Certified Specialist of Occupancy-Public Housing (CSO-PH)

NAHRO’s Certified Specialist of Occupancy-Public Housing (CSO-PH) designation demonstrates that an individual has the knowledge, skills and ability necessary for:

Understanding the tasks and processes associated with the public housing occupancy cycle.
Effective interviewing and screening.
Maintaining waitlists.
Evaluating eligibility and income.
Calculating rents and utility allowances.
Understanding lease and grievance procedures.

How do I get the NAHRO Certified Specialist of Occupancy-Public Housing (CSO-PH)?

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 Occupancy, Public Housing (CSO-PH) Flow Chart There are two paths to become NAHRO CSO-PH Certified. Path 1: If you do not have five or more years of experience working in the public housing sector, you are required to take either the NAHRO Public Housing Occupancy, Eligibility, Income and Rent Calculation Training or the NAHRO Public Housing Occupancy Training. This path also requires you to receive a passing score on either the NAHRO Public Housing Occupancy, Eligibility, Income and Rent Calculation Certification Exam or the NAHRO Public Housing Occupancy Certification Exam, take NAHRO Ethics for Housing Professionals or Ethics for Management Training, and Complete the CSO-PH Certification Application. Path 2: If you have five or more years of experience working in a Housing Choice Voucher Program, you may forgo the NAHRO and Public Housing Occupancy, Eligibility, Income and Rent Calculation Training or the NAHRO Public Housing Occupancy Training. This path still requires you to receive a passing score on either the NAHRO Public Housing Occupancy, Eligibility, Income and Rent Calculation Certification Exam or the NAHRO Public Housing Occupancy Certification Exam, take NAHRO Ethics for Housing Professionals or Ethics for Management Training, and Complete the CSO-PH Certification Application.

Certification Requirements

Education & Experience	High School Diploma or Equivalent AND 6 months of experience OR Associates degree and above (Six months of experience not required)
Specialist Training	Completion of NAHRO’s Public Housing Occupancy OR Public Housing Occupancy, Eligibility, Income and Rent Calculation Training
Ethics Training	Completion of NAHRO’s Ethics for Housing Professionals OR Ethics for Management Training
Exam	Passing score on NAHRO’s Public Housing Occupancy OR Public Housing Occupancy, Eligibility, Income and Rent Calculation Certification Exam
APPLICATION	Submission of Certification Application

Requirement to waive the management training and sit for the exam:

To waive the Specialist training requirement, participants must have five (5) or more years of experience working in a public housing setting (e.g., Case/Asset/Property Managers) and demonstrated knowledge in all the following:

Public Housing regulations, statutes, policies, and procedures relating to admissions and initial occupancy.
Rules and regulations relating to grievances and informal reviews, preferences, and the Violence Against Women Act.
An understanding of how PH occupancy rates affect agency funding and indicators of the Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS).

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

Education & Experience	High School Diploma or Equivalent
Ethics Training	Completion of NAHRO’s Ethics for Housing Professionals OR Ethics for Management Training
Exam	Passing score on NAHRO’s Public Housing Occupancy OR Public Housing Occupancy, Eligibility, Income and Rent Calculation 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.

DOWNLOAD CSO-ph APPLICATION

DOWNLOAD COMBINED CSEC-PH and cso-Ph Application