The


U.S.
Department
of
Housing
and
Urban
Development
(HUD)
on
Friday
announced
a
final
rule
designed
to
expand
support
for
housing

counseling
services
within
Native
American
tribal
communities.

In
a
new

final
rule
published
in
the
Federal
Register,
HUD
outlined
requirements
for
housing
counselor
certification
for
sessions
that
are
conducted
in
connection
with
the
Indian
Housing
Block
Grant
(IHBG)
and
Indian
Community
Development
Block
Grant
(ICDBG)
programs.
Previously,
certain
requirements
for
counseling
connected
to
these
grant
programs
faced
impediments
that
could
materially
affect
the
ability
to
connect
with
tribal
borrowers,
the
department
explained.

“Housing
counseling
programs
are
an
important
tool
to
help
further
financial
literacy
—
particularly
for
low-
and
moderate-
income
families,”
HUD
said
in
an

announcement
of
the
rule.
“This
can
be
the
key
to
ensuring
that
potential
homebuyers
are
set
for
long-term
success
and
that
renters
avoid
eviction.

“With
this
rule,
HUD
is
removing
previous
impediments
to
participation
in
the
HUD
housing
counseling
program
by
Tribes,
Tribally
Designated
Housing
Entities,
and
other
Tribal
entities.
HUD
expects
the
rule
to
expand
the
number
of
HUD-certified
housing
counselors
serving
the
unique
needs
of
Tribal
communities.”

HUD
developed
the
new
rule
in
concert
with
multiple
tribal
consultation
and
listening
sessions,
it
explained.
Tribes
offered
perspectives
on
the
impediments
they
face
and
how
the
rules
could
be
changed
to
better
fit
their
needs.

“This
rule
is
the
result
of
strong
collaboration
among
HUD’s
Offices
of
Housing
Counseling
and
Native
American
Programs
and
Tribal
representatives
to
remove
a
long-standing
barrier
to
delivering
robust
and
culturally
sensitive
housing
counseling
to
Tribal
members,”
David
Berenbaum,
HUD’s
deputy
assistant
secretary
for
housing
counseling,
said
in
the
announcement.
“We
look
forward
to
welcoming
more
Tribal
entities
into
the
HUD
housing
counseling
network.”

Federal
Housing
Administration
Commissioner

Julia
Gordon
said
that
these
communities
will
have
added
ability
to
be
served
by
those
who
may
have
more
firsthand
knowledge
of
the
situations
lived
by
these
clients.

“Removing
this
barrier
means
that
more
Tribal
individuals
and
families
can
be
served
by
a
trusted
source
within
their
community
—
a
source
that
understands
their
unique
cultural
perspective
and
housing
needs,”
Gordon
said.
“Tribal
members
have
long
been
underserved
in
the
housing
market.”

The
rule
will
go
into
effect
on
July
12,
2024.
It
“implement[s]
a
new
category
of
HUD-certified
housing
counselor,
called
a
HUD-certified
Tribal
housing
counselor,
and
will
implement
a
new
Tribal
housing
counselor
certification
exam
specifically
for
Tribes
that
will
include
adjustments
for
distinctions
in
fair
housing
laws
pertaining
to
Tribes
and
the
unique
status
of
trust
land,”
HUD
said
in
its
announcement.

The
final
rule
establishes
a
four-year
transition
period
designed
to
“allow
Tribal
grantees
sufficient
time
to
ensure
that
housing
counselors
can
be
certified,”
while
HUD
will
also
require
that
counseling
funded
in
connection
with
IHBG
or
ICDBG
funds
are
performed
by
counselors
who
are
HUD-certified.

HUD
will
also
“facilitate
additional
training
for
counselors
who
become
certified
to
provide
housing
counseling
for
the
IHBG
and
ICDBG
programs,”
and
it
will
“modify
study
materials
for
housing
counselor
certification
examinations
to
account
for
tailored
content
specific
to
Tribes.”

Last
month,
HUD

announced
$1.1
billion
in
funding
for
tribal
housing
and
community
development
under
the
IHBG
program
to
be
distributed
nationally.
And
in
April,
HUD

announced
a
new
rule
aimed
at
bolstering
the
department’s
Section
184
Indian
Housing
Loan
Guarantee
program,
with
the
goal
to
increase
lender
participation
and
ensure
access
to
potential
Native
American
beneficiaries.

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