Housing Choice Voucher Specialist Certification Program

Training & Certification

***VAHC is currently revising the Certified Housing Counselor and Certified Comprehensive Housing Counselor training manual and test module to ensure that our counselors are educated on the most recent and up to date aspects of housing counselor. The new training module will be introduced at the 2009 Spring Annual Housing Conference.

Please check back in March 2009 for more information.  

Certified Housing Counselor

For those individuals who want to earn the designation "Certified Housing Counselor" they may do so at the VAHC Conference each year.

Certified Comprehensive Housing Counselor

In order to earn the designation of Certified Comprehensive Housing Counselor you must have received the Certified Housing Counselor through VAHC first. The Comprehensive portion covers the Fair Housing Act and Landlord/Tenant Act for the State of Virginia.

Certification Fees

Certified Housing Counselor Exam: $100.00 (*)
Certification Manual: $50.00

Certified Comprehensive Housing Counselor Exam: $50.00 (*)(**)
Certification Manual: $25.00

Certified Housing Choice Voucher Specialist Exam: $350.00 (*)
Certification Manual: $50.00

(*) Membership dues must be current to take the exam
(**) Must have Certified Housing Counselor designation in order to take Comprehensive exam

The Certification Program will be in place for Housing Choice Voucher Counselors at the 2008 Annual Conference to be held in Virginia Beach.

Certification Maintenance

In order to maintain Certifications, you must earn 12 Continuing Education Credits in a 24 month period beginning immediately after the certification is awarded. This can be done either through attending the VAHC Annual Conference or through other seminars and workshops. If it is through something other than the VAHC Annual Conference or VAHC-sponsored events, you must submit your request for CEU awards by completing the CEU Credit Form and attaching any information having to do with the event, i.e. agenda. If the sponsoring organization is awarding CEUs for the event, you must get those CEUs awarded prior to sending anything to VAHC. No awards can be made to seminars or workshops where the sponsoring organization makes the CEUs available.

Request For CEU Credit

Contact us for additional information