Housing Counseling Services

What Housing Counseling Services does

Housing Counseling Services (HCS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1972 and headquartered at 2410 17th St NW in Washington, DC. The organization delivers comprehensive housing counseling, training, advocacy, and technical assistance to low- and moderate-income residents across the DC metropolitan region, including the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. HCS operates as a one-stop-shop for housing consumers, coordinating 15 distinct programs that span the full housing lifecycle: homelessness prevention (ERAP), rental assistance and tenant rights (RISE, Anti-Displacement), homeownership access (HPAP providing up to $202,000 in down payment assistance, IZ/ADU lotteries), foreclosure prevention and reverse mortgage counseling (HECM), home rehabilitation (SFRRP), housing for veterans (SSVF), and housing for people living with HIV/AIDS (MHAP). Services are delivered through HUD-certified counselors via in-person sessions at the DC office, Zoom-based webinars, and dedicated telephone lines for each program.

HCS is not a technology company; its core infrastructure consists of standard office productivity tools, a case management system for client intake and tracking, and the Zoom webinar platform for remote education. There is no proprietary software, AI/ML capability, or consumer-facing technology product. The organization's technology posture is functional rather than differentiated.

HCS operates on a grant-funded nonprofit revenue model. Services are provided free of charge to eligible clients. Revenue streams consist of government grants and contracts from federal agencies (HUD, US Department of Veterans Affairs) and DC agencies (DHCD, DOH, DHS); foundation grants from entities including the Cafritz Foundation, Greater Washington Community Foundation, Enterprise Community Partners, and the JP Morgan Chase Foundation; corporate sponsorships (Capital One, Truist Mortgage); and individual donations processed through the website. The organization is led by Executive Director Marian Siegel and Deputy Director S. Theresa Hill, with a team of 11-50 employees organized around multiple program director roles.

Name

Housing Counseling Services

Legal name

Housing Counseling Services, Inc.

Website

https://housingetc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Housing Counseling Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1972 that provides housing counseling, training, and advocacy to low- and moderate-income residents across the DC, Maryland, and Virginia metropolitan region through 15 coordinated programs spanning homelessness prevention, rental assistance, homeownership support, foreclosure prevention, and veteran and HIV/AIDS housing services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Housing Counseling Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Other Community Housing Services (624229)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Counseling, Foreclosure Prevention & Loss Mitigation Programs (FSALAKAM), Public & Affordable Housing Programs (Subsidies, Vouchers, Public Housing) (BPAIANAA), Reverse Mortgage Counseling & Consumer Education (HUD-Approved) (FSALAIAG), Housing Voucher & Rental Assistance Programs (Tenant-Based/Project-Based) (FSALAKAI)

Keywords

• Housing counseling services
• Foreclosure prevention counseling
• Homelessness prevention services
• Homebuyer education
• Tenant rights assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Contracts: Primary funding from federal and local government agencies including US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), US Department of Veterans Affairs, DC Department of Housing and Community Development, DC Department of Health, and DC Department of Human Services. HCS receives grants and contracts to administer housing assistance programs.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Funding from foundations including The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, The Greater Washington Community Foundation, Enterprise Community Partners, The Share Fund, JP Morgan Chase Foundation, and others. Corporate sponsors include Capital One Bank and Truist Mortgage.
3. Donations: Tax-deductible charitable contributions from individual donors and community members. The organization accepts donations through PayPal and other methods.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Housing Counseling Services provides comprehensive housing counseling, training, advocacy, and technical assistance for low- and moderate-income homebuyers, homeowners, tenants, homeless individuals, veterans, and people living with HIV/AIDS in the metropolitan Washington DC region. Core offerings include one-on-one HUD-certified counseling, foreclosure prevention, home purchase assistance (HPAP up to $202,000), emergency rental assistance (ERAP), financial/credit counseling, tenant rights and anti-displacement services, reverse mortgage counseling, and group workshops via Zoom and telephone.

Product overview

Housing Counseling Services (HCS) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that operates as a single-platform social services organization offering comprehensive housing counseling and support services. Rather than a traditional tech product portfolio, HCS provides a coordinated suite of 15 distinct housing assistance programs and services designed to help low- and moderate-income residents in the DC metropolitan region achieve housing stability. The core offerings include: Comprehensive Counseling, Foreclosure Prevention, Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP), Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), Fair Housing Services, Financial/Credit Counseling, Tenant Rights and Anti-Displacement, Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF), Metropolitan Access Housing Program (MHAP) for individuals living with HIV/AIDS, Renters Increasing Stability through Empowerment (RISE), Reverse Mortgage (HECM) counseling, DC Single Family Residential Rehabilitation Program (SFRRP), Condo/Co-op Technical Assistance, Inclusionary Zoning/Affordable Dwelling Unit Programs, and Training/Webinars. These programs work together as a 'one-stop-shop' approach for housing consumers, addressing the full spectrum of housing needs from homelessness prevention to homeownership assistance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Comprehensive Counseling Individualized counseling services in rental housing, pre-purchase, non-delinquency post purchase, and budget/credit areas to help clients resolve housing issues and secure long-term housing opportunities. Available to low- and moderate-income residents in the DC metropolitan area.
• Condo/Co-op Technical Assistance Training and technical assistance for condominium and cooperative association boards on property and asset management.
• DC Single Family Residential Rehabilitation Program (SFRRP) Grants provided by DC DHCD to District homeowners up to 50% of appraised home value to make homes safe and accessible, including roof repairs and lead-based paint hazard removal.
• Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) Helps vulnerable DC residents experiencing or facing homelessness with assistance paying overdue rent, court costs, late fees, security deposit, and first month's rent.
• Fair Housing Services Education and outreach to groups, individuals, and housing professionals to promote equal access to housing, including assistance with filing housing discrimination complaints.
• Financial/Credit Counseling Free credit and budget counseling services, including help with clearing up credit issues, developing savings plans, and budgeting.
• Foreclosure Prevention One-on-one counseling with HUD-certified counselors to discuss options to prevent foreclosure, including weekly Foreclosure Prevention Clinics/Webinars.
• Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP) Financial assistance program providing up to $4,000 for closing costs and up to $202,000 for down payment assistance as a zero-interest second trust loan for DC residents.
• Inclusionary Zoning / Affordable Dwelling Unit Programs Helps income-eligible households rent or purchase below-market-rate homes through lottery and non-lottery-based opportunities.
• Metropolitan Access Housing Program (MHAP) Centralized intake and referral service for low- and moderate-income persons living with HIV/AIDS seeking housing-related assistance in DC, Prince George's County MD, Charles County MD, and Virginia. Provides housing search counseling, budgeting, and referrals to EFA, SHARP, HITE, HPI, TOP, S-TOP, and STRMU programs.
• Renters Increasing Stability through Empowerment (RISE) Case management services helping tenants establish budgets that prioritize rent payments, reduce eviction risk, and negotiate payment plans with landlords.
• Reverse Mortgage: Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) Counseling for homeowners 62 or older on converting home equity into income or line of credit through HECM loans.
• Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Case management and temporary financial assistance for very low-income veterans who are homeless or facing homelessness in DC, Prince George's County, Montgomery County, Fairfax County, Arlington County, and Alexandria.
• Tenant Rights and Anti-Displacement Information and technical assistance to help individual tenants and tenant groups navigate landlord-tenant issues and prevent displacement.
• Training and Webinars Online workshops and training available via Zoom or telephone, covering topics including foreclosure prevention, inclusionary zoning, financial literacy, pre-purchase orientation, and tenant rights.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Homes for HopesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmergency housing partner providing limited emergency housing options for MHAP clients on a first-come first-served basis for up to 60 days.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• GreenPath Financial Wellness: HUD-approved nonprofit providing housing counseling, foreclosure prevention, reverse mortgage counseling (HECM), and credit counseling nationally. Directly competes for HUD counseling grants and offers the same core service lines as HCS.
• Clearpoint Credit Counseling Solutions: HUD-approved housing counseling and credit counseling agency providing foreclosure prevention, pre-purchase, and reverse mortgage counseling. Operates in similar program mix and funder ecosystem as HCS.
• Money Management International (MMI): HUD-approved housing and credit counseling agency offering foreclosure prevention, reverse mortgage counseling, pre-purchase counseling, and rental counseling. Directly competes for the same federal counseling contracts as HCS.
• National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC): National umbrella network of HUD-approved housing and credit counseling agencies. Directly comparable as the largest federated housing counseling organization serving low- and moderate-income consumers across the US.
• NACA (Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America): HUD-approved counseling organization providing pre-purchase counseling, mortgage assistance, and foreclosure prevention. Competes for similar funder pools and serves similar low- and moderate-income buyer segments.
• HomeFree-USA: HUD-approved national housing counseling nonprofit focused on sustainable homeownership for underserved communities. Operates the same core programs as HCS — pre-purchase, foreclosure prevention, financial coaching — and competes for HUD and foundation grants.

Broad incumbents

• NeighborWorks America: National network supporting 250+ affordable housing and counseling nonprofits. Comparable as a HUD-aligned intermediary that funds and certifies housing counseling agencies like HCS, with broader scope across housing development.

Others

• National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC): National coalition promoting fair lending and housing access. Comparable as an advocacy-focused housing services organization with overlapping funder base and policy engagement around HUD programs relevant to HCS.
• Enterprise Community Partners: National affordable housing nonprofit that both funds and operates housing counseling programs. Comparable as an ecosystem participant — Enterprise is a current HCS funder and a potential strategic partner or competitor depending on geography.

Regional players

• SOME (So Others Might Eat): DC-based nonprofit providing housing, homelessness prevention, and supportive services. Operates in the same DC geography with overlapping homeless services and receives similar DC government funding as HCS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HCSINC
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/housing-counseling-services-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Housing Counseling Services