Benefits)

Harford County•Bel Air, MD

8d•$70,000 - $82,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The current Housing Services Counselor II position is a hybrid position that includes duties and responsibilities associated with a Program Eligibility Analyst I. This position is responsible for providing comprehensive individual and group housing counseling services in the areas of financial capability, rental counseling, home ownership, foreclosure counseling, fair housing, and eviction prevention. The team member shall also perform a level of services required by HUD and Harford County. Supervision shall be under the Housing Services Coordinator. Additional responsibilities include but may not be limited to performing initial eligibility interviews and annual recertification of participating families, handling family moves, HCV terminations, interim changes, correspondence, telephone inquiries, and scheduling, as well as file maintenance, file scanning, front desk coverage, telephone coverage, and other duties as assigned. This staff person will consult with service agencies, tenants, and owners under the guise of a Program Eligibility Analyst. Harford County Government Core Values are essential to successful job performance and this position, as with all positions at Harford County, is accountable for integrating Core Values in the execution of responsibilities. Housing Services Counselor II supervises Housing Services Counselor I employees.

Requirements

5 years of related experience
1 year experience supervising or managing teams
Bachelor's Degree - Sociology, Behavior Science, or related field
Must be a HUD Housing Certified Counselor - Required
Knowledge of Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) Program policies and procedures
Knowledge of the federal rental housing program
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders
Ability to lead, teach and coach others in acquiring new skills
Skilled listener, ability to practice actively listening
Public speaking and presentation skills; Knowledge of standards of confidentiality and ethical practice
Knowledge of the home buying process, foreclosure laws and special mortgage programs
Knowledge and understanding of credit, budgeting and financial capability case management
Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing
Ability to facilitate and lead meetings
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
Knowledge of budgetary practices and ability to manage budgets
Ability to provide internal and external customer service in a courteous manor
Data entry
Knowledge of Fair Housing laws
Knowledge of rental laws and eviction prevention
Ability to bend, stoop, kneel and sit for prolonged periods of time
Ability to drive a County vehicle to attend meetings and act as a representative of the Agency

Responsibilities

Provides comprehensive housing counseling services in the areas of, but not limited to, homebuyer education, financial literacy, rental counseling, home ownership, foreclosure counseling, home improvement and rehabilitation, energy conservation, fair housing and eviction prevention
Maintains client files and performs data entry on web-based client data management system
Researches and prepares Federal, State and local housing counseling grants
Participates in public meetings, provides outreach to the public and participates in educational programs regarding housing issues
Keeps abreast of all Federal, State, and local housing regulations
Prepares monthly, quarterly or annual reports as required
Coordinates monthly first-time home buyer workshops and annual housing fair