Housing Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOM

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 Housing Specialists manage a caseload of approximately 225 - 250 participants in various supportive housing programs that are funded by state, federal and local units of government or other agencies. Housing Specialists are responsible for the management of each participant’s entire participation in the housing program, including the initial admission and move-in, interim and annual certifications, unit transfers, and program termination. The Housing Specialist is a non-exempt position.

Primary Job Responsibilities

Customer Service & Communication

• Provide timely and excellent customer service, in person, via phone and/or email
• Maintain weekly communication with participants and care teams during housing search
• Communicate with participant and/or care team through RFTA and inspection process and notate updates in software
• Coordinate, with all HOM departments, tasks related to and in support of timely customer service, data entry, problem resolution, payment releases, and reporting
• Represent HOM with provider partners and external stakeholder meetings

Program Intake & Eligibility

• Conduct housing program orientation, individually or in group settings, presenting housing interventions, roles of HOM team, care teams, and participant, and process and timeline overview
• Conduct intake appointment, verifying income, assets, and expenses to verify program eligibility and calculate participant rent (Total Tenant Portion [TTP]) and subsidy payment (Housing Assistance Payment [HAP]) in accordance with HUD regulation and specific program guidelines
• Access participant’s personal proprietary information utilizing various secure computer databases, including the HUD EIV system, the Department of Economic Security AZTECS and GUIDE systems, tenant screening web sites, etc.
• Padmission Registration & Training: Register new participant or reactivate transferring participant account in Padmission Connect. Verify registration is complete. Confirm case management or supportive service representative also has access to Padmission. Perform brief tutorials and provide unit leads

Housing Search & Leasing Process

• Provide basic education to new property owners/agents on HOM program policies and procedures
• Communicate with property agents to confirm Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA) completion, negotiate lease terms, and address tenancy concerns
• Receive, review, and confirm RFTA for completion, gross rent eligibility (including utility allowance), and build unit in software platform
• Review lease for accuracy and adherence to Fair Housing and statutory requirements
• Prepare and execute subsidy contracts including HAP and Rental Assistance Agreements (RAA)
• Coordinate Move-In Kit distribution, by delivery or pick up, if applicable to program new admissions and notate in software

Ongoing Program Management & Retention

• Conduct interim, annual recertification, and moving appointments for unit transfers
• Coordinate and/or conduct staffing, case conference, or other efforts with care teams for participants at risk of losing their housing
• Submit requests for termination to HOM Partners, appropriately documenting all attempts to remedy program non-compliance, notification of voluntary withdrawal, or notification of death

Documentation, Compliance & Data Management

• Create and maintain participant physical and digital files per HOM policy and in auditable condition
• Document all participant, care team, and landlord interactions in household notes section of software
• Upload all documents to the file center using correct naming convention
• Run all tenancy actions upon completion of data entry into housing software and verification of accuracy
• Caseload management includes self-auditing, data review of pending payments, follow up on missing documents, requesting support from leaders and peers, and reporting out on key functions

Essential Skills

• Knowledge of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) federal regulations, AZ Residential Landlord & Tenant Act, and fair housing laws
• Understanding and commitment to Housing First principles and application
• Ability to work with various stakeholders, vulnerable populations, partners, health homes, supportive services, and properties
• Commitment to excellent customer service to both internal and external stakeholders
• Advocacy of housing programs and participants
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Problem solving with strength in de-escalation and conflict resolution
• Provide trauma informed care
• Detail oriented data entry and analysis
• Strategic and tactical thinking and action to accomplish goals
• Adaptability and ability to manage change
• Accountability for work processes and outcomes
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 applications including SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, Planner, Outlook, Word, Excel, etc.
• Flexibility and willingness to perform other duties as assigned to meet HOM goals

Other Skills and Requirements

• Adherence to HOM Security and Privacy Policies, HIPAA standards for both PII and PHI
• Demonstration of the four (4) focus areas of HOM Inc.’s Competency Model: Emotional Intelligence, Expertise, Ethics, and Excellence
• Participation in the Predictive Index (PI) Behavioral Assessment and utilization of PI tools to strengthen performance
• Investment in personal / professional development, including learning new skills, reading reference materials or professional development books/articles/periodicals, and other professional development activities
• Current Arizona Driver’s License
• Current Automobile Insurance

Education and Training

• Relevant experience in housing, property management, homeless services, customer service, compliance-driven work, or a similar setting preferred
• Minimum 1 year of customer service experience required
• Industry certifications of Section 8 or Public Housing Occupancy or ability to obtain within (1) one year of hire
• High School Diploma or GED Equivalent
• Associates and/or bachelor’s degree Preferred

LEARN MORE ABOUT US

Taking care of people is central to our work, which is why we offer highly competitive pay and a comprehensive and generous benefits program.

HEALTH

Offering excellent medical, dental, and vision benefits, HOM also provides employee assistance programs for physical and mental well-being.

WELLNESS

Because this is challenging work, HOM is committed to providing monthly chair massages, employee wellness program events and challenges, blood drives, and more.

SAVINGS

In addition to competitive pay, save for retirement with employer matching and opportunities for financial planning. Other insurance benefits include life, disability, and accident insurance, and more.

BALANCE

Ensuring a healthy balance between work and life is important. Because individual needs for time away from work are diverse, we offer generous paid time off (PTO), including 13 paid National holidays.

FUN

At HOM, we’re not afraid of hard work, or a good time! To keep our team strong and connected, our employee-driven Culture Committee strives to provide engaging opportunities all year round.

Successful candidates will be required to complete a short behavioral and cognitive assessment prior to advancing to an interview.

Drug Free Workplace:

HOM, Inc. is a Drug Free Workplace where post offer applicants and employees are subject to testing for drugs and alcohol when criteria is met as outlined in our policies

Equal Opportunity Employer:

HOM, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/vets. HOM, Inc. is dedicated to the principles of equal employment opportunity. We prohibit unlawful discrimination against applicants or employees on the basis of age 40 and over, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, military or veteran status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or any other applicable status protected by state or local law.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to access job openings or apply for a job on this site as a result of your disability. You can request reasonable accommodations by contacting the Business Operations at [email protected].

- content/uploads/EEO -Policy-Statement-2023.pdf