Housing Choice Voucher Specialist

Foothills Regional Housing • Wheat Ridge, CO

7d • Onsite

About The Position

Foothills Regional Housing (FRH) is a prominent real estate developer, manager, and program administrator for affordable housing. FRH is currently looking for a Housing Specialist responsible for working with the Voucher Team to administer the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program in accordance with Foothills Regional Housing (FRH), aka: Foothills Regional Housing, HUD, Federal, State, local regulations and policies. Performs a variety of technical compliance duties involving determination of initial and continued eligibility, maintaining accurate case files, and interacting with Landlords and tenants in a courteous and professional manner.

Requirements

• Treats people with respect and work with integrity and professional ethics, upholding the agency’s value and mission.
• Represents the agency in a positive, professional and ethical manner at all times. This specifically includes abiding by all of the ethical rules outlined in the Employee Handbook.
• Attend scheduled meetings with Voucher Manager and other Voucher Team staff to discuss various items of concern and/or interest of both parties.
• Attend housing meetings outside of the office, workshops, and training sessions.
• Maintains the utmost confidentiality of all applicant and tenant information.
• Must always be a team player and act in a manner that is in the best interest of FRH.
• Uses a time management system and other organizational tools set up by FRH to organize tasks and manage time effectively.
• Adapt well to change in the work environment.
• Must be able to work with frequent interruptions and respond calmly and professionally to emergency situations.
• Responsible to maintain desk and work area in a neat and clean manner. No information relating to applicants and tenants, including files and computer screens, should be visible to office visitors or left on the desk after work hours.
• Must have the ability to work independently in a shared work environment.
• Minimal of out-of-town travel is required for occasional training seminars.
• Minimal evening or weekend work time required
• Requires high school diploma or equivalent, and two years minimum experience in the Housing Choice Voucher Program.
• Requires strong skills in organization, time management, initiative, and attention to detail.
• Must be able to deal with frequent interruptions and to successfully work with a variety of populations.
• Requires excellent written and verbal communication and organizational skills and the ability to exercise independent judgment and work with limited supervision.
• Proficient in Microsoft Windows and must have or acquire a working knowledge of FRH tenant software (HMS Windows) within three month of date of hire.
• Requires a valid Colorado Drivers License and the ability to be insured at standard rates.
• Criminal background checks are required.

Responsibilities

• Prepare monthly recertification letters and packets to tenants and landlords.
• May provide back-up for the Receptionist for lunch and time off.
• Assembles verified income, household information, and maintains active participant files in accordance with the policies and procedures of FRH and HUD’s rules and regulations.
• Assists with maintaining and update archive files, as needed.
• Ability to prepare reports and meet strict deadlines.
• Enters program participant household and income information in database accurately and in a timely manner.
• Determines need for interim rent changes and completes all established and required processing procedures.
• Determines the reasonableness of rent charged, and negotiates rent amounts with owners as needed or when inspector is not available.
• Conducts leasing of families and initiates contracts between the owner and the housing authority.
• Verifies a lease is executed between the landlord and the tenant.
• Processes landlord payments in a timely and efficient manner.
• Maintains working knowledge of program requirements and HUD rules for effective maintenance of programs.
• Prepares and accurately posts monthly housing assistance payments to landlord.
• Monitor appropriate billing of housing assistance payments and other fees to and from other public housing agencies for portability participants.
• Terminates rental assistance to families, when appropriate, for failure to comply with program rules and regulations and conduct Informal Hearings.
• Acts as mediator, when appropriate, in disputes between families and landlords.
• Investigate general complaints from tenants, landlord, and the general public.
• Maintains working knowledge of area resources.
• Establishes and maintains contact with other human services delivery agencies; informs and refers clients, as appropriate.
• Ability to communicate effectively with attorneys.
• Pursues collection of monies owed by participant or terminated families under repayment agreements with FRH.
• Prepare and present briefing materials to new program participants in a classroom setting, when needed.
• Follows Foothills Regional Housing (FRH), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and all other necessary agency policies, procedures, rules and regulations, where applicable.
• Must have or acquire a working knowledge of all pertinent regulations applicable to the position within six months of date of hire.
• Performs other duties as assigned

Benefits

• Employer pays 100% premium of medical, dental, vision, short-term and long-term disability, and life insurance
• Vacation and Sick time
• 12 Paid Holidays
• Retirement plan, employer matches up to 10% of retirement contributions

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED