Dear Maria,
Completion of training is optional and is not required to become certified. However, to increase certification exam passing rates, candidates are highly encouraged to study the course content.
To access the training, you must be signed into your account on HUDHousingCounselors.hud.gov.
Once you are signed in, select “Training Center” at the top of the page. If you are already signed in, you can access the Training Center launch page directly.
Training is available to anyone who creates an account. You can choose from two study methods: an interactive online training course or a downloadable Study Guide in PDF format.
In order to become a HUD certified housing counselor, an individual must have passed the HUD Housing Counselor Certification Examination and work for a HUD Housing Counseling Program Participating Agency. An individual is not considered certified until they are employed by an agency. As an individual you can seek employment from the agency of your choice. A list of HUD participating agencies can be found here. You can search by the state or zip code you are located in.
Sincerely,
The HUDHousingCounselors.hud.gov Support Team