HOUSING SPECIALIST

City of New York • New York, NY

11d • $61,656 - $70,904 • Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Social Services (DSS) is comprised of the administrative units of the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) and the Department of Homeless Services (DHS). HRA is dedicated to fighting poverty and income inequality by providing New Yorkers in need with essential benefits such as Food Assistance and Emergency Rental Assistance. DHS is committed to preventing and addressing homelessness in New York City by employing a variety of innovative strategies to help families and individuals successfully exit shelter and return to self-sufficiency as quickly as possible.

The HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA) is the primary mechanism within the Human Resources Administration (HRA) which expedites access to essential benefits such as medical, social, financial, and vocational programs to more than 32,000 individuals living with HIV, as well as 8,000+ affected families.

HASA provides intensive case management, rental assistance, emergency and permanent supportive housing, and assistance with applying for public benefits and services including Medicaid, food stamps, and cash assistance. HASA also provides vocational services that prepare clients for employment. With counselors to help identify barriers to employment, clients can select vocational goals and receive support. Other HASA services include home care and homemaking services, mental health and substance use screening and treatment referrals, transportation assistance, referrals to community-based organizations, and SSI or SSD application and appeal.

HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA) is recruiting for one (1) Principal Administrative Associate II, to function as a Housing Specialist in HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA) Housing Services, who will:

Requirements

• Permanent in the Principal Administrative Associate Civil Service title.
• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two years of satisfactory full-time progressively responsible clerical/administrative experience, one year of which must have been in an administrative capacity or supervising staff performing clerical/administrative work of more than moderate difficulty; or
• An associate degree or 60 semester credits from an accredited college and three years of satisfactory full-time progressively responsible clerical/administrative experience including one year of the administrative supervisory experience described in "1" above; or
• A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a state’s department of education or a recognized accrediting organization and four years of satisfactory full-time progressively responsible clerical/administrative experience including one year of the administrative supervisory experience as described in "1" above; or
• Education and/or experience equivalent to "1", "2", or "3" above. However, all candidates must possess the one year of administrative or supervisory experience as described in "1" above. Education above the high school level may be substituted for the general clerical/administrative experience (but not for the one year of administrative or supervisory experience described in "1" above) at a rate of 30 semester credits from an accredited college for 6 months of experience up to a maximum of 3 year.

Responsibilities

• Monitor vacancies and assigned contracts that provide HASA consumers placement in Scattered-Sites (SS), and Congregate Shelter Housing (CSH) through various automated tracking mechanisms (i.e., spreadsheets, excel, and access programs).
• Conduct programmatic research on HASA and managed housing facilities and referrals to determine consumer compatibility for SS, CHS, or any other housing options available, by utilizing data collection inclusive of placement indicators, contractor vacancy reports, placement reports and case review.
• Provide technical assistance to vendors, inter- intra-agency staff, case managers, medical and political advocates by imparting information to assist them in attaining agency goals of consumer placement. Analyzing factors that affect service delivery; reviewing and periodically updating Agency/City policies, procedures, and social service dictates regarding HASA housing requirements; scheduling and facilitating case conferences between vendors, clients and HASA Case Managers.
• Write housing specifications for placement by researching the facilities schematics inclusive of facility location, type of housing offered (long-term vs. temporary), accessibility for physically challenged (elevators vs. walk-ups), and type of residence (whether family or single household), with perspective clients.
• Provide projection of pre-existing apartment/housing conditions that will determine apartment availability received from SS and CSH facilities: attends and conducts facility and apartment unit inspections to confirm facilities analysis on prospective apartment availability utilizing various parameters such as inspection evaluations, contractor repairs completion dates, homelessness factors, and shelter placement mandates.
• Calculate the needs of accepted cases and refer them to supportive social service linkages that will assist in new apartment expenditures (i.e., furniture allowance, grants, utility connection fees, and moving expenses) and calculate housing cost projections for residents based on current cost-of-living trends, family needs, public assistance allowances and guidelines.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level