NAHMA Wins Prestigious Award for Specialist in Housing Credit Management Certification Program

Alexandria, Va., June 20, 2018 – (RealEstateRama) — The National Affordable Housing Management Association (NAHMA)’s Specialist in Housing Credit Management (SHCM) certification program has been named a 2018 Silver Power of A Award winner in the Power to Create a Competitive Workforce category by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).

The Power of A Awards are part of The Power of A program, an industry brand and awareness campaign that helps associations tell their story to key audiences including policymakers, the media, business leaders and their own members. Associations represent different industries and professions but they are all part of a collective association industry that makes extraordinary contributions to society here in the United States and throughout the world. ASAE is honoring 16 associations with a Power of A Gold Award this year, and 34 associations with a Power of A Silver Award.

Launched in 2005, SHCM was designed to ensure that managers of Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties have attained the knowledge, experience and competence required to excel professionally. The certification was designed by management professionals for management professionals working with the LIHTC program.

Shortly after the program’s launch, NAHMA partnered with two associations to develop industrywide support for and participation in the certification. The National Apartment Association Education Institute and LeadingAge joined NAHMA in administration of the program through a Special Advisory & Technical Committee comprised of members of each association.

SHCM’s development was guided by standards established by the National Organization for Competency Assurance and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies, with the assistance of the Human Resources Research Organization, and NAHMA’s own subject matter experts.

To earn the SHCM certification, candidates must: accumulate a minimum of 12 hours of instruction time of LIHTC specific coursework or training from an approved provider; pass the SHCM exam; demonstrate a minimum of two years of LIHTC management employment experience; commit to the SHCM Code of Professional Conduct; and meet a continuing education requirement of six units of LIHTC specific coursework or training by an approved provider per year. SHCMs are required to renew annually.

Additionally, the program includes the Specialist in Housing Credit Management Company designation, a corporate designation for management companies. To earn the SHCM Company certification, companies must meet the following: 30 percent of the company’s portfolio must be LIHTC housing; at a minimum, each LIHTC property in the portfolio must have a SHCM certified professional with direct daily supervision of the tax credit component of the property; 50 percent of the management company’s LIHTC portfolio site-level staff responsible for occupancy must be SHCM certified; at least one executive must be SHCM certified; and the SHCM Code of Ethics must apply to all activities of the management company. Ten companies have achieved Specialist in Housing Credit Management Company status.

In 2006, there were 622 SHCM credential holders, 95 of which were earned that year. Most of the 622 were “grandfathered” credential holders from a similar program with which NAHMA had been previously involved. A total of 370 exams were administered that first year. By early 2018, there had been a total of 2,657 SHCM certificates awarded and a total of 4,264 exams taken.

“NAHMA is truly honored to be named a Power of A award winner. By fostering a strategic alliance with two other national housing industry organizations to advance the SHCM certification, NAHMA committed to serving a larger population than its own membership. As a result of this collaboration, the SHCM certification is the only national tax credit certification with three national industry organizations supporting it,” Kris Cook, CAE, said. “While we have long been proud of the program and have known the positive impact it has on those who work in the affordable housing field, NAHMA greatly appreciates being acknowledged by ASAE for the program’s contributions to the industry.”

“Congratulations to the 2018 Power of A Award winners. There are very few things that get done, very few ideas that get implemented, without an association being involved at some point in the process,” said ASAE President and CEO John Graham, FASAE, CAE. “That’s a story we can all be proud of, and one that deserves to be shared with others to create a deeper understanding and appreciation for associations and their role in the world.”

To learn more about the SHCM program, visit https://www.nahma.org/education/specialist-in-housingcredit-management/.
For more about the 2018 Power of A Awards, visit https://www.thepowerofa.org/2018/06/asae-announces-2018-power-of-a-award-winners/.

NAHMA is the leading voice for affordable housing management, advocating on behalf of multifamily property managers and owners whose mission is to provide quality affordable housing. NAHMA supports legislative and regulatory policy that promotes the development and preservation of decent and safe affordable housing, is a vital resource for technical education and information and fosters strategic relations between government and industry. NAHMA’s membership represents 75 percent of the affordable housing industry, and includes its most distinguished multifamily owners and management companies. Visit www.nahma.org for more information.

###

Media Contact
Jennifer Jones, Manager of Communications and Public Relations
National Affordable Housing Management Association
703-683-8630, ext. 100