Housing Action
Training Center
National Trainings for Housing Counselors
A core part of our Capacity Building program is bringing a robust lineup of trainings for nonprofit housing professionals, with a specific focus on educating housing counselors.
Our goal is to equip housing counselors with the skills and knowledge they need to better help individuals and families find and keep good homes. In 2021, we expanded our training program beyond Illinois, and since then, we have continued to grow our programming, educating housing counselors from across the country.
Interested in joining us to expand your knowledge and better serve your community? Join our email list to learn about ongoing learning opportunities.
Going Nationwide
Housing Action has been training housing counselors since 2006. In 2021, we expanded our training program beyond Illinois, and since then, we have continued to grow our programming, educating housing counselors from across the country.
In 2023, our trainings were attended by
participants
from across the U.S.
On-Demand Trainings
Recognizing the need for housing counselors to have flexible and dynamic learning opportunities, we’ve launched our first on-demand training opportunity, Compliance Matters: The 2024 Definitive HUD Data Compliance Course for HUD-Certified Housing Counselors.
Prerecorded Trainings & Materials
HUD Updates with Jerrold H. Mayer (2023)
Helping Illinois Homeowners Navigate the Home Appraisal Process (2022)
Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing: The Role of Housing Counselors (2022)
Fair housing is the right to choose housing free from unlawful discrimination. This training is to help housing counselors better understand the how fair housing works in the United States and why it is so important. Learn about the history of the Fair Housing Act and Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH), why these legal protections are essential to expanding housing opportunities, what has happened recently when it comes to fair housing, and how housing counselors can play a critical role in furthering fair housing for your clients and your communities.
Housing Action Illinois brought this training partnership with CAFHA.
Stay Informed & Hear from Experts
We partner with well-respected trainers to make sure that participants get the critical updates and key foundational information needed to support clients.
Becoming a HUD-Certified Housing Counselor
Housing Action Illinois has designed a training series to help newcomers who are interested in a career as a housing counselor. Our Housing Counseling Career Path is a comprehensive program designed to help you understand the six core principles of housing counseling and prepare to pass the HUD Individual Certification Exam, which makes you eligible for hire by a HUD-approved housing counseling agency.
Making the Case for Housing Counseling
Latest News for Housing Counselors
Housing Action Illinois Awarded $820,030 in Housing Counseling Funds: 26 Agencies to Receive Sub-Grants
HUD has awarded $820,030 to Housing Action Illinois to distribute resources to local organizations whose housing programs and services prevent foreclosures and help families rent or buy safe, affordable homes. This year’s network of 26 housing counseling...
Housing Action Trainings Go Nationwide
We're excited to announce that Housing Action Illinois is beginning to facilitate housing counselor trainings not just in Illinois but in states across the nation. In response to needs expressed by housing counselors, Housing Action has started to develop...
New Housing Counselor Training: The Fundamentals of Rental Counseling
Americans are more likely to rent a home today than at any other time during the previous 50 years. Given this landscape, it is essential for housing counselors to empower clients with information and resources during every step of the rental process....
New Housing Counselor Training: Housing Counselor Online Made Easy
Home Counselor Online (HCO) is a free client management system (CMS) developed and managed by Fannie Mae that can make required reporting to HUD and other funders easier. But until now, there hasn’t been a comprehensive hands-on training to teach housing...
March 2017: Federal and State Housing Advocacy Update
Federal Level Advocacy Along with advocates from across the country who work to create affordable housing and end homelessness, we are dismayed by President Trump’s budget “blueprint" for next year. Why? The proposal cuts the HUD budget by $6.2 billion (13%). The...
Housing Counseling Program Final Rule Summary
On December 14, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a Final Rule for the Housing Counseling program. The most significant of these changes is the requirement that all individuals that provide housing counseling in connection with a HUD...
Housing Action Illinois Awarded $698,000 in HUD Housing Counseling Funds: 26 Agencies to Receive Sub-Grants
Housing Action Illinois has been awarded $698,000 by HUD to channel resources to local organizations to help families and individuals with their housing needs and to prevent foreclosures. Housing Action will distribute the funds to the 26 housing counseling agencies...
New Guide to HUD-Approved Client Management Systems Helps Housing Counselor Agencies Make Informed Decisions
Report delivers detailed breakdowns of 17 client management systems, helping housing counselor agencies find the best fit for their needs A new, comprehensive guide to the Client Management Systems (CMSs) approved by HUD has just been released by Housing Action...
Reverse Mortgage Consumer Protections Signed Into Law
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 11, 2015 CONTACT: Bob Palmer, Policy Director, Housing Action Illinois, 312-282-3959 (cell) or bob@housingactionil.org State legislation to create consumer protections for seniors for considering a reverse mortgage, Senate Bill 1440, was...
Housing Action Illinois Awarded $307,000 in HUD Housing Counseling Funds: 12 Illinois and Indiana Agencies Will Receive Sub-Grants
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 24, 2015 CONTACT: David Young, Director of Technical Assistance, Housing Action Illinois, at 312-939-6074 ext. 202 or david@housingactionil.org Housing Action Illinois received $307,000 to channel resources to 12 housing counseling agencies...