Modernizing the Delivery of Housing Counseling Services

Document 2024-20946 is a Final Rule published by the Department of Housing and Urban Development in the Federal Register on September 16, 2024, with an effective date of October 16, 2024. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is issuing this final rule to update HUD's regulations that require participating agencies to provide in-person counseling to clients that prefer this format to reflect advances in technology, align with client engagement preferences, and preserve consumer protections. The final rule amends HUD's regulations to allow housing counseling agencies to use alternative communication methods, including virtual meeting tools, in lieu of providing in-person services. Participating agencies that choose not to provide in-person services are required to refer clients to local providers that provide such services, when requested. After considering public comments received in response to the proposed rule HUD published on October 25, 2023, this final rule adopts the proposed rule without change. View the original at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/09/16/2024-20946/modernizing-the-delivery-of-housing-counseling-services.

No. Document 2024-20946 is not classified as economically significant under Executive Order 12866. Economically significant rules require OIRA review and are estimated to have impacts of $100 million or more per year.