Housing Smarts is a Homebuyer Education Program that offers homeownership training from pre-purchase and post-purchase classroom instruction to one-on-one counseling for individuals who need information about homeownership.

Housing Smarts pre-purchase uses the NeighborWorks America curriculum, Realizing the American Dream, a nationally recognized homebuyer education course. Topics include:

Class 1: Assessing Your Readiness to Buy and Money Management

Class 2: Understanding Credit and Financing a Home

Class 3: Selecting and Maintaining a Home and Managing Your Finances

Housing Smarts pre-purchase class requirements are:
(1) you live within the city limits of Austin
(2) earn 80% or less of the area Median Family Income (MFI). Download the MFI chart here.
In addition you must bring a copy of your Texas Driver License and your last pay stub, all other materials are provided including textbooks.

A certificate is awarded upon completion of all three classes. This certificate satisfies the Homebuyer Education component for many Housing Programs offered in Austin including the City’s Down Payment Assistance Program (DPA), and some Travis County and State of Texas programs. Check with you lender first to see if this class meets your loan requirements.

Housing Smarts post-purchase class helps homeowners who may find themselves at risk of losing their homes. The course also serves as a "refresher" for those who have recently purchased a home and are now experiencing the financial realities of being a homeowner. Topics in this curriculum include foreclosure prevention, refinancing, home equity and reverse mortgage, and we use NeighborWorks America Keeping the American Dream, manual for homeowners.

All former DPA and Housing Smarts graduates automatically qualify to take this class. All other individuals wishing to attend must live within the city limits of Austin and have a gross annual income of 80% or below the Median Family Income (MFI)

You may register for either class by downloading the registration form. Fax it to 512-974-3161, or mail/deliver to 1000 E. 11th St. Suite 200 Austin TX 78702; attn: Housing Smarts.
Call 974-3863 for more information however registrations will no longer be accepted over the phone. Click the Class Schedule for more information.

All classes are free and registration is on a first come first served basis. Classes are held at the office of Neighborhood Housing and Community Development at 1000 E.11th St., Austin TX, 78702, one block east of IH-35. Free Public parking can be accessed from the Waller Street entrance on the East side of the building.

Please make arrangements for children; no day care is available.

Participation in Housing Smarts is voluntary. The participant assumes any and all risk of any financial or other consequence based on actions taken or not taken by the participant as the result of verbal or written information received through the Housing Smarts Program, its staff, management, any City of Austin employee or an Austin Housing Finance Corporation board member.

The Austin Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) and the City of Austin are committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Please call 974-3100 (voice) or Relay Texas at 974-3102 or 1-800-735-2989 (TDD) for assistance. For a sign language interpreter, please call AHFC at 974-3863 at least 7 days in advance.

The AHFC and the City of Austin do not discriminate on the basis of disability in the admission or access to or treatment or employment in their programs and activities. Dolores Gonzalez has been designated as the City’s section 504/ADA Coordinator. Her office is located at 505 Barton Springs, Suite 600 if you have any questions or complaints regarding your Section 504/ADA rights, please call the Section 504/ADA Coordinator at 974-3256 (Voice) or 974-2445 (TTY). The AHFC and the City of Austin will comply with the City of Austin’s Visitability Ordinance (#98-1007-A) and the Voluntary Compliance Agreement dated October of 1997. Housing Smarts Homebuyer Education Program.