Resident Services Housing Specialist I

Housing Opportunity Com•Silver Spring, MD

5d•$54,953 - $88,635•Hybrid

About The Position

The Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County (HOC) was established in 1974 to better respond to the County’s need for affordable housing. HOC is authorized to acquire, own, lease, and operate housing; to provide for the construction or renovation of housing; obtain financial assistance from any public or private source to assist its housing activities; and arrange for social services, resident services, and daycare. HOC’s Resident Services Department strives to enhance the lives of HOC customers by coordinating and implementing a vast array of high-quality programs, services, and resources. Through collaborative partnerships with Montgomery County, the federal government, and various community-based organizations, Resident Services is able to offer comprehensive service coordination, impactful resident programs, and robust supportive housing services to individuals and families who reside in HOC owned-managed properties or receive HOC housing subsidies, as well as applicants on HOC’s waitlist. This is an administrative position responsible for processing annual recertification’s and interim certifications for the McKinney Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Program and annual recertification’s for the Rent Supplement Program (RSP). Both programs provide a monthly subsidy to Montgomery County Landlords. Candidate will liaison with local landlords and various County service providers. Serves as team member of the Housing Services Team and works cooperatively in meeting the unit’s goals. This position requires a high level of organizational skills, time management and patience. Candidate may be meeting with customers to assist with comprehension and completion of program annual paperwork. This is a one-year term position. Work requires knowledge in the principles and practices a variety of subsidized housing programs (i.e. Housing Choice Voucher, Permanent Supportive Housing and Rent Supplement). Guidelines are provided through HUD, grant regulations, HOC's policies/procedures and methods used for similar programs. Individual effectiveness impacts directly upon the adequacy of services being provided to individuals and proper administration of the grants. Work would entail troubleshooting a variety of problems (i.e. program compliance, auditability, timely landlord HAP payments where conventional methods may not be sufficient requiring creative problem solving. Contacts are employees within and outside the organization which includes individuals such as landlords, property owners, and social service agencies. The employee uses highly developed communication skills in presenting ideas and technical information. Work is primarily performed in the office setting and involves regular meetings with the Montgomery County CoC, HOC and program staff. Candidate will be exposed to program participants often in a behavioral health crisis. Note: This is a hybrid position. Employees are eligible to work remotely one day per week once the six month probation period has been successfully completed.

Requirements

At least two years of experience in a customer service/housing environment.
Associate’s degree in a related area (or equivalent combination of education and experience).
Interviewing and counseling skills.
Patience.
Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
Knowledge of or the ability to acquire knowledge of subsidized housing program guidelines and Federal, State and local landlord/tenant laws.
Good math skills.
Ability to use computer software (Google Suites, Excel).

Nice To Haves

Property management, marketing and training experience desirable.
Foreign language ability desirable.

Responsibilities

Processing annual recertification’s and interim certifications for the McKinney Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Program and annual recertification’s for the Rent Supplement Program (RSP).
Liaising with local landlords and various County service providers.
Serving as a team member of the Housing Services Team and working cooperatively in meeting the unit’s goals.
Assisting customers with comprehension and completion of program annual paperwork.
Troubleshooting a variety of problems including program compliance, auditability, and timely landlord HAP payments.
Reviewing paperwork to obtain information required to establish client's portion of rent and landlord Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) in a timely manner.
Processing amendments to the Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) Contract, between HOC MCK PSH/RSP and the landlord, to reflect changes in family composition or income and during recertification’s in a timely manner.
Preparing client files for successful audits.
Preparing reports mandated by funding source.
Reviewing requests for lease approvals and negotiating rents with landlords.
Performing other related duties as assigned.