Rent Assistance Housing Specialist

Overview

Under direct supervision of the Housing Services Director, this position provides housing support and case management to eligible Rent Assistance participants, ensures assisted housing is maintained in a decent, safe, and sanitary condition, supports family self-sufficiency, and promotes fair housing. This position ensures compliance with federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Janesville Community Development Authority Administrative Plan rules and regulations.

• Reports to:
  
  Housing Services Director
• Has work contact with appointed City officials, Department, Division, and Office heads, program participants and applicants, rental property owners and managers, City staff, outside agencies, business representatives, vendors, and the general public.
• Supervises:
  None

• Determines all aspects of initial eligibility of applicants and their position on the waiting list, including verification of income assets, preference, citizenship or eligible immigration status, family composition, and complete criminal background review.
• Ensures persons not eligible for assistance are notified of their ineligibility within a reasonable amount of time and provided an opportunity to appeal the decision.
• Conducts individual and/or group orientation sessions reviewing program rules and regulations with new program participants; may also record virtual orientation videos.
• Maintains a system of ensuring that rent is reasonable for assisted rental unit; reviews rent for reasonableness and affordability before initial Lease Up; reviews landlord requests for rent increases thereafter.
• Ensures that contract and lease requirements are met, signed, and tenants understand landlord and tenant responsibilities.
• Reviews client files for accurate income and family composition information annually; applies appropriate payment standards and utility allowances.
• Calculates changes in tenant and rent assistance payments; notifies tenant and landlord of all changes in the amount of assistance provided.
• Conducts interim re-examinations for current program participants; receives and reviews all changes in income, expenses, assets, and family composition; calculates changes in the amount of housing assistance provided.
• Develops and maintains rapport with future, current, and past program participants and landlords; responds to telephone and in-person inquiries, provides general program information, and facilitates complaint resolution.
• Collects necessary information about possible program participant fraud or misrepresentation and takes appropriate action.
• Makes recommendations regarding program termination; prepares information for termination hearing, and represents the City in informal hearing process.
• Undertakes activities in support of the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program.
• Assists in annual and periodic evaluation of the Rent Assistance Program.
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of HUD program rules and regulations; recommends appropriate amendments and policy changes to the Administrative Plan to the Housing Services Director; reviews HUD circulars, memorandums, directives, and Federal Register proposed and final program rule changes.
• Undertakes activities to promote fair housing.
• Maintains accurate program records; periodically puts files into or retrieves files from storage.
• Types and composes correspondence, forms, brochures, flyers, manuals, and administrative policies.
• Coordinates with other Housing Authorities when transferring vouchers from one jurisdiction to another.
• Prepares Housing Assistance Payments for processing and submits to the Accounting Office on a bi-monthly basis.
• Reviews discrepancies in income; follows protocols for repayment agreements when necessary.
• Assists the Housing Inspection and Compliance Coordinator to ensure assisted housing is decent, safe, and sanitary; assists in scheduling and conducting housing quality standards (HQS) inspections, determining compliance, communicating results to tenants and landlords, and re-inspecting and address violations, as necessary.
• Assists the Housing and Inspection and Compliance Coordinator in responding to tenant concerns about possible housing violations and conducting special complaint inspections as needed.
• Follows all safety regulations, policies, and procedures; reports all unsafe conditions and acts to supervisor; reports all accidents to the supervisor immediately whenever possible; follows recognized safe work practices.
• Performs other special projects and other job duties as assigned or required during regular and non-business hours. All employees may be assigned by the City Manager or their designee to perform duties and assume responsibilities that are outside the scope of their work duties when the City Manager has declared a City disaster or the City Emergency Operations Center has been initiated.

• High School diploma or GED is required.
• Minimum of three (3) years’ experience working with…