A state housing authority typically employs individuals with a wide range of educational and training backgrounds that may include real estate, business, economics and social work. An undergraduate or graduate degree in any of these fields will provide you with the general knowledge you need to work with state housing authority programs in some capacity.

State housing agencies and authorities education and training also can consist of events and training activities sponsored by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Other national programs for certification and credentials also exist to provide ongoing training for people working with state and local housing agencies.

Get the state housing agencies and authorities education and training you need from one of the following sources:

1. Obtain a degree or license in real estate to work with a state real estate agency.
2. Take coursework in social work or community development to get a position with state housing authorities.
3. Get ongoing training and certification for work with a state housing authority from national programs.
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Become qualified to work with a state real estate agency with a real estate degree or license

Most of the positions with a housing finance agency are for individuals with an educational background or experience working in real estate. An education credential or a license in real estate will enable you to work for a state real estate agency as an underwriter or in another position making financial and planning decisions about housing developments.

I recommend: Marylhurst University Center for Professional Real Estate Studies offers an online degree in real estate business. Another option for working with a housing finance authority is to become a licensed real estate agent, and licensing information is available for any state from RealEstateExpress.com.

Use a social work or community development degree with a state housing authority

Other employees of a state housing authority have a background in social work, human services or community development. These individuals may work more directly with the community to determine local housing needs and concerns, as well as help low-income families and individuals navigate the housing financial system.

I recommend: Canyon College offers online undergraduate and graduate degrees in social work for working with state housing agencies and authorities. The North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) also offers an online master's degree in community development.

Continue your training with national programs for state housing agencies and authorities

Employees of state housing agencies also can enroll in national initiatives for continuing education, training and certification of housing professionals. National events and training programs may include anything from short-term training workshops and seminars on specialized topics to broad certification programs involving online coursework.

I recommend: The US Department of Housing and Urban Development publishes a list of current events and training programs available to state housing authority workers. The National Development Council also has a national program to become a certified Housing Development Finance Professional, which consists of four online courses.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Explore a variety of degree options for becoming trained to work with a state housing authority. Additional educational credentials that may qualify you for a position in state housing include regional or city planning, public health and human resources.

A state real estate agency is there when potential buyers need an extra boost getting into a home. First-time home buyers often need special assistance with financing and qualifying for interest rates that make their dream of home ownership a reality.

The housing finance authority in your state helps low income families and people without credit get loans who, in many cases, couldn’t qualify otherwise. The state housing authority in any state works with special needs families as a bridge from state subsidized housing to ownership.

State housing agencies have immediate access to bank repossessions and HUD homes not readily available to other types of realtors. State housing authority programs work with real estate brokers to get the right people in the right houses at the right price and financing.

State and local housing agencies usually operate under a board of directors and have a variety of different relationships with the states in which they work. State housing finance agencies work not only to get people into affordable homes, but also help develop neighborhoods and sponsor community revitalization programs. Work with state housing agencies and authorities to:

1. Match poor credit or no credit clients with quality housing.

2. Invest in developing areas through state housing authority programs.

3. Find affordable loan rates, terms and special programs for qualifying clients through state housing finance agencies.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find state housing agencies that work with bad credit or no credit clients

Financing is a hurdle many people face when their credit history is less than stellar. With the right help, even low income home buyers find financing through state housing finance authorities and government programs.

I recommend: Try the Accent Mortgage Company down payment assistance program available in many states, and FHA's low down payment or zero down payment options.

Work with the state housing authority in developing neighborhoods

Finding quality home buyers to invest in revitalized areas or neighborhoods under development is the best way to improve home values in any area. The state housing authority has information about areas under improvement and grant and loan programs available to help in the development process.

I recommend: HUD's Community Renewal Initiative gives information about tax incentives for developments in poor urban areas. Find out about public housing and development issues by contacting the Public Housing Authorities Directors Association (PHADA) for links to state housing authorities.

Look for special programs for low income first time home buyers through state housing agencies

State housing agencies want to match the right person with the right home. It's good for community building and it's good for business owners. Getting low income families into special housing opportunities is the best way to improve old neighborhoods and make home buying dreams a reality.

I recommend: Visit the National Council of State Housing Agencies for information on state housing authorities and programs in your area. Also check out the Housing and Urban Development website for information on mixed housing communities with ownership possibilities.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you've got a difficult individual home buying situation that's difficult, don't give up. Contact your state housing authority for information on which housing agency or funding program is the right choice for your clients.

State housing agencies and authorities provide financial assistance for buying and renting homes to certain populations, such as first time buyers and low-to-middle income group buyers. These agencies administer federal housing home assistance programs at the state level.

State agencies also have supportive services that assist homeless families, people with physical or mental disabilities and senior citizens. This guide aims at providing you with a basic understanding of state housing agency related key terms such as housing finance agency, mortgage revenue bonds and HOME program.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

HFA (Housing Finance Agency)

A housing finance agency is a state level authority that helps state residents meet housing requirements at affordable rates. A committee appointed by the governor of the state runs HFAs independently.

I recommend: You can understand the definition of HFAs at StableCommunities.org, an informative Web site. In addition, you can read through the glossary at Gibbons-realty.com, a real estate agency.

NCSHA (National Council of State Housing Agencies)

The nation's state HFAs together constitute the National Council of State Housing Agencies, which is a nonprofit organization for coordinating the efforts of individual HFAs. This council represents the individual state HFAs to other federal housing agencies and the government.

I recommend: To learn more about the objective and mission of NCSHA, browse through National Council of State Housing Agencies’ Web site.

MRB (Mortgage Revenue Bond)

MRBs are tax exempt bonds sold by the state housing agencies in order to finance low-cost mortgages for lower income citizens. These housing bonds have made home-ownership possible for many people.

I recommend: To learn more about MRBs, read through information at Freddie Mac, a government-sponsored housing entity.

HOME Investment Partnership

This program provides a federal grant to states and localities to cater to their diverse needs. The source of funding is flexible with agencies channelizing these funds for construction, rehabilitation and down payment assistance.

I recommend: You can read through information at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the apex institution overseeing housing affairs of the nation.

LIHTC (Low Income Housing Tax Credit) program

All state housing finance agencies implement the LIHTC program as an alternative method for providing low cost mortgage financing and helping people buy homes. State housing agencies determine the amount of tax credits for a project depending on a qualified basis.

I recommend: You can get more information about LIHTC at The Danter Company, a real estate consulting firm.

FHA (Federal Housing Administration) loan

FHA is the federal agency that funds home ownership for low-to-moderate income borrowers. However, the loan limits vary from state to state and from county to county.

I recommend: To understand the basics of FHA, browse through information at FHAInfo.com.