May 18, 2026
National training platform built exclusively for affordable housing showcases workforce development solution to address the industry’s growing staffing crisis
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Affordable Housing Training Academy (AHTA), the only online training platform purpose-built for affordable housing property management professionals, exhibited at the 49th Annual AHMA Pacific Southwest (AHMA-PSW) Conference and Expo, held in Los Angeles, California. The conference brought together affordable housing professionals from across the Pacific Southwest region to address the operational challenges facing the industry.
AHTA’s exhibit provided conference attendees — including property managers, regional managers, compliance staff, and executive leadership — an opportunity to explore the platform and learn how its structured, role-based training model is helping management companies across the country navigate the affordable housing workforce challenge.
Addressing a Structural Workforce Crisis
The affordable housing industry is facing a staffing environment unlike any in its history. Recent industry surveys indicate that 49% of affordable housing operators report new hires arriving with less industry knowledge than the staff they replaced, while 59% cite significant turnover among service technicians as a pressing operational concern. For many organizations, the traditional approach — searching for experienced candidates — is no longer a reliable strategy.
“The staffing conversation is happening at every conference, in every region of the country. What we’re hearing from operators is that the problem isn’t just finding people — it’s building them. AHTA was designed specifically to solve that problem: give organizations a structured way to hire for potential and build the expertise from day one, without adding to the burden of already-stretched managers.”
— Tony DiBlasi, President, Affordable Housing Training Academy
Purpose-Built for Affordable Housing
Unlike generic eLearning platforms, AHTA’s course catalog is developed exclusively for affordable housing practitioners. The platform’s 325+ courses span the full spectrum of affordable housing program types — including LIHTC, Section 8, HUD programs, Public Housing, and Rural Development — and are delivered by nationally recognized subject-matter experts including Karen Graham, Mark Cukro, Dr. Debbie Phillips, and the Fair Housing Institute.
Courses are designed to serve frontline staff at every stage of their career, from first-day onboarding through advanced compliance certification, and are available online and on-demand from any device. Annual subscriptions are priced at $250 per learner — a pricing model intentionally structured to work within the constrained operating budgets common across the affordable housing sector.
A System, Not Just a Course Catalog
AHTA positions itself not as a training catalog but as operational infrastructure — a system that allows management companies to absorb turnover without suffering the knowledge loss that typically accompanies it. Organizations can assign role-specific learning paths to new hires from day one, track completion and certification status across their entire portfolio, and transfer licenses mid-year to accommodate staff changes, without losing investment.
The platform is backed by OCCH, a nationally respected LIHTC syndicator with 35+ years of experience and insight into the daily operations of more than 110 management companies across its portfolio.
About the AHMA Pacific Southwest
The Affordable Housing Management Association Pacific Southwest (AHMA-PSW) is one of the nation’s leading affordable housing associations, representing owners, managers, and other professionals engaged in the management of affordable housing in the Pacific Southwest region. The annual conference brings together hundreds of industry professionals for education, networking, and exhibitor engagement.
About the Affordable Housing Training Academy (AHTA)
The Affordable Housing Training Academy (AHTA) is the only online training platform built exclusively for affordable housing property management professionals. Backed by OCCH’s 30+ years of affordable housing expertise, AHTA offers 325+ courses covering LIHTC, Section 8, HUD programs, Fair Housing, maintenance, and leadership development — all developed by nationally recognized subject-matter experts. AHTA’s mission is to make affordable housing staff turnover survivable, by ensuring every new hire starts strong, every team stays compliant, and organizational knowledge is never lost when someone leaves.
Annual subscriptions are available at $250 per learner for full catalog access. Organizations can explore the platform at no cost through AHTA’s complimentary demo account program.
Media Contact
Tony DiBlasi
President, Affordable Housing Training Academy
Website: www.ahta.online
Schedule a call: https://outlook.office.com/book/AHTAExploratoryCall@occh.org/