Housing Choice Voucher Specialist

Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority.•Columbus, OH

29d•Onsite

About The Position

This position provides essential support to the Housing Choice Voucher program. Key responsibilities include managing caseloads during staff transitions, assisting with special projects like backlog reduction and audits, serving as a point of contact for sensitive cases, managing voucher extensions, supporting reporting needs, and identifying process improvements. The role also involves handling customer service escalations, managing shared inboxes, performing monthly reporting corrections, providing overflow support to other teams, and assisting with training and mentorship. The specialist acts as a cultural ambassador, implements organizational mission and values, and collaborates with various teams to ensure a seamless participant experience. They must adhere to policies, attend meetings and training, demonstrate regular attendance, and maintain required certifications and safety standards.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
Three (3) or more years of housing related experience and/or training
Any equivalent combination of education, experience, and/or training which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Knowledge of interviewing.
Knowledge of office practices and procedures.
Knowledge of Agency/department goals and objectives.
Knowledge of Agency/department policies and procedures.
Knowledge of workplace safety practices and procedures.
Knowledge of personnel rules and regulations.
Knowledge of supervisory principles and practices.
Knowledge of computer software.
Knowledge of community resources and services.
Knowledge of records management.
Knowledge of personnel administration.
Knowledge of office management.
Knowledge of project management.
Knowledge of government structure and process.
Knowledge of public administration.
Knowledge of government grant programs.
Knowledge of state, federal, and local laws and/or regulations.
Knowledge of employee training and development.
Knowledge of local geographical area.
Knowledge of business administration.
Knowledge of English grammar and spelling.
Knowledge of modern principles, practices, and techniques of Public Housing Authority management.
Knowledge of the relationship of Public Housing Authority’s to other federal, state, and local jurisdictions and their abilities to provide funds or other support to the Authority.
Knowledge of pertinent HUD regulations.
Knowledge of federal, state, and local laws and regulations pertaining to public housing authorities.
Knowledge of modern principles, practices, and techniques of rental property maintenance.
Knowledge of Housing Choice Voucher and low-income housing policy and regulations.
Knowledge of Housing Choice Voucher eligibility and rent calculation requirements, as required by HUD and Housing Quality Standard (HQS) Inspection Program.
Knowledge of apartments & dwellings.
Knowledge of construction.
Skill in computer operation.
Skill in use of modern office equipment.
Skill in customer service.
Skill in organization, planning, and time management.
Ability to interpret a variety of instructions in written, oral, picture, or schedule form.
Ability to deal with many variables and determine specific action.
Ability to apply management principles to solve agency problems.
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
Ability to exercise independent judgment and discretion.
Ability to understand, interpret, and apply laws, rules, or regulations to specific situations.
Ability to select most qualified applicant according to specifications for referral.
Ability to read, copy, and records figures accurately.
Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide whole numbers.
Ability to calculate fractions, decimals, and percentages.
Ability to copy records precisely without error.
Ability to complete forms.
Ability to prepare correspondence.
Ability to compile and prepare reports.
Ability to respond to routine inquiries from public and/or officials.
Ability to conduct effective interviews.
Ability to communicate effectively.
Ability to train or instruct others.
Ability to understand a variety of written and/or verbal communications.
Ability to maintain records according to established procedures.
Ability to handle sensitive inquiries from and contacts with officials and general public.
Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships.
Ability to resolve complaints.
Ability to travel to and gain access to work site.
Ability to maintain confidentiality.

Responsibilities

Provide coverage for agent caseloads during leave, vacancies, or onboarding transitions.
Lead or assist with department-wide initiatives such as backlog reduction, audit preparation, and compliance reviews.
Serve as point of contact for sensitive cases requiring confidentiality, urgency, and policy adherence.
Manage extension requests and ensure timely processing aligned with HUD guidelines.
Support managers with recurring and ad hoc reporting needs, including compliance metrics and performance dashboards.
Identify workflow inefficiencies and propose solutions to streamline recertification operations.
Triage and resolve participant issues to reduce supervisor involvement.
Monitor and respond to shared inbox communications to ensure timely service delivery.
Perform monthly corrections and validations to maintain compliance and data integrity.
Provide overflow assistance to IR and MIP teams during high-volume periods or staff absences.
Assist supervisors in onboarding new staff and providing refresher training on processes and documentation standards.
Coordinate with applications, intake, contracting, and compliance teams to ensure seamless participant experience.
Maintain familiarity with the HCV Administrative Plan and ensure all actions align with CMHA policies.
Acts as a cultural ambassador for the organization. Implements strategies to ensure that the organizational mission, vision and values are exemplified within the department. Works with the community to advance partnerships and organizational positioning through the system.
Attends meetings and serves on committees, as directed; attends training and seminars, as directed.
Demonstrates regular and predictable attendance.
Maintains required licensure and/or certification.
Meets all job safety requirements and all applicable OSHA safety standards that pertain to essential functions.
Performs other related duties as assigned.