Trainings & Events

Upcoming Trainings & Events

2024

Fair Housing Series  – Virtual
March 26–28 | 1:00–3:00 pm CT
Registration: $150 | Register »

SafeHousing: Addressing Violence Against Women – Virtual
April 1, 3, 8, & 10 | 1:00–4:00 pm CT
Registration: $200 | Register »

Counseling 101 for New Owners Post-Purchase – Virtual
April 4, 11, & 18 | 1:00–4:00 pm CT
Registration: $150 | Register »

8th Annual Toast to Housing Justice – In-person
April 18 | 6:00–8:00 pm CT
Learn more  »

Housing Counseling Career Path – Virtual
In partnership with Moraine Valley Community College
April 23–25 | 1:00–5:00 pm CT
Registration: $225 |Register »
(CE5-137-400, Listed as “Career as a HUD Counselor”)

Credit as an Asset– Virtual
April 30–May 2 | 1:00–4:00 pm CT
Registration: $150 |Register »

Pre-Recorded Trainings

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.
Watch now »

What You Should Know About the Illinois Anti-Predatory Lending Database

This training begins with a brief discussion on how to research information on licensed entities, followed by an overview of the Illinois Anti-Predatory Lending Database (APLD) and a discussion of when housing counseling is required. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) provides information about the APLD’s required housing counseling interview and a walk-through for housing counselors to enter data on the APLD website. Brought in partnership with IDFPR in November 2023.

Watch now »

Scholarship Applications: Housing Action Illinois offers a limited number of training scholarships for housing counselors who work for HUD-approved agencies. Learn more and apply here for trainings scholarships »

*Unfortunately, due to high demand, we have fully granted all of our scholarships for our March and April trainings.

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: Please submit all requests for reasonable accommodations when registering for a training. We will do our best to meet all requests, but to ensure that your request can be met, we ask that you let us know at least one week in advance. Email us with any questions »

Many of our trainings are now virtual, hosted through Zoom, enabling participants from across the nation to join us.

Housing Action Illinois partners with a range of experts and housing counseling leaders, such as Cora Fulmore of DRN, to facilitate our trainings.

Annual Conference

Save the date! Housing Matters 2024 will be held on October 17-18 in Bloomington, IL.

Each year, Housing Action Illinois brings together 350+ housing professionals who care about expanding and protecting affordable housing and ending homelessness in Illinois. Together, we build expertise, experience, and the capacity to make our communities better. Join us to spark connections, get the latest updates, & share ideas as we work together to create an Illinois where everyone has a good, affordable home.

Read about our 2023 conference »

Trainings for Housing Professionals

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.

Housing Action recently received our first HUD Training Award to expand our training program and educate housing counselors across the nation. In 2022, we received another HUD Training Award, which helped us facilitate 26 trainings, attended by 609 participants.

One of our priorities is building a strong pipeline of new housing counselors. We have designed a training series, our Housing Counseling Career Path, to help newcomers pass the HUD certification exam and begin their career as a housing counselor. Learn more »

 

Trainings held in 2022

Participants who attended our trainings in 2022

2024 Trainings & Events

2024 Trainings & Events

Writing Strong AmeriCorps Host Site Applications (January 11)

Navigating Financial Trauma: Innovative Strategies for HUD-Certified Counselors (January 24)

Housing Counseling Career Path (January 30 – February 1)

Housing Counseling: Back to the Basics (February 6-8)

Member Benefits Orientation (March 5)

Lunch & Learn: Demystifying HECM Counseling (March 15)

2023 Trainings & Events

2023 Trainings & Events

2023–2024 AmeriCorps Application – Informative Webinar (January 13)

Housing Counseling Basics (January 17–19)

Housing Counseling Career Path (English)

  • January 24–26, January 31, February 1–2 (English)
  • April 18–20 & 25–27 (English)
  • July 18–20 (English)

Credit as an Asset (February 7–9)

LIHTC 101: The Basics of Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (February 16)

Speaking Up to Center Race in the IL CRA (February 28)

Member Benefits Orientation (March 6)

Helping Clients Avoid Eviction (March 14-16)

Fair Housing Rights & Obligations: Tools for Housing Counselors (March 21, 28, & April 4)

Predatory Lending (March 23)

Designing a Disaster Preparedness Program: What Nonprofits Should Know (April 11–13)

7th Annual Toast to Housing Justice (April 13)

Helping Homeowners in the Wake of COVID-19 (May 4)

What You Should Know About Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM) (May 9–10)

Lunch & Learn: HUD Updates with Jerrold H. Mayer (Member Event) (May 17)

Communications & Development Coffee Hour (Invite Only) (Member Event)

  • May 23
  • July 11

Foreclosure 101 (May 23–24)

Ayudar a los clientes con deudas | Helping Clients with Debt (Spanish) (June 1)

Creating a Results-Driven Financial Coaching Program (June 6–8)

Expand Your Impact with Housing Action’s AmeriCorps VISTA Program (Member Event) (June 27)

Housing Counseling Basics (July 11–13)

Collecting the Missing Data: HUD 9902 Case Studies (July 27)

The Essentials of HUD Data Compliance for Housing Counselors (July 31–August 4)

Member Benefits Orientation (August 22)

Policy Advocacy 101 (August 22)

Housing Counseling Career Path (Spanish) (August 29–31, September 5–7)

Lunch & Learn with Regions Bank for Housing Counselors (September 20)

Housing Counseling Career Path (English) (September 26–28)

Communications & Development Coffee Hour (September 26)

Helping Clients Avoid Eviction (October 3–5)

Dealing with the Property of Elderly and Deceased Homeowners (November 9)

Central Illinois HOusing Developer Summit (November 14)

What You Should Know About the Illinois Anit-Predatory Lending Database (November 14)

Powerful Tools on Financial Coaching (November 16)

Providing Assistance to Homeowners Facing Foreclosure (December 5)

How to Host Housing Counseling Corps Members (December 7)

Best Practices for Housing Counseling Intake (December 7)

Lunch & Learn: Energy Efficiency Programs for Homeowners, Renters, & Building Owners (December 12)

How to Host AmeriCorps Members (December 14)

 

2022 Trainings & Events

2022 Trainings & Events

Housing Counseling Career Path (Virtual)

  • January 11-13 & 18-20
  • September 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22
  • Spanish: November 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17

Member Benefits Orientation (February 23, Virtual)

Basic Alternatives to Foreclosure: The Decision Tree (March 22, Virtual)

Triaging for New Counselors & Intake Specialists (March 29-30, Virtual)

The Ins and Outs of Mortgage Loan Modifications (March 31, Virtual)

Credit Rebuilding: Tools & Tips for Clients Burdened by Debt (April 5, Virtual)

Fair Housing Rights & Obligations: Tools for Housing Counselors (April 12, 13, 14, Virtual)

IHDA’s Illinois Homeowner Assistance Fund Program: How to Apply (April 20, Virtual)

The Housing Counseling Career Path (April 26, 27, 28 & May 3, 4, 5, Virtual)

Helping Illinois Homeowners Navigate the Home Appraisal Process (May 19, Virtual)

What You Should Know About Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM) (May 17, 18, Virtual)

HELOCs and Other Liens: What Housing Counselors Need to Know (June 2, Virtual)

Designing a Disaster Preparedness Program (June 14, 15, 16, Virtual)

Mastering Your Housing Counseling Online Process (June 21, Virtual)

Supercharging Your Credit Counseling Program (June 22, Virtua)

Retooling Your Pre-Purchase Counseling (June 23, Virtual)

Are You Okay? A Mindful Approach to Emotional Wellness (July 7, Virtual)

Designing & Delivering Your Online Homebuying Education Program (July 13, 14, Virtual)

The Essentials of HUD Data Compliance for Housing Counselors (July 19, 20, 21, 27, 28, Virtual)

Last Chance: Comment on Proposed Federal CRA Rule Changes (July 26, Virtual)

Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing: The Role of Housing Counselors (August, Pre-recorded)

Disaster Response Basics for Housing Counselors (August 4, Virtual)

Dealing with the Property of Elderly and Deceased Homeowners (August 15, Virtual)

Member Benefits Orientation (August 23, Virtual)

Getting the Most Out of Credit Education (August 18, Virtual)

The Fundamentals of Rental Counseling (August 24 & 25, Virtual)

Recovery After Foreclosure (September 8, Virtual)

How to Make Your Case for Funding Your Program (December 6, Virtual)

Bankruptcy: What Housing Counselors Need to Know (December 8, Virtual)

2021 Trainings & Events

2021 Trainings & Events

Speaking Up for a Strong IL CRA (December 14, Virtual)

Illinois Rental Payment Program – Round 2: How to Apply Webinar (November 17, Virtual)

Housing Matters: 2021 Annual Conference (October 4-8, Virtual)

Protections & Mortgage Assistance for Illinois Homeowners Impacted by COVID-19: Latest Updates (September 16, Virtual)

Lender Lunch & Learn for Housing Counselors: Second Federal / Self-Help Federal Credit Union (September 15, Virtual)

New Opportunities for Sealing Eviction Records in Illinois (September 9, Virtual)

2021 Member Meeting: Roundtable with State Legislators (September 1, Virtual)

Housing Counseling Corps – Writing a Strong Application (August 24, Virtual)

State of the CRA Under the Biden Administration (August 5, Virtual)

2021 KIDS COUNT Report and Illinois Housing Issues (July 26, Virtual)

Study Group for HUD Housing Counseling Certification (Webinar Series)

  • Daily from January 19 – 21
  • Daily from April 27 – 29
  • Daily from July 20 – 22

Bankruptcy: What Housing Counselors Need to Know (July 8, Virtual)

Making Connections: How Housing Professionals Can Support People Facing Homelessness (June 24, Virtual)

What You Should Know About Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECMs) (June 22-23, Virtual)

Lender Lunch & Learn for Housing Counselors: Providence Bank & Trust (June 16, Virtual)

Designing a Disaster Preparedness Program: What Non-Profits Should Know (May 18-20, Virtual)

IHDA’s Illinois Rental Payment Program: How to Apply (May 17, Virtual)

Supporting Clients with Diverse Digital Literacy Needs (May 6, Virtual)

Fair Housing: Renter Rights & AmeriCorps Opportunities (April 14, 19 & 20, Virtual)

Designing Better Forms (April 8, Virtual)

Helping Homeowners Seeking Loan Modifications (March 25, Virtual)

Plain Language 101 (March 11, Virtual)

Master Follow-Up with First-Time Homebuyers: Creating Effective Email Marketing Campaigns (March 2, , & 16, Virtual)

Housing Counseling: Back to the Basics (March 3 – 4, Virtual)

Get Ready for Tax Season: Basic Filing Information & Free Resources (February 25, Virtual)

Housing Rights for Immigrant Renters in Illinois (February 25, Virtual)

Member Coffee Hour (February 18, Virtual)

Breaking Down LIHTC: Leveraging the Tax Credit for Your Community (February 17, Virtual)

Let’s Get Strategic: Your Nonprofit’s Revenue (February 9, Virtual)

Generating Stable Revenue for Your Nonprofit (February 2, Virtual)

Banks, Communities, & the CRA: Speak Up for a Better Tomorrow (January 19, Virtual)

Hot Cocoa Social (January 13, Virtual)

Banks, Communities, & the CRA: How Did We Get Here? (January 12, Virtual)

2020 Trainings & Events

2020 Trainings & Events

Member Coffee Hour (December 17, Virtual)

Evictions & Foreclosure During COVID-19: What Housing Counselors Should Know (December 8 & 10, Virtual)

2020 Housing Matters! Conference (October 13 – 15, Virtual)

HUD Certification Update with Jerrold Mayer (August 31, Webinar)

Fair Housing Legal Rights and Responsibilities: Tools for Housing Counselors (August 20, Webinar)

Vote Yes! for the Fair Tax: Info & Action Session (August 19, Webinar)

Counseling Clients with Student Loans (August 6 – 7, Webinar Series)

HELOCs and Other Liens: What Housing Counselors Need to Know (July 30, Webinar)

Designing a Disaster Preparedness Program: What Nonprofits Should Know (July 27, 28 & 31, Webinar Series)

HECM/HECM Default Training (July 23 – 24, Webinar Series)

Learning Curve: How Housing Counselors Are Going Virtual (July 9, Webinar)

Financial Management for Nonprofits (June 16 – 19, Webinar Series)

Fundamentals of Rental Housing Counseling

  • May 27 – 2, Webinar Series
  • August 3 – 5, Webinar Series

Bankruptcy: What Housing Counselors Need to Know (May 21, Webinar)

Virtual Pre-Purchase Education: An Introduction to Framework (May 7, Webinar)

A Primer on Virtual Housing Counseling

  • May 5 – 6, Webinar
  • May 13 – 14, Webinar

Just Housing Amendment: Best Practices for Housing Providers & Case Managers (April 22, Webinar)

COVID-19 Updates: Rentals, Foreclosures, and Bankruptcy Court (April 16, Webinar)

Rentals, Foreclosures, and Bankruptcy Court in the Time of COVID-19 (March 27, Webinar)

Dealing with Property of Elderly and Deceased Mortgagors (March 26, Webinar)

Community Revitalization Challenge 2.0 Kick-Off (January 23, Webinar)

Study Group for HUD Housing Counseling Certification (Webinar Series)

  • Daily from February 10 – 14
  • Daily from June 8 – 12
  • Daily from July 13 – 17

Latest Updates on Foreclosure in Illinois (February 27, Webinar)

Keeping the ‘Community’ in the Community Reinvestment Act

  • March 19, Webinar
  • April 1, Webinar

2019 Trainings & Events

2019 Trainings & Events

The Public Charge Rule: What Organizations Serving Immigrant Communities Need to Know (December 10, Webinar)

Rights & Resources to Prevent & Overcome Eviction

  • December 3, Chicago
  • December 5, Chicago Heights

2020-2021 VISTA Host Site Application Webinar (November 20, Webinar)

#ILGive Series: Strategic Storytelling (October 16, Springfield)

Annual Housing Matters! Conference (October 24 & 25, Bloomington)

Study Group for HUD Housing Counseling Certification (Webinar Series)

  • Daily from January 22 – 28
  • April 22, 25 – 26, 29 – 30; May 1
  • December 3 – 5 & 10 – 12

Tips and Tools for Taking the HUD Certification Exam (August 6, Webinar)

Reverse Mortgage and Loss Mitigation (August 8, Chicago)

Saving Homes Through Bankruptcy (January 29, Webinar)

Counseling Clients with Student Loan Debt (March 6, Webinar)

Storytelling for Change

  • March 14, Mount Vernon
  • May 9, Peoria
  • July 18, Rockford
  • August 8, Hillside
  • August 22, Chicago

Developing Protections for Rent-to-Own Homebuyers (April 16, Webinar)

Fundamentals of Rental Housing Counseling

  • May 21 – 23, Chicago
  • July 16 – 18, Springfield

Dealing with Property of Elderly and Deceased Mortgagors (June 11, Webinar)

Marketing Strategies for Small Nonprofits

  • July 16, East St. Louis
  • July 18, Springfield