Frequently Asked Questions:
National Industry Standards for Homeownership Education and Counseling

What are the National Industry Standards for Homeownership Education and Counseling?

The National Industry Standards for Homeownership Education and Counseling provide a baseline for what constitutes quality homeownership education and counseling. Organizations and homeownership professionals can use the National Industry Standards to ensure that quality homeownership education and housing counseling services are delivered to clients. These standards create a level of consistency in the industry and add to the continued professional delivery of specialized services by counselors and educators nationwide.

National Homeownership Industry Standards consist of the following documents:

• National Industry Standards for Homeownership Education
• National Industry Standards for Homeownership Counseling
• National Industry Code of Ethics and Conduct for Homeownership Professionals
• National Industry Foreclosure Counseling Standards

Where can I obtain the full documents?

The National Homeownership Industry Standards documents can be viewed in their entirety at www.homeownershipstandards.com/download.shtml.

Why are the National Industry Standards for Homeownership Education and Counseling Important?

A national industry standard will guide conduct and decision-making in the homeownership education and counseling field, and encourage an elevated level of professionalism that inspires consumer confidence and reliability. Organizations and practitioners that adopt the industry standards demonstrate that all clients will receive consistent, high quality, and ethical service.

What will the National Industry Standards accomplish?

• Guide professional conduct and decision-making in the field
• Encourage all organizations and practitioners to perform to the highest level of professionalism
• Create consistencies in content and elevate the industry reputation for quality service delivery
• Ensure clients are receiving correct and consistent information
• Allow consumers to identify organizations that adopt the standards to ensure they are receiving high quality, ethical service
• Raise awareness for the homeownership counseling/education field, its practitioners and the agencies employing them
• Assist in the retention of the quality talent in the industry
• Promote sustainability for organizations that adopt the standards by reassuring funders and fee-paying clients of the quality and consistency of their services

How were the National Homeownership Industry Standards and National Industry Code of Ethics and Conduct developed?

The National Industry Standards for homeownership education and counseling were developed by a broad-based National Advisory Council (see list of National Advisory Council members below). The standards were developed with:

• Research of and input from numerous organizations, including ACORN Housing, AFCPE (Association for Financial Counseling Planning Education), AICCCA (Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies), HPN (Housing Partnership Network), HUD (US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development), NAHCA (National Association of Housing Counseling Agencies), NCLC (National Consumer Law Center), NFCC (National Foundation for Credit Counseling), NeighborWorks® America, and many community development organizations that offer education and/or counseling services and have formalized written standards.
• A questionnaire presented to various focus groups of homeownership practitioners, executive directors, and homeownership program managers to obtain feedback on the proposed industry standards
• Review of best practices and research in the homeownership field
• Direct feedback from Industry partners including all HUD Housing Counseling Intermediaries

What kind of information is included in the National Industry Standards?

The documents provide recommended benchmarks for homeownership education and counseling in the following areas:

How will National Industry Standards be used?

Organizations providing homeownership education and counseling are encouraged to adopt the National Standards for Homeownership Education and Counseling on an organization level and direct their educators and/or counselors to sign and adhere to the Code of Ethics and Conduct outlined in the standards. To fully abide by the standards, organizations will ensure that their educators and counselors implement the recommended benchmarks in their everyday business operations. Organizations and individual educators and counselors are encouraged to strive to exceed the benchmarks.

Why should my organization adopt the National Industry Standards?

By adopting the National Industry Standards, organizations and counselors/educators will:

• Demonstrate a commitment to professionalism in the field
• Ensure clients receive a consistent level of quality and ethical service
• Increase visibility for organization
• Reassure funders that the organization is providing the kind of counseling and education services that deserve sustained support

What is the difference between endorsement and adoption?

Endorsement demonstrates an organization's support for National Industry Standards, signifying them as an important, visible dedication to professionalism for practitioners on behalf of their clients. Endorsers may incorporate the standards into their business requirements.

Adoption demonstrates an organization's commitment to implement the standards for homeownership education and counseling in everyday business operations. Organizations are encouraged to strive to exceed the benchmarks.

How do I endorse the National Industry Standards for my organization?

A representative from your organization who has authority to adopt standards of practices (e.g., the executive director, board chair, homeownership center director) can endorse the National Industry Standards for the organization. Documents can be obtained and reviewed at www.homeownershipstandards.com. A representative from an organization can endorse the National Industry Standards by visiting the National Industry Standards website.

How do I adopt the National Industry Standards for my organization?

A representative from your organization who has authority to adopt standards of practices (e.g., the executive director, board chair, homeownership center director) can adopt the National Industry Standards for the organization by visiting the National Industry Standards website. Documents can be obtained and reviewed at www.homeownershipstandards.com. After entering information about your organization and each counselor and/or educator on staff, NISHEC staff will review and confirm the information. You will be notified of any further information needed, and will be notified when adoption is confirmed.

Full National Industry Standards adoption occurs when the recommended benchmarks for homeownership education and counseling are implemented into the organization's business operations. The executive director, board and staff should commit to implementing the National Industry Standards into everyday business operations.

If I leave my current organization, is my adoption of the Standards and Code of Ethics still valid?

If a counselor/educator leaves an organization, he/she should encourage the new employer organization to adopt the National Industry Standards. The Code of Ethics and Conduct is transferable.

Do I have to renew or reapply for the Standards or Code of Ethics once I sign up?

At present, there is no expiration date for the National Industry Standards and Code of Ethics and Conduct. The National Industry Standards adoption is non-transferable and becomes invalid only when employment ceases with an organization that adopts the National Industry Standards. The Code of Ethics is transferable and you do not have to reapply upon starting new employment.

Who developed the National Industry Standards?

The National Advisory Council is leading the way by collaborating with major homeownership education and counseling organizations, as well as other industry stakeholders, to establish voluntary national industry standards, including a code of ethics and conduct, to ensure the value of homeownership education and housing counseling is realized.

National Advisory Council
The National Advisory Council comprises a broad representation of industry stakeholders. Companies and organizations include:

• Bank of America
• Chase
• Chrysalis Consulting Group, LLC
• Citi
• Community Development Corporation of Long Island, Inc.
• Consumer Credit Counseling Services of San Francisco
• Countrywide Financial Corporation
• Fannie Mae
• Federal Reserve Board
• Freddie Mac
• The Housing Partnership Network
• Minnesota Housing
• Mortgage and Credit Center
• Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation (MGIC)
• NAREB-NID
• National Association of Realtors®
• National Council of La Raza (NCLR)
• National Council of State Housing Finance Agencies
• NeighborWorks® America
• NHS of Great Falls
• University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
• Wells Fargo

The Advisory Council for the National Industry Standards for Homeownership Education and Counseling was convened and staffed by the NeighborWorks® Center for Homeownership Education and Counseling (NCHEC).

Mike Haley, Minnesota Housing
Chairman
Cora Fulmore, Mortgage & Credit Center
Vice-Chair
Jayna Bower, NCHEC Director

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The National Industry Standards are the product of the National Advisory Council.
Copyright © 2008 NeighborWorks® America.