HUD-Certified Foreclosure Prevention Housing Counselor

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced, bilingual, HUD-Certified Foreclosure Prevention Housing Counselor to join our foreclosure prevention counseling team. The primary focus of this position is foreclosure prevention counseling, with opportunities to support our rental and first-time homebuyer counseling programs as needed. The counselor will assess client needs, develop individualized action plans, prepare and submit complete housing-assistance applications, maintain accurate HUD-compliant client records, and update all client information and documentation in Compass CMS in accordance with HUD, program, grant, funder, and agency requirements. The position also includes community education, outreach, presentations, workshop facilitation, and collaboration with agency staff to provide high-quality housing counseling services. Only applicants who already hold an active HUD Housing Counselor Certification will be considered.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide confidential one-on-one foreclosure-prevention counseling in English and Spanish, including assessment of household circumstances, development of individualized action plans, and ongoing case management.
• Review income, expenses, credit, mortgage and servicing documents, hardship circumstances, and other information necessary to evaluate foreclosure-prevention options.
• Prepare household budgets, affordability analyses, individualized action plans, and complete loss-mitigation or mortgage-assistance packages.
• Explain foreclosure timelines and available loss-mitigation options, including repayment plans, forbearance, loan modifications, reinstatement, refinancing, and other applicable foreclosure-prevention resources.
• Identify appropriate mortgage-assistance, legal-service, financial, and community resources and make referrals as appropriate.
• As program needs require, provide or support rental and first-time homebuyer counseling, including tenant education, budgeting, fair housing information, homeownership readiness, and referrals to appropriate housing resources.
• Communicate with mortgage servicers, lenders, attorneys, government agencies, and nonprofit partners when authorized by the client.
• Maintain timely, accurate, confidential, and HUD-compliant client files; track outcomes and comply with applicable HUD, program, grant, and funder documentation and reporting requirements.
• Facilitate or support first-time homebuyer and tenant-education workshops, outreach events, housing fairs, and community presentations, including presentations after business hours or on Saturdays when needed.
• Collaborate with counseling, intake, outreach, and management staff to coordinate client services and program activities.
• Perform other related duties and responsibilities as assigned in support of Housing Help Inc.'s programs and organizational needs.

Required Qualifications

Applicants must meet all of the following requirements:

• Active HUD Housing Counselor Certification at the time of application.
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university.
• At least three (3) years of professional housing-counseling experience, with demonstrated experience in foreclosure prevention and loss-mitigation counseling.
• Professional fluency in English and Spanish, with strong oral and written communication skills.
• Strong knowledge of mortgage servicing, loss mitigation, foreclosure-prevention options, budgeting, credit, and lending practices; knowledge of fair housing and the home-purchase process.
• Experience managing a caseload and maintaining HUD-compliant counseling files.
• Knowledge of case/client-management systems; experience with Compass or another HUD-compliant client-management system is a plus.
• Strong organization, attention to detail, follow-through, and ability to meet reporting deadlines.
• Ability to serve diverse households respectfully, including low- and moderate-income families, older adults, immigrants, people with disabilities, and clients with limited English or computer proficiency.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint; familiarity with Google Workspace is a plus.

Work Location and Transportation

• This is a full-time, onsite position. The counselor may work at and travel between Housing Help Inc. offices in East Northport, Central Islip, Riverhead, and Hempstead, based on program needs.
• The regular schedule is Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with a 30-minute unpaid meal period, for a regular 35-hour workweek. Occasional evening and Saturday work is required for outreach events, presentations, or workshops. All hours worked will be recorded and compensated, including overtime when required by applicable law.
• Reliable transportation and the ability to travel between agency offices and community locations throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties are essential functions of the position. Because the role requires driving, a valid driver's license in good standing and reliable access to a vehicle are required. Approved business mileage and other authorized travel expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with agency policy and applicable law.
• The position requires approximately one to two weeks of overnight travel each year for required training and professional development. Housing Help Inc. will pay approved travel, lodging, transportation, and meal expenses in accordance with agency policy.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience using Compass or another HUD-compliant client-management system within a HUD-approved nonprofit counseling agency.
• Familiarity with New York foreclosure-prevention, settlement-conference, rental-assistance, mortgage-assistance, and down-payment assistance programs.
• Experience conducting homebuyer workshops in English and Spanish and knowledge of Long Island housing resources.
• Experience providing rental and/or first-time homebuyer counseling.

Benefits currently include paid time off, personal and sick leave, health insurance, dental and vision coverage, retirement savings account with employer match, life insurance, and professional development opportunities. Eligibility, employee contributions, waiting periods, and other terms are governed by the applicable benefit plans and agency policies and may be amended from time to time.

This position will be classified as exempt or nonexempt in accordance with applicable federal and New York law. Housing Help Inc. will pay overtime compensation when required by law.

Fluent English, Fluent Spanish