Affordable Housing Professional Certifications
The leading source of affordable housing education and certification in Minnesota.
The AHC Education and Leadership Center (ELC) offers educational courses that incorporate testing and certification for content mastery as well as courses on single topics such as Fair Housing and various aspects of Annual Compliance reporting. Our ELC collaboration with Hamline University focuses on developing the next generation of industry leaders, enchancing their skills through the Leadership in Affordable Housing Certificate (LAHC).
We also offer continuing education courses on specific topics for property managers and those new to working with AHC or affordable housing.
We offer a range of professional certificates ideal for:
OWNERS AND MANAGERS
Owners and managers of rental housing properties with federal funding programs such as LIHTC or HOME, local government staff, asset managers, consultants, and anyone else who wants to learn more about affordable housing program requirements.
NEW STAFF
Learn the basics of program regulations, income & rent restrictions, reporting and compliance requirements.
EXPERIENCED STAFF
Reinforce your understanding of regulations and program compliance with examples and case studies.
ELC Certification Courses are delivered by Zoom as interactive webinars. Timing is tailored to your team’s schedule. ELC can adapt delivery to provide the best training solution for your organization’s needs. The 3-module certification curriculum unitizes multiple training modalities to reinforce learning, including:
- Animation
- Links to helpful resources such as manuals, toolkits, and regulations
- Project profiles and case studies
- Quizzes
Test your knowledge throughout the courses with quizzes and with a final Certification Examination. Content mastery certification will be issued for 36 months and can be maintained by Continuing Education.
Leadership in Affordable Housing Certificate (LAHC)
In partnership with Hamline University, the two-semester Leadership in Affordable Housing Certification Program covers the economics of affordable housing as well as the history and key political and economic issues that created the affordable housing crisis. Armed with this knowledge, you can identify opportunities and become an industry innovator.
Certified HOME Compliance Specialist - Rental
The Certified HOME Compliance Specialist - Rental program prepares participants for proficiency in qualifying applicants for rental properties. The three-part course explains the history of the HOME program, its federal regulations, and how Participating Jurisdictions (PJ’s) use HOME to address local needs.
Taught over three 4-hour sessions, there are no prerequisites. While you can choose to register for any of the modules separately, you will only receive a Certification by completing all three courses.
Beyond the Basics Course 1:
Introduction to the HOME Program (legislative history, eligible activities and costs, income and occupancy requirements, rent levels, fair housing)
Beyond the Basics Course 2:
HOME Program administration and Ongoing rental housing management ('Fixed' and 'Floating,' units, 'Low' versus 'High' unit status, over-income households, and unit transfers)
Beyond the Basics Course 3
HOME occupancy requirements (who is an eligible household, what are income and assets, applying income limits to document household eligibility, correcting noncompliance)
Tax Credit Compliance Specialist Certificate
The Tax Credit Compliance Specialist Certification utilizes Affordable Housing Connection’s expert staff to deliver premier Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) training and certification. Through a detailed overview of IRS and HUD regulations and guidance, people responsible for tax credit properties will emerge from this three-part course ready to manage the complex issues in the tax credit program.
Each session is two full days.
TCCS: Module 1
LIHTC Overview (Participants, Timeframes, Key Concepts, Key Documents); Project and Unit Eligibility (Determining Income and Rent Limits).
TCCS: Module 2
Household Eligibility (Qualifying the Household, Special Rules: Students, Vacant Units, Next Available Unit).
TCCS: Module 3
Compliance Documentation Year One through Year 30 and Beyond (Income Recertifications, Unit Transfers, Average Income Test, Adjusting Utility Allowance Methods, Compliance Reporting and Site Monitoring, Correcting or Clarifying Noncompliance, Preparing for Income/Rent restrictions or Property resyndication).
Certificate in Affordable Housing Programs Compliance
The Affordable Housing Compliance Certificate is an accelerated program created to equip professionals with the knowledge and skills in the specialized segment of the housing market that requires technical expertise in applicable federal housing and tax laws, regulations, policies, multiple public-private funding sources, and record keeping for reporting compliance outcomes.
AHPCC Module 1
Introduction to Affordable Housing Programs and Policies
AHPCC Module 2
Fair Housing in Affordable Housing Programs
AHPCC Module 3
Putting Theory into Practice: Project and Tenant Compliance Case Studies with Multiple Program Funding Sources