Background

The value of homeownership education and counseling is widely recognized, yet there is currently no agreed-upon standard national curriculum. In addition, there are few national certification standards, limited continuing education requirements for homeownership education trainers and counselors, and no standardized fees for homeownership education and counseling. Through NCHEC, national curriculum and certification standards for homeownership education and counseling will be established. The goal is to help create cohesion, provide quality control, and build sustainable support for the homeownership and counseling industry. NCHEC will work with industry leaders to ensure the adoption of these standards.

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Mission  

The mission of the Center is to work with industry partners to promote quality standards; provide expanded training and certification opportunities for counselors; and support counselors with tools, information, and continuing education. The Center aims to increase the number of homeownership counselors and educators trained and certified by NeighborWorks America to more than 2,000 per year, indirectly ensuring the education and counseling of several million individuals and families. 

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Goals  

In addition to expanding training and certification of homeownership educators and counselors, NeighborWorks America is providing financial and technical support to NeighborWorks organizations, national and state intermediaries, and direct service providers to help them expand their home ownership education and counseling programs. The Center will help organizations develop new counselors and educators, market their programs to minority families, produce new services and tools, and serve consumers in a more efficient and effective manner. In addition, NeighborWorks America plans to support other intermediary organizations that host and sponsor local trainings for certification and continuing education for their members; provide quality control for affiliate organizations, counselors and trainers; and submit national data on homeownership education and counseling activities. The Center will provide training, tools and information for both pre- and post-purchase education and counseling. The Center's emphasis will not just be to help more moderate- and low-income families to purchase a home, but to help these families succeed as homeowners over the long run. In addition to the core five-day homebuyer education training of trainers' course, the Center will feature other courses, such as "Financial Fitness: Teaching Financial Management Skills," "Housing Counseling," "Credit Counseling for Maximum Results," "Postpurchase Education Methods," and "Advanced Foreclosure Prevention."

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Fact Sheet

NeighborWorks Center for Homeownership Education and Counseling Facts and Figures [PDF, 102KB]

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions about NCHEC