Empower Your Community. Advance Your Career.

Join the Housing Navigator Virtual Training Course – Starting January 2026

About the Course

The New York Alliance for Inclusion & Innovation (NY Alliance) Housing Navigator Course was developed in 2015 through the Balancing Incentive Program (BIP) grant. The 28+ hour course has transformed over the last several years to include the most up-to-date and innovative information, education and resources to assist a Housing Navigator in supporting a person with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) in creating housing options.

Throughout the course, students will:

• Learn how housing is funded, developed and sustained;
• Understand how to base the housing process on the needs of the person, their social capital, their assets and income and their choices and options;
• Learn how to design a person-centered housing plan;
• Obtain cutting-edge, resources and become part of a statewide 'housing' community of practice;
• Be qualified to create housing opportunities for people with I/DD and to develop agency capacity for more housing initiatives.

Student Commitment

The course consists of 15 live, virtual sessions over a three-month period totaling 34 hours of in-class time (28 hours of course instruction; 6 hours of work sessions). These interactive sessions will include recorded and live presentations from content experts, regional breakout discussions, and open discussions with course faculty on critical content. Sessions take place virtually through Zoom and are recorded and made available to students during the course.

Additionally, students will be assigned course work and readings to be completed outside of instruction time. Course work is cumulative over the three-month period to build two principal assignments for certification. Out-of-class course work and readings may require 4 to 6 hours per week on average to complete. To earn certification as a Housing Navigator, students must attend all course sessions and successfully complete two principal assignments.

Training Dates

Orientation - 9:00-11:00am Thursday, January 15

Classes - 9:00am-12:00pm Unless Stated Otherwise
Thursday, January 29
Thursday, February 5
Thursday, February 12
Thursday, February 26
Thursday, March 5
Thursday, March 12
Thursday, March 19
Thursday, March 26
Friday, April 10* 9:00-11:00

Work Sessions - 9:00-10:00am Unless Stated Otherwise
Friday, January 30* 9:00-11:00
Friday, February 6
Friday, February 13
Friday, February 27* Optional
Friday, March 6
Friday, March 13
Friday, March 20* Optional

Classes will be recorded and available to participants following the live sessions.

Curriculum Outline

This course includes the following ten sessions covering the topics listed:

• Orientation: Course Introduction, Look at History, Role of a Housing Navigator
• Social Capital: Why Care About Housing, Person-Centered Planning, Supported-Decision Making, Guardianship, Building Social Capital
• Financial Capital 1: SSI, SSDI, CDB, 1619, SSP, Congregate Care Supplements, SNAP, HEAP, WAP, HUD, FMR, Rental Assistance
• Financial Capital 2: Special Needs Trusts, Protected Savings (FSS, IDA, ABLE), Social Security Work Incentives (PASS, IRWE, Subsidies, Special Conditions), EITC
• Support Services: Self-Direction Services and Housing, Independent Living Centers, Environmental Modifications, Enabling Technology, TRAID Centers
• Planning 1: Getting Started, Housing Options, Shared Living, OPWDD Housing Subsidy, NYS Human Rights Law
• Planning 2: Homeownership, Ownership Structures, Rent or Buy, Property Tax Exemptions, Planning for a Move, Transition Stipends
• How is Housing Created 1: OPWDD Housing, Affordability, Federal and State Programs, Affordable Housing 101, Land Banks
• How is Housing Created 2: USDA Housing, Multi-Family Supportive Housing, HCR, ISH, ESSHI, LIHTC
• Course Wrap-Up: Regional Housing Collaboratives, NYHRC, HN Network

Certification Requirements

Students seeking certification as a Housing Navigator will be required to complete the following in addition to course instruction time and assigned readings.

• Attend 6 hours of live, virtual work sessions with course faculty for a total course time of 34 hours (28 hours of course instruction; 6 hours of work sessions).
• Create a housing plan based on a selected case study using the Housing Planning Instrument (HPI) provided.
• Create a housing budget based on a selected case study using the HN Budget Calculator provided.
• Demonstrate proficiency in building a sample housing plan for a person with a disability through participation in work sessions and completion of required assignments.

Following completion of the course and all certification requirements, students will:

• receive a certificate of course completion and certification as a Housing Navigator;
• be invited to join a Housing Navigator Network of more than 200 active Housing Navigators across NYS;
• receive an invitation to join quarterly Housing Navigator Network Calls, which are a great way for Housing Navigators to stay up-to-date on critical housing-related changes; and
• gain access to the NY Alliance Housing Navigator Directory to list your contact information as a Certified Housing Navigator.

For more information about reimbursable Housing Navigation services, click here.

Course Pricing

$850.00 per person NY Alliance Provider Organization Members
$1,350.00 per person All Other Registrants

IMPORTANT: The registration fee must be paid prior to the start of this training on January 15. If payment is not received, your registration will be cancelled. Please note our cancellation policy as well.

Continuing education hours for Social Workers are available upon request.