Housing Counselors & First-Time Home Buyer Programs

Below you will find information on Housing Counselors and First-Time Home Buyer Programs.

 

  •  Housing Counselors:

 A HUD approved housing counselor is an experienced, trained professional who can advise you in making housing decisions, protecting your credit, buying a home, financing the purchase and preventing foreclosure.

 The seventeen (17) housing counselors listed below all appear on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s list of free or low cost HUD approved housing counselors located in Suffolk County.  The programs and services can vary -  the Registry suggests that you contact several of them in your area to find the one that best fits your needs and schedule. Listed alphabetically they are as follows:

 

  1. Action for Boston Community Development, Inc.
    178 Tremont St.
    Boston, MA 02111
    (617) 348-6000
    www.bostonabcd.org
  2. Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation
    18R Shepherd St. – Suite 100
    Brighton, MA 02135
    (617) 787-3874
    www.allstonbrightoncdc.org
  3. Asian Community Development Corporation
    38 Oak St.
    Boston, MA 02111
    (617) 482-2380
    www.asiancdc.org
  4. Chelsea Restoration Corporation
    154 Pearl St. – Office 2
    Chelsea, MA 02150
    (617) 889-2277
    www.chelsearestoration.org
  1. Citizens Housing and Planning Association
    18 Tremont St. – Suite 401
    Boston, MA 02108
    (617) 742-0820
    www.chapa.org
  1. Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation
    587 Washington St.
    Dorchester, MA 02124
    (617) 825-4224
    www.csndc.com
  1. Ecumenical Social Action Committee, Inc.
    434 Jamaicaway
    Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
    (617) 524-2555
    www.esacboston.org
  1. The Housing Partnership Network
    1 Washington Mall – 12th Floor
    Boston, MA 02108
    (617) 720-1999
    www.housingpartnership.net
  1. Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance
    1803 Dorchester Ave.
    Dorchester, MA 02124
    (617) 882-9100
    www.mahahome.org
  1. Metro Housing Boston
     1411 Tremont St.
    Boston, MA 02120
    (617) 859-0400
    www.metrohousingboston.org
  1. Money Management International
    225 Franklin St. – Suite 2672
    Boston, MA 02110
    (713) 394-3232
    www.moneymanagement.org
  1. Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA)
     225 Centre St. – Suite 100
    Roxbury, MA 02119
    (617) 250-6244
    www.naca.com
  1. Neighborhood of Affordable Housing, Inc. (NOAH)
    143 Border St.
    East Boston, MA 02128
    (617) 567-5882
    www.noahcdc.org
  1. NID Housing Counseling Agency
    150 Belgrade Ave.
    Boston, MA 02131
    (617) 296-3693
    www.nidhcaboston.com
  1. Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation
    56 Warren St. – Suite 200
    Roxbury, MA 02119
    (617) 427-3599
    www.nuestracdc.org
  1. Urban Edge
    1542 Columbus Ave.
    Roxbury, MA 02119
    (617) 989-9300
    www.urbanedge.org
  1. Vietnamese American Initiative for Development (VietAID)
    42 Charles St. – Suite E
    Dorchester, MA 02122
    (617) 822-3717
    www.vietaid.org

 

  • First-Time Home Buyer Programs:

Home buyer counseling agencies provide educational workshops which prepare individuals and families to purchase a home.  At first-time home buyer programs prospective buyers learn about the entire home buying process; including, how to deal with credit issues, working with real estate agents, applying for mortgage financing and choosing the most affordable mortgage option.

 Some of the agencies listed below also offer post-purchase workshops assisting home owners in maintaining their homes and financing home improvements.

The Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) believes that every person in Massachusetts should have a safe, healthy, and affordable place to call home. They achieve this goal by advocating for opportunity, expanding access to housing, and developing the field through training and education.  For Boston, Chelsea, Revere and Winthrop, CHAPA lists the following decorated home buyer counseling agencies, all of which have been awarded a seal of approval by the Massachusetts Home Ownership Collaborative for comprehensive programming:

 

  1. Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation – Allston/Brighton
    Michael Meiser – (617) 787-3874
    Classes available in person, online and in Spanish
  1. Asian Community Development Corporation – Boston/Chinatown
    Lee Lin – (617) 482-2380 x 208
    Classes available in person in Cantonese, Mandarin and English
  1. Chelsea Restoration Corporation – Chelsea
    Leisla Ortiz – (617) 889-2277
    Classes available in person, online and in Spanish
  1. City of Boston, Department of Neighborhood Development – Downtown Boston
    Christine McCrorey – (617) 635-4663
    Boston Home Center
  1. Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation – Dorchester
    Abadur Rahman – (617) 825-4224
    Classes available in person
  1. Financial Education Associates – Boston
    Jaqueline Cooper – (888) 839-0963
    Classes available in person and online
  1. Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance – Dorchester
    Hilda Hernandez – (617) 265-8995 x 313
    Classes available in person, online and in Spanish
  1. Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH) – East Boston
    Diana Franco – (617) 418-8266
    Classes available in person, online and in Spanish
  1. Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation – Roxbury
    Andora Monteiro – (617) 989-9900
    Classes available in person, online and in Spanish
  1. Urban Edge Housing Corporation – Roxbury
    Ginny Gilmartin – (617) 989-9318
    Classes available in person, online and in Spanish
  1. Viet-AID – Dorchester
    HOA Ngo – (617) 822-3717 x 10
    Classes available in person and in Vietnamese