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Opportunity Details
Housing Counseling Support Volunteer
Organization: Virginia Housing and Community Development Corporation
Location: Remote / Hybrid / In-person by assignment
Service Area: Commonwealth of Virginia, with emphasis on Northern Virginia, Central Virginia, and Hampton Roads
Time Commitment: 4–8 hours per week preferred
Length of Commitment: 12 months preferred
Reports To: CEO, Housing Counseling Program Manager, or HUD-Certified Housing Counselor
Position Type: Volunteer
Program Area: Housing Counseling, First-Time Homebuyer Readiness, Rental Housing Stability, Financial Empowerment
Role Summary
Virginia Housing and Community Development Corporation is seeking a dedicated volunteer to support our housing counseling and homeownership readiness programs. This volunteer will help renters, prospective first-time homebuyers, and community members connect with VHCDC’s housing education, intake, counseling, and down-payment assistance readiness services.
This role is ideal for someone with experience or interest in housing counseling, financial education, real estate, mortgage lending, nonprofit service, community development, or client support.
A volunteer who is already a HUD-Certified Housing Counselor may assist with counseling-related activities as authorized by VHCDC. A volunteer who is not HUD-certified may serve in a support, intake, education, referral, and follow-up role but may not provide individual housing counseling, determine program eligibility, or give financial, mortgage, legal, or tax advice.
Key Responsibilities
The volunteer may assist VHCDC with:
- Responding to general inquiries from renters and prospective homebuyers.
- Explaining VHCDC’s available services using approved scripts and materials.
- Helping clients understand the general steps to register for First-Time Home Buyers College.
- Supporting intake for homebuyer education, pre-purchase counseling, rental counseling, and financial readiness services.
- Helping clients gather general information needed before meeting with a certified counselor.
- Making reminder calls, emails, or texts for classes, counseling appointments, and document submission deadlines.
- Referring clients to VHCDC staff for official counseling, eligibility review, and program decisions.
- Supporting follow-up with renters who complete interest forms, readiness quizzes, or class registrations.
- Helping track client progress from inquiry to class registration to counseling appointment.
- Participating in outreach events, housing fairs, webinars, or community presentations.
- Supporting fair housing, budgeting, credit readiness, rental readiness, and homeownership education activities under staff supervision.
Duties for HUD-Certified Volunteers Only
If the volunteer is already HUD-certified and approved by VHCDC to perform counseling duties, the volunteer may also assist with:
- One-on-one pre-purchase housing counseling.
- Rental housing counseling.
- Budget and credit readiness review.
- Housing affordability discussions.
- Client action plans.
- Counseling notes and client management system documentation.
- Follow-up counseling appointments.
- Referrals to appropriate VHCDC programs or partner resources.
All counseling duties must follow VHCDC policies, HUD housing counseling requirements, confidentiality standards, and documentation procedures.
What This Volunteer Will Not Do Unless Properly Certified and Authorized
The volunteer may not:
- Provide official housing counseling if not HUD-certified.
- Determine eligibility for down-payment assistance.
- Promise grant funding, mortgage approval, rental approval, or home purchase outcomes.
- Provide legal, tax, investment, credit repair, or mortgage loan advice.
- Review sensitive financial documents unless authorized and trained.
- Negotiate with landlords, lenders, creditors, or public agencies on behalf of clients unless authorized by VHCDC.
- Recommend a specific lender, Realtor, settlement agent, insurance provider, or contractor for personal or business benefit.
- Use client information for any non-VHCDC purpose.
Ideal Qualifications
- Strong interest in affordable housing, homeownership, rental stability, or financial empowerment.
- Excellent communication and listening skills.
- Respectful, patient, and nonjudgmental approach to client service.
- Ability to follow scripts, procedures, and compliance instructions.
- Comfortable using email, phone, video meetings, spreadsheets, and online forms.
- Reliable, organized, and able to maintain confidentiality.
- Familiarity with budgeting, credit, renting, homebuying, or nonprofit service is helpful.
- HUD Housing Counselor Certification is strongly preferred for counseling duties.
Helpful Backgrounds
This role may be a good fit for:
- Retired housing professionals.
- Social workers or case managers.
- Financial educators.
- Community development professionals.
- College students in public administration, social work, urban planning, finance, or nonprofit management.
- Former housing counselors.
- Faith or community volunteers with strong client-service skills.
Training Provided
VHCDC will provide:
- Orientation to VHCDC’s mission, programs, and services.
- Approved language for discussing programs and down-payment assistance.
- Fair housing and confidentiality expectations.
- Intake and referral procedures.
- First-Time Home Buyers College registration process.
- Guidance on when to refer questions to VHCDC staff.
- Supervision by VHCDC leadership or certified housing counseling staff.
Time Commitment
Preferred commitment is 4–8 hours per week. A 12-month commitment is ideal.
Flexible scheduling is available. Some evening or weekend availability may be helpful for classes, webinars, and community events.
Civic & Community
Age Minimum (with Adult): 18+, Minimum Age:18+, Skills: Advocacy, Adult Education, Financial Literacy, Financial Planning, Human Services, Office Support, Training Facilitation, Tutoring
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