Verdene Sims

Now, having passed the HUD Housing Counselor Certification Exam, Verdene reflects on her process in four steps: Research, Training, Studying, Passing.

Completely new to the industry, Verdene started researching housing counseling and studying for the HUD exam. Using the study modules provided by HUD, Verdene got a basic understanding of the test’s content. She soon stumbled across Housing Action Illinois during and signed up for the Housing Counseling Career Path training that Housing Action Illinois brought in partnership with Moraine Valley Community College in July 2023. After taking the class, Verdene realized there was a lot she still needed to study to be fully prepared for the test. However, these two steps gave Verdene a solid foundation to continue preparing.

Verdene took advice given by Housing Action’s Capacity Building Specialist Wanda Collins to not rely on just the class–to go back, read through the modules and the handbook, and take the practice test provided by HUD. Knowing what works for her, she printed out the module study guides, took notes, and highlighted the pertinent information. She also joined the HUD Housing Counselor Exam Prep Facebook group to gain resources from others studying to pass the exam. After setting a goal to only take the test one time to pass, Verdene dove into these resources to continue her learning. Just a few months after taking the Housing Counseling Career Path training, Verdene passed the exam on her first attempt.

For people thinking of a career in housing counseling or taking the HUD Housing Counseling Certification Exam, Verdene says, “If it’s something you really want to do, definitely put in the time to study and prepare for the test.” She recommends finding out what works for you to make the information stick, and to zone in on the areas you know will be more difficult for you. Take advantage of resources, whether that be a training, the HUD modules and practice exams, or the Facebook group. “Don’t skimp on good old fashioned studying.”

Verdene plans to look for employment at a HUD-approved Housing Counseling Agency in the near future. Being so new to the industry, Verdene doesn’t know much about the day-to-day of housing counseling, but she expects that it will be “interacting with people who you help [and learning] to document your interactions with people.” Verdene is excited for the opportunity to help others in her retirement. She says, “It is important to me to try to do it. I don’t know how it’s going to turn out, but it’s just something that I’ve always wanted to do…just help folks”.

 Housing counseling is “almost like helping someone walk through the American dream—but it’s not all about homeownership,” says Kesha Chatman, the Division Operating Officer at Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis. “You are counseling on their finances, you are counseling on making sure people can advocate for themselves.”

In 2017, Kesha Chatman began teaching homebuyer classes with Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and realized she had a passion for helping walk people through the process of homebuying—a major part of peoples’ life journeys. Kesha has learned that housing counseling often goes beyond the individual situation or immediate goals of a client: “once you teach people certain things, then they become influential to the community around them.”

Kesha Chatman, Division Operating Officer

The Career Path training is divided into six different sessions, all covering portions of the HUD Housing Counselor Certification Exam. By focusing on one topic each day and including knowledge checks, the material covered becomes more easily digestible and applicable to not only the exam, but also to the real life situations that housing counselors face after becoming certified.

Kesha highly encourages anyone considering a career in housing counseling or wanting to pass the HUD Certification Exam to attend a Housing Counseling Career Path training with Housing Action.

She also invites those in the housing counseling industry to count all of their clients’ wins, big and small, explaining that housing counseling is not an “‘assembly line’ type of process. Everybody’s case is different. Everybody has different crises and situations and it takes time, mental capability, and knowledge to walk each person through the process of everybody being successful.” A simple acknowledgment of successes along the way in achieving an individual’s overarching goal can help change perspectives, from crossing items and tasks off a checklist to realizing the upward journey. As a counselor, Chatman wants to “impact peoples’ lives, so helping them to just mentally change their mindset on the positive things is a win.”