Housing Specialist - Housing Choice Voucher Program

Job Type: Full-time

Pay Range: $19-$22/hour

Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm

Overview: The Housing Specialist works directly with families assisted or in the process of being assisted by the Housing Choice Voucher Program. From inquiry, to initial application, to leasing, to interim and annual recertification; the Housing Specialist is always the primary point of contact and support for the family. Daily duties include both administrative and direct service activities which play an integral role in providing humanizing, loving, and committed support to the families we have an opportunity to serve.

To learn more about the Housing Choice Voucher Program, visit: https://www.hud.gov/topics/housing_choice_voucher_program_section_8

Key Responsibilities:

· Performing a variety of administrative, technical, direct support, and occasional field tasks serving families in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Housing Choice Voucher Program.

· Assisting new applicants in developing understanding of the program and completing initial applications for housing assistance.

· Meeting with applicants to determine eligibility which includes assessing assets & income, family composition, and other elements established by federal guidelines.

· Collecting all needed documentation in determining eligibility for program participation.

· Communicating application acceptance or denial to applicants in accordance with established regulations.

· Conducting briefing sessions with new participants to explain all program elements including regulations, Fair Housing standards, participant responsibilities, lease obligations, and other important factors of program participation.

· Calculating housing assistance payments, tenant portions of rental amounts, utility reimbursements, and rent amount changes in order to meet program guidelines, help participants understand and navigate the program with success, and respond to partner inquiries and requests.

· Performing all administrative tasks involved with effectively maintaining a caseload of families served.

· Performing scheduled reexaminations of participant eligibility and assistance, as well as performing interim examinations as participants experience changes in household income and composition.

· Maintaining and updating all required information in central database.

· Completing quality control assessments of work completed by members of the Housing Choice Voucher Program team.

· Resolving errors in completed work to enable timely submission of necessary information to federal tracking systems.

· Participating in informal review/appeal hearings as needed.

· Completing internal tracking and reporting in a thorough and timely manner.

· Attending training as requested.

· Participating in regular team and individual meetings.

· Responding to communications from assisted families, applicants, partnering agencies, partnering property owners/managers, and all other relevant parties in a timely, thorough, and respectful manner.

· Performing all work duties and activities in accordance with Municipal Housing Agency (MHA) policies and procedures and local, state, and federal regulations.

· Working in a safe manner, adhering to safety protocols, and reporting unsafe activity and conditions.

· Other duties as assigned by the HCV Program Manager.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

· Excellent customer service skills and desire to provide service that is humanizing, loving, and committed at all times.

· Outstanding oral and written communication skills.

· Functional knowledge using computers, email, and Microsoft office.

· Willingness to learn and attend training as needed or requested.

· Prior knowledge of federal housing program regulations, HUD regulations, and the Housing Choice Voucher Program will be considered. Desire and willingness to learn in these areas is an expectation of the role.

· General principles and best practices of office management.

· Problem solving skills and the ability to work creatively with team members and program participants to find solutions to provide the best service possible.

Minimum Qualifications:

· High School diploma or GED equivalency and (2) two years of experience in a closely related field; or any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the knowledge and abilities necessary to perform the work effectively.

· Computer and software experience in a related background.

· Precise and accurate documentation skills.

· Ability to work well independently and as part of a team

· A proven/verifiable history of reliability.

Work Environment

The person holding this position will generally work in an office environment.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms. The employee is required to occasionally lift-up to 20 pounds.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time position. Regular hours of work and days are Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

Travel is primarily local during the business day between housing units and to partner offices, although some out-of-the-area and overnight travel for training may be required.

Other Duties: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.

Duties, responsibilities and activities may change by MHA Management to fit the Mission of the MHA.

Competencies and Characteristics of a Successful Candidate

Ethical Conduct: Adheres with the rules and standards set by the Municipal Housing Agency and federal, state and local laws for housing authorities
Client Focused: Committed to the understanding of client needs and successfully applying them to MHA programs and project development

Benefits:

The Municipal Housing Agency offers an extensive benefits package which includes:

· Enrollment in the IPERS Iowa Public Employee Retirement System (see ipers.org)

· All federal holidays, plus additional holiday designated by the agency, as paid time off

· Health, dental, and vision insurance; with significant portions of employee and dependent premiums covered by the agency

· Paid vacation and sick leave

· Paid parental leave

· Short and long term disability insurance

· Paid life insurance policy

· Paid training and paid training time off

· One paid day off during the month of the employee's birthday

· One annual floating personal paid day off

Work Location: In person at HCV Program Office