Housing Hearing Officer

Introduction

Are you a current Dept. of Housing employee looking for the next step in your career? If so, we encourage you to read below and apply today!

• Visit our new State Employee Benefits Overview page!
• Professional growth and development opportunities.
• A healthy work/life balance to all employees.

• Full time, 40 hours per week
• Monday through Friday
• First shift
• Located at 505 Hudson Street in Hartford, CT
• This hybrid position is eligible to apply for telework, in accordance with the Telework Policy.

The Housing Hearing Officer will be responsible for reviewing and conducting administrative housing hearings of appeals submitted by Section 8 and RAP applicants. They will be responsible for maintaining the case files, all submitted documentation and all related written summaries, reports, and decisions.

The Department of Housing is the lead agency for housing matters for the State of Connecticut and is responsible for the creation of environmental review records for more than ten (10) federal grant programs associated with affordable housing and community development activities.

The Housing & Development division is responsible for working in concert with municipal leaders, public agencies, community groups, local housing authorities, and other housing developers in the planning and development of affordable home ownership and rental housing units, the preservation of existing multi-family housing developments, community revitalization and financial and other support for our most vulnerable residents through our funding and technical support programs.

In the Department of Housing this class is accountable for acting as a working supervisor and or performing the most complex duties related to housing and or community development programs and or projects.

• Plans unit workflow and determines priorities;
• Schedules, assigns, oversees, and reviews work;
• Establishes and maintains unit procedures;
• Provides technical assistance and reviews work of unit staff for consistency and conformity with unit policies;
• Provides staff training;
• Conducts or assists in conducting performance evaluations;
• Makes recommendations on policies or standards;
• Reviews, analyzes and completes complex financial assistance applications, program plans, budgets, term sheets, contracts, and revisions to contracts to ensure accuracy and conformity with statutory and agency requirements;
• Provides funding and other recommendations on financial applications;
• Reviews and processes requests for disbursements, contract modifications and other program and project modifications requested by the financial assistance recipients and makes recommendations;
• Provides technical assistance to state agencies and federal government entities relative to housing related programs;
• Consults with local agencies and authorities in areas of program planning, design, operations and management;
• Serves as liaison with agency administrative staff, state agencies and federal government entities, property managers, landlords, private consultants, advocates, service providers and attorneys on housing, housing related and community development matters including agency projects and programs;
• Performs inspections, recertifications, reviews and evaluations to determine quality of program operations, conformance with program plan and other contractual requirements and effectiveness and makes recommendations;
• Prepares comprehensive financial documents and other reports;
• Maintains and monitors program budgets and completes related paperwork;
• Monitors the status of payment requests;
• Coordinates activities of agency with local, regional, state, and federal governmental entities and private organizations and individuals;
• Meets with officials and others to explain agency programs and policies;
• Represents the agency in meetings with financial assistance recipients;
• May serve on committees, task forces and work groups;
• May develop new housing, housing related and community development programs;
• Performs related duties as required.

• Reviews appeal submissions related to Section 8 and Rental Assistance Program (RAP);
• Conducts administrative housing hearings;
• Receives and documents testimony, exhibits, and supporting materials presented in the appeals and hearings processes;
• Engages with witnesses, staff, and contractor personnel to clarify facts and ensure a complete record;
• Evaluates evidence and prepares written decisions that explain findings and conclusions;
• Maintains case files, hearing materials, and decision records;
• Prepares summaries, reports, or recommendations;
• Performs related duties as required.

• Considerable knowledge of local, state and federal governmental and private resources available in the areas of housing and community development;
• the challenges and programs related to the expansion of affordable housing, community revitalization and…