Program Overview

Overview of the Affordable Housing Professionals Certification Program

The Affordable Housing Professionals Certification Program is a cooperative endeavor between the Center for Government Services (CGS) at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and the Affordable Housing Professionals of New Jersey (AHPNJ). This professional development course of study is designed for individuals who work toward the support and provision of affordable housing, covering federally-funded programs as well as the state regulatory program.

Mission of AHPNJ

The mission of AHPNJ is to:

• Promote and enhance professionalism and knowledge in the field by supporting affordable housing through dialogue, ethical standards, education, advocacy, and policy guidance.
• Establish "best practices" for housing procedure and protocol in the interrelated fields of administrative agents, architects, developers, property managers, state and municipal employees, non-profit and for-profit corporations, human/social service providers, financial institutions, planners, and attorneys.
• Establish resources for professional assistance.
• Promote competency and expertise in the affordable housing industry that is desirable to employers, peers, advocates, and clients.
• Promote compassion in the agencies and individuals that support the provision of affordable housing.

Certificate Requirements

To qualify for the Rutgers/AHPNJ certificate, participants must successfully complete 36 hours of classroom training. Successful completion is defined as 80% attendance of the class hours and a passing grade of 70% or higher on the final examination.

Required Courses

The four required courses total 27 hours. The remaining nine hours are accrued from electives approved by CGS and AHPNJ. The required courses are:

• Introduction to Affordable Housing for NJ Municipalities
• Determining Eligibility for Affordable Housing Programs
• Fair Housing
• Ethics for Affordable Housing Professionals

Approved Elective Courses

Approved elective courses include:

• Qualifying Households for Affordable Housing
• Planning and Development of Affordable Housing (offered in Rutgers NJ Local Housing Authority and Redevelopment Agency Training Program)
• Records Management for Affordable Housing
• Municipal Process for Residential Development
• Best Practices in Affordable Housing
• Practicum on setting Sales Prices and Rental Rates Under UHAC

AHP Certificate of Completion

Upon successful completion of Affordable Housing Professional required and approved elective courses, a student may apply for an AHP Certificate of Completion, which must be renewed every three years.

Course Schedule

All registrations for online/distant learning and in-person courses must be received no later than three business days before the class begins. Late registrations will not be accepted.

Course Catalog

The course catalog includes:

Best Practices for Affordable Housing

• Credit/CEU/Hours: 4 Hours
• This course is designed exclusively for Administrative Agents and Municipal Housing Liaisons, covering topics such as random selection processes, technology to enhance pre-application and application procedures, and emerging threats to affordable housing units.

Determining Eligibility for Affordable Housing Programs

• Credit/CEU/Hours: 6 Hours
• This full-day course provides a basic understanding of the required steps necessary for determining "eligibility" to buy or rent an affordable housing unit.

Ethics for Affordable Housing Professionals

• Credit/CEU/Hours: 3 hours
• This half-day session focuses on the nature of the public trust and the "rules" for ethical behavior that are relevant for affordable housing professionals.

Fair Housing

• Credit/CEU/Hours: 3 hours
• This half-day session centers on discrimination in housing, including state and federal legislation.

Introduction to Affordable Housing for New Jersey Municipalities

• Credit/CEU/Hours: 15 hours
• This two-day course defines affordable housing programs, covering the history of housing policy, laws, regulations, and court cases relative to affordable housing at both the federal and state levels.

Municipal Process for Residential Development

• Credit/CEU/Hours: 6 hours
• Prerequisite: Introduction to Affordable Housing for New Jersey Municipalities
• This course provides students with an understanding of how affordable units are decided and placed in the community.

Planning and Development of Affordable Housing

• Credit/CEU/Hours: 6 hours
• This one-day course explores nontraditional development opportunities for housing authorities and redevelopment agencies.

Qualifying Households for Affordable Housing

• Credit/CEU/Hours: 6 hours
• This full-day course teaches Administrative Agents what to know when qualifying applicants for affordable housing.

Records Management for Affordable Housing

• Credit/CEU/Hours: 3 hours
• This half-day course examines the requirements for the use, retention, and release of records kept by municipalities and their outsourced agencies providing affordable housing services.

Certificate and Certificate of Completion

Upon successful completion of Affordable Housing Professional required and approved elective courses, a student may apply for an AHP Certificate of Completion, which must be renewed every three years.

Continuing Education Information

The certification renewal period is every three years. Twenty continuing education credit hours must be earned over this three-year period. 20% of the required CE credits (four CE credits) are allowed in topic areas outside of the affordable housing field. The applicant is responsible for retaining all records of attendance, organization membership, or program participation. All courses taken outside of Rutgers and AHPNJ will need to be approved before credit is given.