Healthy Homes Specialist Credential

List of Healthy Homes Specialists by state

You may also be able to find a Healthy Homes Specialist through this Healthy Homes Contractor Listing who have a credential that prepares them to resolve healthy homes issues. 

NCHH and the  National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) offer a “Healthy Homes Specialist” credential, designed for health and housing professionals in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

To achieve the credential, individuals must complete a comprehensive exam on the seven principles of healthy housing, which include keeping homes: Dry, Clean, Pest-Free, Contaminant-Free, Ventilated, Safe, and Maintained. Individuals seeking the Healthy Homes Specialist credential must:

  1. Be at least 21 years of age;
  2. Have five years of experience in housing, environmental health, or public health;
  3. Achieve a minimum score of 70% on the qualifying examination; and
  4. Successfully complete an online home assessment exercise.

You may apply for the HHS credential by completing an application. For more information go to www.neha.org/credential/HHS. Cost of applying for and taking the HHS exam is $150 NEHA members or $205 non-members. For more information on this credential you can click here to read the fact sheet or contact NEHA’s Credentialing Staff at 303.756.9090 ext. 339.

Candidates should review the on-line references to prepare for the exam. They may also want to take NCHH's two-day Essentials for Healthy Homes Practitioners Course. The course covers most - but not all - of the topics on the exam. For the convenience of students who take the course, the exam will usually be offered at the end of the second day of the training.

The Health Homes Specialist Examination is also available via computer-based testing at LaserGrade Testing Centers.  How does it work?

  1. Contact LaserGrade at 800.211.2754 to schedule your exam.  Exam appointments must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance.  
  2. Payment must be made to LaserGrade testing centers.  Upon completion of the exam, candidates will receive an "Exam Completion Letter" to present to NEHA.
  3. Candidates will have the option to choose an e-mail or fax confirmation of their exam time, date and location.  
  4. Pre-approval for the HHS credential is not required.  However, exam results will not be released until NEHA's HHS credential application is complete and credential fees are paid.
  5. One valid, non-expired government issued form of identification is required for admittance to the test center.  Identification must include photo and signature.  Examples of possible identification include:  driver's license, state-issued ID card, passport, military ID card.  
  6. Please give at least 24 hours notice before canceling or rescheduling an exam.  Candidates who fail to appear for their scheduled exam appointment will forfeit their exam fee.

Questions?  Please contact credentialing@neha.org or check out the Credential fact sheet.

For more information about the Healthy Homes Training Center, please email Laura Titus of Healthy Housing Solutions. For more information about the visual assessment exercises, please email Judith Akoto of National Center for Healthy Housing. For more information about the examination and the application process, please contact credentialing@neha.org.

Target Audiences for Credential
While training is not a prerequisite to obtaining a credential, individuals who have completed the two-day Essentials for Healthy Homes Practitioners course offered by the National Healthy Homes Training Center and Network will have the foundation they need to succeed.  As of August 2011, more than 7500 people have taken the Essentials for Healthy Homes Practitioners course in one of the more than 250 times it has been offered since being launched on June 1, 2005.  All course materials, including the exercises and videos, are available on-line.

 A variety of professionals may be interested in the Healthy Homes Specialist Credential include the following:

  1. Individuals who have been certified or licensed as lead risk assessors, radon measurement professionals, or mold professionals.  These individuals have developed a basic expertise in a specific environmental hazard in the home and should be interested in expanding their capability and services.
  2. NEHA Registered Environmental Health Specialists seeking to document their experience and expertise in housing.
  3. Public health nurses seeking to document their expertise in healthy homes.
  4. Health department and housing agency staff seeking to document their expertise in healthy homes or better position their agencies to receive HUD healthy homes grants. 
  5. Licensed pest management professionals seeking to expand their services.  Resolving pest problems using integrated pest management essentially relies on a knowledge base similar to the Healthy Homes Practitioner.
  6. Certified home inspectors seeking to expand their business by adding healthy homes to their standard services

Existing NEHA Credentials

    Onsite Wastewater System Installers
    Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitarian (REHS/RS)
    Certified Food Safety Professional (CFSP)
    Certified Environmental Health Technician (CEHT)
    Registered Environmental Technician (RET)
    Registered Hazardous Substances Professional (RHSP)
    Registered Hazardous Substances Specialist (RHSS)
    NEHA's National Radon Proficiency Program
 

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