Housing Specialist - Mainstream​/HCV

As a national leader in housing assistance programs, HOM, Inc. is dedicated to building communities where the promise of home is a reality for everyone because we believe individuals, families, and communities are safer, healthier, and stronger when everyone has a home. Whether ending homelessness through housing assistance, guiding new landlords and property owners through the financial benefits of our programs, or advocating among local leaders for increased funding and supportive services, our HOM team engages in meaningful work that advances our mission of ending homelessness in Arizona through housing.

Honored as a Top 100 Companies to Work for in Arizona, HOM provides opportunities to make an impact, alongside generous pay, benefits, work/life balance, and PTO, among many other great perks. If you're passionate about making a difference in our communities, there's no place like HOM.

If you would describe yourself as diligent, thorough, serious, situationally task
-or people-oriented, and accurate - we want to talk to you about joining the HOM team as a Housing Specialist
.

The Mainstream Housing Specialist operates the entirety (up to 194) of the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Mainstream program. The Mainstream Housing Specialist is responsible for the management of each participant’s entire participation in the housing program, including pulling from the wait list, determining initial eligibility in compliance with the Administrative Plan, to the initial admission and move-in, interim and annual certifications, unit transfers, and program termination.

Further the Mainstream Housing Specialist will participate and lead in utilization analysis and reporting requirements of HUD through the PIC and VMS systems. The Mainstream Housing Specialist is a non-exempt position.

• Maintain, document and update the HCV wait list for the Mainstream program
• Monitor and coordinate with CPO on program utilization to keep the programs fully leased up
• Perform data entry into HUD VMS system
• Select households from wait list in compliance with allocation and Administrative Plan requirements, rules and regulations
• Coordinate, schedule, prepare, and conduct program orientations for new participants
• Obtain and evaluate written verification of participant income, assets, expenses and eligibility factors in accordance with program guidelines/regulations/practices
• Issue and manage vouchers, including extensions and terminations
• Assist applicants and participants with dwelling unit search process by using Padmission
• Process requests for tenancy approval and determine unit gross rent eligibility
• Review Rent Reasonableness
• Calculate tenant rent and rental assistance payments
• Negotiate contract rent and lease terms
• Coordinate initial Housing Quality Standards (HQS) Inspections
• Preparation of housing assistance payments (HAP) contracts
• Conduct interim & annual re-certifications
• Coordinate and process unit transfers for program participants
• Advocacy for program participants in the community & working closely with program specific supportive services
• Process participant program terminations when necessary
• Create and maintain participant files with accurate and timely documentation
• Perform extensive data entry in Housing Software for program participants, dwelling units, landlords, and other housing program related information
• Access participant data and adhere to confidentiality requirements from various computer databases, including the HUD EIV system, the Department of Economic Security AZTECS and GUIDE systems, tenant screening web sites, etc.
• Assist with and implement PIC reporting via the software provider to HUD.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 applications including Sharepoint, One Drive, Teams, Planner, Outlook, Word, Excel, etc.
• Strong organizational skills with aptitude for project management and multitasking to manage multiple concurrent projects
• Certification as Housing Specialist or Occupancy Specialist required or ability to obtain within 1st year of employment
• Knowledgeable of AZ Residential Landlord & Tenant Act
• Ability to work closely and consistently with homeless and/or disabled population
• Demonstrated high level of skill with interpersonal relationships and communication
• Strong sense of ownership of work processes and outcomes
• Excellent people skills and the proven ability to work well with a wide range of personalities
• Ability to think…