Compliance Lease Up Specialist- LIHTC

Fairstead ESC LLC•New York, NY

About The Position

Fairstead is a purpose-driven real estate firm dedicated to building sustainable communities across the country. Headquartered in New York, with offices in Colorado, Florida, Texas, and Washington DC, Fairstead owns a portfolio of more than 27,000 apartments across 28 states that includes 27,000 units under management. Fairstead’s commitment to communities is realized through a comprehensive platform that leverages in-house expertise in acquisitions, development, design and construction, asset management, and property management. Fairstead’s primary mission is to provide high quality housing to all regardless of income, and to make our stakeholders feel “Right at Home.” We accomplish this through an empathetic and innovative approach, and by utilizing our interdisciplinary platform as an investor, developer, owner, and operator. Fairstead’s Core Values: Innovation, Determination, Integrity, Humility, Empathy and Partnerships Fairstead is seeking a Compliance Lease-Up Specialist to join our property management team. In this role, the Compliance Lease-Up Specialist will lead all compliance efforts related to the lease-up phase, ensuring 100% adherence to federal, state, and local housing regulations. This role is responsible for maintaining compliance with all federal and state housing regulations, including Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) and HUD Project-Based Section 8. This compliance role will work alongside leasing, operations, and social services teams to guarantee a smooth, timely, and fully compliance lease-up experience, as well as acting as a liaison between site staff, residents, housing agencies, and other stakeholders to maximize economic outcomes, and minimize operational risks. Offering a $2,500 Sign-on bonus

Requirements

90-100% Travel Required .
Three (3) years of affordable housing compliance experience with strong knowledge of affordable housing multifamily leasing and compliance for both LIHTC and PBRA Section 8 programs.
Must have recent experience with LIHTC Initial Lease-Ups or LIHTC Acquisition/Rehab Lease Ups.
COS Certification through NCHM required or must be able to obtain within first 60 days of employment.
Excellent communication skills - written and oral.
Strong interpersonal skills, including experience managing people (in multiple locations preferred).
Strong organizational, prioritization, and time management skills.
Extremely detail-oriented.
Able to thrive in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines.
Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, including advanced Excel functions.
Yardi and/or RealPage/OneSite experience (preferred) or ability to learn new software quickly.

Nice To Haves

HCCP, BOS, AHM, or other widely known affordable housing compliance certifications are preferred.

Responsibilities

Oversee compliance during the initial lease-up and/or takeover phases, ensuring documentation and reporting are completed on time for management and external agencies.
Ensure the accurate and timely processing of all tenant and resident third party verifications, and compliance paperwork requirements.
Conduct detailed initial reviews of lease-up files, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and program eligibility prior to submission to regulatory agencies.
Establish a standardized review process and Quality Assurance check to streamline file approvals and reduce error rates.
Facilitate and schedule weekly compliance check-in calls to ensure goals and workflows keep pace with unit delivery, qualification, and occupancy timelines.
Assist with onboarding and compliance support for new site team members, when needed.
Ensure all final approved lease-up resident files are uploaded into SharePoint, OneSite/Yardi (as applicable), and investor platforms.
Ensure the state monitoring databases are updated monthly (or more frequently) as required.
Ensure documentation/forms used by site staff are up to date.
Serve as the primary compliance liaison for file submissions, approvals, and audits.
Ensure timely responses to audit findings and implement corrective action plans as necessary.
Performs other duties assigned.

Benefits

Generous employer contribution for Medical and Dental.
Employer Paid Vision Plans.
Company Matched 401(k) Retirement Plan: 100% of the first 3%; 50% of the next 2%.
12 paid Holidays.
15 days of PTO.
7 Sick days.
Employer Paid Life Insurance.
Flexible Spending Account.
Nationwide Pet Insurance.
Disability Insurance.
Laser Correction Discount.
Employee Discounts on appliances, apparel, and more.