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Registration is now open for the next Housing Navigator Training Course set to begin in January 2024. Space is limited! Register today!

What is Housing Navigation?

Housing Navigation is a focused, outcome oriented, and time limited service that helps people with I/DD who need or want to move to community-based housing to obtain and maintain stable, long-term housing of their choice.

Housing Navigation services may include:

• Developing an individualized person-centered housing plan.
• Developing an individual housing budget including the optimization of benefits and financial consulting, if necessary
• Implementing a housing action plan which includes the person’s housing vision and housing budget
• Finding a Home in the community of choice
• Coordinating a move.
• Housing sustainability plan and transition to ongoing service providers.
• Housing crisis resolution.  

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 30+ 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 I/DD in creating housing options.

Throughout this training, students will:

• learn how housing is funded, developed and sustained;
• understand how to base the housing process on the needs of the individual, their social capital, their assets and income and their choices and options;
• learn how to design an individual's housing plan;
• obtain cutting edge, available resources and become part of a larger 'housing' community of practice; 
• be qualified to create housing opportunities for individuals and to develop agency capacity for more housing options.

Student Commitment:

This training includes group work, interactive sessions, recorded presentations and several reading resources.

Students are required to participate in all live sessions on the dates below. In-Person Classes will take place at the NY Alliance Office, 240 Washington Avenue Ext., Suite 501, Albany, NY 12203. All other sessions will take place virtually through our Learning Management System and will be recorded. Recordings will be available after the live sessions.

As a whole, this training course includes:

• In-person and virtual seminars led by housing content experts and Master Housing Navigators (former graduates of this training).
• Seminar & Office Hour sessions allow participants to further deepen their knowledge of the week's assigned topics.
• 30+ continuing education hours for Social Workers.
• Group homework assignments offer students the opportunity to build a sample housing plan for a person with a disability.
• Supplemental reading and recorded webinar resources for increasing knowledge on the topics presented throughout the training course.

Following completion of this training course, students will:

• Receive a certificate of completion;
• Gain access to and be able to join a Housing Navigator Network of more than 400 Housing Navigators across NYS;
• Be invited to join Housing Navigator Network Calls which take place quarterly throughout the year and are a great way for Housing Navigators to stay up-to-date on all things housing, access new tools, and continue connections; and
• Gain access to the Housing Navigator Directory for listing your contact information allowing people looking for housing to contact you for assistance.

Cost for the Course is as follows:

$800.00 NY Alliance Provider Organization Members

$1,200.00 All Others

Questions? Contact the NY Alliance at nyaii@nyalliance.org.

The New York Alliance for Inclusion & Innovation SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an Approved Provider of Continuing Education for licensed social workers provider number #0105.