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 2024, 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.
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.
Learn more »
Making the Case for Housing Counseling
HUD’s Office of Housing Counseling has launched a campaign called Let’s Make Home the Goal to help people understand how HUD-certified housing counseling can help with reaching financial and homeownership goals.
See campaign materials »
Latest News for Housing Counselors
Counting All Wins
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...
Announcing the Release of CMS Guide 3.0
Housing Action Illinois is pleased to announce the release of the latest edition of our Guide to HUD-Approved CMSs (version 3.0), which profiles HUD-approved Client Management Systems (CMSs) for housing counseling agencies. This digital resource is available for free...
New Partnership: Bringing the Housing Counselor Career Path to Moraine Valley Community College
Housing Action Illinois is excited to partner with Moraine Valley Community College (MVCC) to present our Housing Counseling Career Path certification training program this summer. The training will be a three-day virtual series. For the first time, we will hold the...
Uplifting the Community: HANA Center
HANA Center was created in 2017 when Korean American Community Services and Korean American Resource and Cultural Center merged, joining together with the goal of empowering Korean American and multiethnic immigrant communities through social services, education, and...
Making Dreams Possible: Housing Counseling in Spanish & English
Léelo en español: Haciendo posibles los sueños: Consejería de vivienda en español e inglés Spotlight on: Cory Hernandez, Financial Literacy & Home Ownership Counselor with Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission It was her own experience as a first-time...
Housing Action Awarded Nearly $1.4 Million to Distribute to Housing Counseling Agencies & Host National Trainings
Housing Action will distribute subgrants to 35 housing counseling organizations and facilitate national trainings for agencies For Immediate Release: August 31, 2022Contact: Kristin Ginger, Manager of Communications & Development, Housing Action Illinois,...
Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing: The Role of Housing Counselors
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...
Housing Action Awarded Nearly $1.6 Million to Distribute to Housing Counseling Agencies & Host National Trainings
Housing Action will distribute subgrants to 35 housing counseling organizations and facilitate national trainings for agencies For Immediate Release: January 31, 2022Contact: Kristin Ginger, Manager of Communications & Development, Housing Action Illinois,...
Housing Action Awarded More Than $1 Million in Housing Stability Counseling Program Funding
CHICAGO – HUD has awarded $1,000,206 to Housing Action Illinois to distribute funds to local nonprofits whose housing counseling programs help families rent or buy safe, affordable homes and prevent foreclosures. This year’s network of 33 housing counseling agencies, listed below, serve communities in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Missouri.
New Initiative: Introducing the Housing Counselor Corps
Housing Action Illinois is excited to bring together two of our programs—supporting housing counseling agencies and managing a network of AmeriCorps VISTA Members—for a new initiative: the Housing Counseling Corps. We plan to launch this initiative in the fall of...