Housing Specialist

Time Equities Inc • Kansas City, MO

5d • $50,000 - $60,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Housing Specialist helps Plaza East residents in Kansas City, Missouri, who are behind on rent or at risk of falling behind, obtain rental assistance from local nonprofit organizations and public programs. The specialist serves as the property's primary contact among residents, assistance providers, and the management office. The role combines case coordination with working knowledge of property accounting and fair housing requirements, with the aim of helping households remain housed, resolving delinquent balances, and ensuring assistance payments are documented and correctly applied to resident ledgers.

The position is office-based at Plaza East and includes regular walking around the property for resident meetings, as well as occasional travel to partner agencies in the Kansas City area. It involves sensitive conversations with residents facing financial hardship. The salary range is $50,000–$60,000. Benefits are to be confirmed by HR. This description is not exhaustive, and responsibilities may change based on property and business needs.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED.
• At least 2 years of experience in property management, social services, case management, housing counseling, or a related field.
• Experience helping clients complete applications for public or nonprofit assistance programs.
• Valid driver's license and reliable transportation for occasional visits to partner agencies.
• Ability to pass a background check.
• Knowledge of local rental assistance resources and their eligibility, documentation, and payment processes.
• Working knowledge of resident ledgers, delinquency, and basic property accounting.
• Understanding of Fair Housing law, landlord-tenant basics, and confidentiality standards.
• Strong case-management and follow-up habits, with the ability to track many open applications at once.
• Clear, respectful communication with residents in financial distress, with empathy and professional boundaries.
• Confidence representing the property with agency caseworkers and nonprofit leaders.
• Accurate data-entry and organized recordkeeping skills, and comfort with Excel or similar tools for tracking and reporting.
• Sound judgment about when to escalate an issue to the Property Manager.

Nice To Haves

• Associate or bachelor's degree in social work, human services, public administration, or a related field.
• Existing relationships with Kansas City–area housing and social service organizations.
• Experience with emergency rental assistance programs, Housing Choice Vouchers, or other subsidy programs.
• Familiarity with property management software such as Yardi, RealPage, Entrata, or AppFolio.
• Housing counseling, Fair Housing, or Certified Occupancy Specialist (COS) training.
• Bilingual English/Spanish.

Responsibilities

• Review the aged delinquency report weekly and contact residents with past-due balances before eviction steps begin.
• Meet with residents to assess needs, explain available programs, and screen for eligibility.
• Help residents complete assistance applications and gather required documents, including identification, income verification, lease, ledger, and past-due notices.
• Refer residents to supportive services such as utility assistance, employment programs, benefits enrollment, and financial counseling.
• Build and maintain working relationships with Kansas City–area rental assistance providers and housing authority staff.
• Maintain a current directory of assistance programs, including eligibility rules, funding availability, application windows, contacts, and turnaround times.
• Serve as the property's liaison to caseworkers and promptly provide ledgers, W-9s, landlord certifications, and tenancy verification.
• Track application status and follow up with agencies until funds are approved, denied, or redirected.
• Confirm assistance award amounts and the months or charges covered, and communicate the details to the accounting team.
• Ensure assistance payments are received, correctly posted to resident ledgers, and reconciled against award letters.
• Coordinate payment plans for balances not covered by assistance.
• Coordinate with the Property Manager to pause or resolve collection and legal actions when assistance is pending, consistent with company policy and program requirements.
• Maintain confidential, organized case files for each resident served.
• Follow program documentation and landlord-agreement requirements, including agreements not to evict during covered periods where required.
• Apply Fair Housing, ADA, and privacy requirements consistently in resident interactions.
• Help residents plan for sustained rent payment after assistance ends.
• Organize on-site information sessions or resource fairs with partner organizations.
• Flag at-risk households to management early.
• Produce monthly reports for the Property Manager and TEI asset management on applications submitted, approvals, dollars received, balances resolved, and households retained.
• Report trends in resident needs and gaps in available assistance.

What This Job Offers

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