The Housing Authority in the City of Pittsburg, CA is seeking dynamic individuals for the position of Housing Specialist.

The Housing Specialist is the journey level class within the Housing Authority Division responsible for independently performing the full range of duties in the management of an assigned caseload in Section 8 and Voucher housing programs. The Housing Specialist performs a variety of specialized and technical activities relating to Housing Authority Section 8 and Voucher programs; conducts studies, prepares reports, and provides assistance to the public regarding housing programs policies and procedures; and performs other duties as required. Incumbents monitor eligibility and ensure compliance with applicable laws, procedures and policies as mandated by the City and Federal programs.

Ideal Candidate for Housing Specialist

Knowledge and experience with codes and ordinances that pertain to subsidized low-income housing and assistance programs including Section 8 and Voucher Programs.
Familiarity with housing software systems and the affordable housing applications that assist in determining eligibility for housing. Familiarity with Yardi housing software is preferred.
Knowledge of HQS and NSPIRE Inspection Regulations
Possess exceptional management and organizational abilities to adhere to time sensitive situations and meet deadlines.
Great ability to work collaboratively with other City Departments/Divisions, other governmental agencies, community organizations and the public.
Outstanding communication and customer service skills with the ability to explain information to a diverse population with various levels of understanding.
Ability to prepare clear, concise and complete reports and other written materials.
Knowledge and experience with Microsoft Office Suite tools (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
Problem solver and embraces challenges.
Excellent attention to detail and ability to explain and apply various rules and regulations that pertain to housing programs.
Bilingual in Spanish is highly desirable.
Willingness to obtain certification for eligibility determination and rent calculations (within 12 months); inspection certification (within 24 months); and Waitlist and Reasonable Accommodations certifications (within 36 months).

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburg includes a Housing Manager, Senior Housing Analyst and four Housing Specialists

About Housing Authority
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburg includes a Housing Manager, Senior Housing Analyst and four Housing Specialists who provide rental subsidy to low-income households to the extent of the maximum budget authority received from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and awarded through an Annual Contributions Contract. The number of households assisted is based on funding and expenses. Rental assistance is granted in the form of a Housing Choice Voucher (Voucher or HCV, also known as Section 8) which families utilize to rent a unit of their choice. Factors determining program expenses include the number of Vouchers awarded, the average housing assistance payment, fair market rents established by HUD and administrative costs. Based on these factors, the Housing Authority’s allocation is to assist 1,140 households which includes previous homeless Veterans.

About Pittsburg
The City of Pittsburg is a culturally rich and diverse community of over 76,000 residents and expected to grow to 90,000 in the next 20 years. Pittsburg is located in the Bay Area Region of Northern California and is perfectly situated for easy access to San Francisco, Napa Valley, Sacramento, the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and Lake Tahoe. Pittsburg City Hall is also conveniently located a short walk from the Pittsburg Center Station of the Bay Area Rapid Transit System (BART), making a commute from cities throughout the Bay Area very easy. Pittsburg has waterfront homes, a performing arts theater, a variety of seasonal events, an extensive park system, a large public-school system, and a variety of shopping centers. The recently renovated Marina is also an ideal place to visit and is located within steps of the Old Town shopping district and downtown living, with nearly 600 boat slips, a free public boat launch, fuel dock, café, bait shop, and the Pittsburg Yacht Club. Pittsburg has featured such events as the Seafood and Music Festival, car shows, movies in the park, kayaking, and fishing derbies. With its commitment to a quality community environment, Pittsburg is an ideal city in which to live, work and recreate.

The City of Pittsburg is a full-service city following the council-manager form of government. The City has approximately 300 full-time employees and at times, up to 400 employees total (depending on the season). Pittsburg is currently organized into the following departments: City Management, Community and Economic Development (Building, Economic Development, Code Enforcement, and Planning), Community Services (Housing Authority, Pittsburg Power Company, and the Successor Agency to the former Redevelopment Agency, CDBG/Housing Rehabilitation, Environmental Services, Waterfront Administration, and Property Management), Recreation, Human Resources, Finance, Police, and Public Works (Engineering, Operations/Maintenance, Utilities, Facilities, Parks, and Water Treatment). Fire Protection services are provided by the Contra Costa County Consolidated Fire Department.

A competitive benefits package for regular employees includes CALPERS retirement, medical/dental/vision insurance, paid life insurance, retirement health saving account, deferred compensation plan with employer match, paid time off, tuition reimbursement, wellness activities, employee assistance program, employee development courses, and career opportunities.

Check out Pittsburg's Facebook Page to see more about what the City offers: https://www.facebook.com/CityOfPittsburgCa/

Join Team Pittsburg to do meaningful work that will shape the community and make a positive difference

Interviews, evaluates, and counsels potential and current program participants on all Housing Authority program policies and procedures including housing certification, Housing Choice Voucher (HCV)/ Section 8 Rental Assistance eligibility requirements and restrictions.

Accepts and reviews applications; assists in the determination of eligibility of new housing applicants; conducts home visits and rent calculations as appropriate.

Mediates and develops contracts and rental agreements between private resident owners and tenants participating in the Section 8 and voucher Housing Programs.

Investigates, handles, and resolves complaints and problems of program participants; provides referrals to and assistance in obtaining needed services from outside social services and agencies.

Determines rents based on family income; negotiates rents with landlords and determines rent reasonableness and the equity of leasing terms.

Reviews, interprets, and applies local, state, and federal housing laws, rules and regulations to program participants and outside agencies; represents the program in contact with program participants, community groups, businesses, and outside agencies.

Participates in the preparation of required statistical reports to federal and state monitoring agencies; compiles statistical data from databases; performs data entry and maintains database files to ensure current participant information.

Maintains forms, letters, and records to adequately carry out the requirements of federal, state, and local laws and policies.

Assists the Housing Manager in program rules, policies, and procedure implementation.

Ensures appropriate program monitoring and evaluation to enforce compliance with leases and other requirements; prepares case materials and presents testimony at informal hearings regarding denial of eligibility; processes fraud reports.

Inspects properties to determine compliance with the City guidelines and Housing Quality Standards (HQS)/National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE), or current HUD mandated standards and requirements under HCV/ Section 8 rental assistance programs regarding housing quality and general conditions of safety and sanitation; advise property owners and tenants of maintenance needs; documents repair requirements; conducts damage and move out inspections; counsel tenants, property owners and/or managers to avoid disputes; conducts follow up inspections of previously failed inspections upon completion of work and repairs.

Operates and maintains special Housing and Urban Development (HUD) computer programs using word processing, spreadsheet, and online computer programs.

Performs duties and responsibilities for Citywide Housing related programs.

Establishes positive working relationships with representatives of community organizations, state/local agencies and associations, City management and staff, and the public.

May participate in presentations to the public and clients to bring about greater citizen cooperation and support of housing programs.

Any combination of education, experience, and training that would provide the best qualified candidates. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Education: A high school diploma or equivalent. Coursework in business, personnel, public relations, social work, or public administration

Experience: One year of experience working with the public determining eligibility for government funded programs and explaining and applying rules and guidelines.

License/Certificate: Possession of, or the ability to obtain, a valid class C California driver’s license. Possess and maintain proof of auto liability insurance. Possession of, or ability to obtain within one year of appointment a Housing Quality Standards (HQS) certification from an industry-recognized organization.

Other Requirements: Physically and mentally capable of performing the functions of the job, including but not limited to those summarized in Typical Tasks.

Applications may be submitted online at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/pittsburg. The City of Pittsburg utilizes a merit-based selection system. Such a system is competitive and based on broad outreach efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to take part in a process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Although, a resume and cover letter provide helpful added detail in reviewing qualifications, the job application may be rejected if the sections are considered to be incomplete. You will be notified of the next steps in the process via email! In the meantime, Let’s stay in touch through social media. Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

What Happens Next?

We will review your application and all supplemental materials to select the best qualified applicants to continue in the process. Screening will include a review of qualifications, application appraisal rating of education, training and experience and relevance of background qualifications related to the target job as well as supplemental questions if applicable.
Applicants selected to move forward in the process may be asked to participate in any combination of the following (at any phase of the selection process): a written examination, job related exercise, physical test or job simulation, phone interview, in-person or video interview(s), and/or web-based testing.
All offers of employment are conditional and new hires are subject to complete a pre-employment background screening that will consist of reference checks, livescan/fingerprint check and a civil check. Some positions require a medical examination, psychological examination, credit check, polygraph, drug testing, and full background investigation depending on the job characteristics. All new hires are required to show that they are eligible to work in the United States. All of these processes must be successfully completed before employment begins.
The final phase of the selection process is the probationary period, which in most cases is twelve months.

Reasonable Accommodations:
The City of Pittsburg is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and provides equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws in its employment actions, decisions, policies and practices.

The City of Pittsburg Human Resources Department will make reasonable efforts in the selection process to accommodate disabled applicants. Individuals with disabilities who would like to request an accommodation in the process must inform the Human Resources Department by the final filing date.

City of Pittsburg

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Housing Specialist (Housing Authority)