housing goals, our counselors will work with you to understand your current financial status, listen to any financial anxieties, and develop a personalized plan to help you achieve your dreams. Our counseling services include:

Credit counseling
Debt management
Budgeting
Saving strategies
Pre-purchase counseling

Looking to buy a home with Habitat? One-on-one counseling is NOT part of the Habitat Homeownership application process. Click here to learn about our Homeownership Program.

Financial Education Workshops & Webinars

Our free financial education workshops and webinars are one-hour, small group presentations that are open to the public and cover essential information to help you build financial health. Key topics include:

Protecting yourself from ID theft and scams
Understanding credit reports and scores
Debt management strategies
Creating a sustainable budget
Path to homeownership
Saving strategies

Habitat Homeownership Applicants – Workshops and webinars are NOT part of the Habitat Homeownership application process. Click here to learn about our Homeownership Program.

Habitat's Financial Education Center

Habitat’s Financial Education Center is a free online library of financial and homebuying educational resources that you can access anytime, anywhere, 24/7.

Our self-paced, interactive lessons provide a fun and engaging experience to empower you to take control over your finances, save for the future, and reach your financial goals. Topics include:

Building Financial Capability
Buying a Home
Achieving Financial Wellness
Planning for Retirement
Banking Basics and Loans
Personalized Learning - Create a personalized playlist that is tailored to your unique financial goals and priorities.

First-Time Homebuyer Virtual Classes

Attending a HUD-Approved First-Time Homebuyer Class can help you navigate and understand the homebuying process and prepare for successful homeownership.

We offer the following two virtual options to receive the First-Time Homebuyer Class Certificate of Completion :

Habitat's 8-hour First-Time Homebuyer Class: This class is led by one of our HUD-Certified Housing Counselors. As our community’s health and safety remain a top priority, this in-person class is now available virtually. Habitat's virtual classes consist of four, 2-hour sessions.
In partnership with eHome America, participants can complete a self-paced, online homebuyer education course and attend an individual counseling session with one of our HUD-Certified Housing Counselors. Click here to sign up.

Habitat Homeownership Applicants – paying and attending the First-Time Homebuyer Class is NOT part of the Habitat Homeownership application process. Click here to learn about our Homeownership Program..

Do I have to meet with a Housing Counselor to apply for the Habitat homeownership program?

No. Housing Counseling is a separate service we offer and is NOT part of the application process for the Habitat homeownership program.

To learn more about Habitat homeownership opportunities and how to apply click here.

Is there a fee to meet with a Housing Counselor?

Housing counseling services are free. However, if you would like an in-depth review of your credit report there is a one-time fee of $25 for one person or $40 for two or more people. We accept payments via money orders or online through Square (no cash or checks). Your counselor will provide you with instructions on how to submit your payment.

Can I meet with a Housing Counselor on a drop-in basis?

No, we do not accept walk-ins.

To schedule an appointment, click here. Our office hours are Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm.

What can I expect when I meet with a Housing Counselor?

Your Housing Counselor will:

Identify the financial and housing goal(s) you want to achieve.
Identify the unique issues that are preventing you from reaching your goal(s).
Pull your credit report and do a full credit report review (if applicable).
Help you develop a sustainable household budget.
Create an action plan catered to your unique financial situation and designed to help you reach your goal(s).
Guide you as you work towards achieving your goal(s).

Will pulling the credit report impact my credit score?

For credit counseling purposes we do a soft pull which does not impact your credit score. The credit report includes credit scores and credit information from all three credit reporting agencies (Experian, Transunion, and Equifax), and you will get a copy.

Do you send appointment reminders?

No. It is your responsibility to make sure you add the appointment date and time on your calendar, so you do not forget.

What are the Counselor and Client’s roles and responsibilities?

Counselor’s Roles and Responsibilities

Reviewing your housing goal and your finances; which include your income, debts, assets, and credit history.
Preparing a Client Action Plan that lists the steps that you and your counselor will take in order to achieve your housing goal.
Preparing a household budget that will help you manage your debt, expenses, and savings.
Your counselor is not responsible for achieving your housing goal but will provide guidance and education in support of your goal.

Client’s Roles and Responsibilities

Completing the steps assigned to you in your Client Action Plan.
Providing accurate information about your income, debts, expenses, credit, and employment.
Attending meetings, returning calls, providing requested paperwork in a timely manner.
Notifying Habitat or your counselor when changing your housing goal.
Attending educational workshop(s) (i.e. pre-purchase counseling workshops) as recommended.
Retaining an attorney if seeking legal advice and/or representation in matters such as foreclosure or bankruptcy protection.

Termination of Services: Failure to work cooperatively with your housing counselor and/or Habitat will result in the discontinuation of counseling services. This includes, but is not limited to, missing three consecutive appointments.

What documentation do I need to provide?

You need to complete an intake packet. You also need to submit financial documentation like paystubs, benefit letters, bank statements, and credit card statements. Your Housing Counselor will review with you what you should provide.

Why do you need financial documentation?

Financial documentation is needed to assess your financial situation so your counselor can help you create an action plan catered to your unique circumstances and goals.

Do you provide virtual appointments?

Yes. We provide video appointments through Microsoft Teams. Your counselor will provide you with instructions on how to join the video call and how to submit your intake packet and documentation.

How often can I meet with the Housing Counselor?

Your Housing Counselors will work with you as long as needed to help you reach your goals through follow-up meetings and regular check-ins.

Do I have to have my credit report pulled?

No. We pull your credit report only if you want us to do an in-depth credit report review.

Can I provide my own credit reports?

Yes, as long as the credit reports show your full credit history for all your accounts. Credit report summaries or reports that only show the credit score do not provide the information needed to do an in-depth credit report review.

What if I cannot make my scheduled appointment?

When you schedule an appointment our Housing counselors reserve that time for you. If you cannot make it let us know as soon as possible so we can free up the time for someone else. We know schedules can change and things happen, and we are happy to reschedule.

Latest From The Blog

Habitat Advocates at the Capitol

We’ve said it before: advocacy matters. Homebuilding and housing improvements begin long before tool belts are tightened. They begin with public policy that fosters housing justice, supply, and ...

March Construction Update

Spring is around the corner, and our volunteers have worked tirelessly through tough weather conditions to keep on with construction. Here are this month's advancements on the Habitat construction ...

Financial Education Webinar: Shopping for a Mortgage Loan

March 21, 2023

In this workshop, you will learn what you can do to prepare before talking to a lender, how the mortgage loan application process works, and the costs associated with getting a mortgage. We also review escrow accounts and the Loan Estimate.

...