Certification & Training

Certified Specialist of Inspection – Housing Quality Standards (CSI-HQS)

NAHRO’s Certified Specialist of Inspection – Housing Quality Standards (CSI-HQS) designation demonstrates that an individual has the knowledge, skills and ability necessary for:

  • Inspecting housing choice voucher units.
  • Conducting pre-inspection and inspection preparations and procedures.
  • Negotiation and arbitration with landlords and residents.
  • Understanding the need for consistency and re-inspections.
  • Determining the impact inspection outcomes have on their agency’s SEMAP score.

How do I become a NAHRO Certified Specialist of Inspections – Housing Quality Standards (CSI-HQS)? 

NAHRO has two paths to becoming Certified! Please refer to the chart below to determine the path that works best for you. 

Your Path to Become NAHRO Certified Specialist of Inspections - Housing Quality Standards (CSI-HQS) Flow Chart  There are two paths to become NAHRO CSI-HQS Certified.  Path 1: If you do not have five or more years of experience working in maintenance or inspection of Housing Choice Voucher units at a government or nationally recognized agency, you are required to take the NAHRO Housing Quality Standards (HQS) Training. This path also requires you to have a passing score on NAHRO Housing Quality Standards (HQS) Certification Exam, take NAHRO Ethics for Housing Professionals OR Ethics for Management Training, and complete the CSI-HQS Certification Application.  Path 2: If you have five or more years of experience working in the maintenance or inspection of Housing Choice Voucher units at a government or nationally recognized agency, you may forego the NAHRO Housing Quality Standards (HQS) Training. This path still requires you to receive a passing score on the NAHRO Housing Quality Standards (HQS) Certification Exam, Take NAHRO Ethics for Housing Professionals OR Ethics for Management Training, and Complete the CSI-HQS Certification Application.

Certification Requirements

Education & ExperienceHigh School Diploma or Equivalent AND 6 months of experience 
OR Associates degree and above (6 months of experience not required) 
Specialist Training Completion of NAHRO’s Housing Quality Standards (HQS) Training 
Ethics Training Completion of NAHRO’s Ethics for Housing Professionals
OR Ethics for Management Training  
Exam Passing score on NAHRO’s Housing Quality Standards (HQS) Certification Exam 
ApplicationSubmission of Certification Application 

Requirement to waive specialist training and sit for the exam

To waive the specialist training requirement, participants must have five (5) or more years of experience working in maintenance or inspection of Housing Choice Voucher units at a government or nationally recognized agency (e.g., Section 8 and other housing inspectors, Maintenance/Facilities Workers, Chief Admin Officer, Field Operations Manager) and a demonstrated knowledge in all the following: 

  • Applicable federal, state, and local laws,
  • Regulations and ordinances regarding housing.
  • Legal procedures used in enforcing housing regulations.
  • Enforcing codes, standards, and regulations on the job.

NOTE: Individuals waiving the specialist training still have the following requirements:

Education & ExperienceHigh School Diploma or Equivalent
Ethics TrainingCompletion of NAHRO’s Ethics for Housing Professionals
OR Ethics for Management Training   
Exam Passing score on NAHRO’s Housing Quality Standards (HQS) Certification Exam 
Application  Submission of Certification Application 

If you are unsure if you are eligible to waive the specialist training requirement, please email professionaldevelopment@nahro.org or call 202-589-7211.

All applicants must understand the importance of, and agree to adhere to, NAHRO’s Professional Code of Conduct. 

Recertification

0.5 NAHRO CEUs (5 training hours) are required every 3 years from date of certification

For further information regarding NAHRO Certification, contact:

professionaldevelopment@nahro.org