Housing Specialist

The mission of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless is to work collaboratively toward the prevention of homelessness and the creation of lasting solutions for homeless and at-risk families, children, and individuals throughout Colorado. The Coalition advocates for and provides a continuum of housing and a variety of services to improve the health, well-being, and stability of those it serves.

The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless currently seeks a Housing Specialist who is responsible for collaboratively addressing the housing stability needs of program participants and ensuring housing program integrity. This will include working with other CCH staff members and outside agencies to ensure (1) ongoing housing stability of program participants (2) HUD housing program compliance that includes the management of housing files and databases. This position is located at 2135 Stout Street, Denver, CO 80205, and reports to the Program Manager.

Coalition Benefits

In addition to the unique challenges and extraordinary rewards of our work, eligible Coalition employees enjoy a rich benefits package, including:

• Choice of HMO or PPO health insurance coverage options: full-time employees contribute only 1% of their earnings for their own HMO health coverage and no more than 4% of their earnings for coverage of eligible dependents. We're proud to offer same-and opposite-sex domestic partner coverage.
• Choice of dental insurance or discount plan.

• Vision insurance.
• Flexible spending accounts for health care / dependent care / parking expenses.
• Free basic life and AD&D insurance coverage.
• Employee Assistance Program, a problem-solving resource available to you and your household members.
• Dollar-for-dollar retirement plan matching contributions up to 5% of earnings with 3-year vesting.
• Extensive paid time-off, including 9 holidays, 12 days of sick leave, and three weeks of vacation for new full-time employees in their first year.

The effective date for your benefits will be the first of the month following your date of hire.

Essential Job Functions

• Researches, monitors, and properly interprets HUD rules and regulations for various housing programs. These programs may include HOME TBRA, Permanent Supportive Housing, Emergency Solutions Grant, Housing Choice Voucher, State Housing Voucher and others.
• Conducts housing orientations, Housing Quality Standards inspections, lease-ups, tenant conferences, annual re certifications, interim re certifications and calculates repayment agreements for housing programs maintaining a case load will be 100 - 150 households.
• Outreaches and engages program participants on an as needed basis. This may include meeting with program participants in the office, on the streets, in the shelters, at places of employment, or in their rental units to ensure housing program activities are completed.
• Identifies and collaboratively resolves conflicts with and between landlords, program participants, case managers. This will include rent and lease negotiations per CCH procedures.
• Collaborates with case managers, other CCH staff, and outside agencies as necessary, to ensure housing stability for the household.
• Coordinates with the CCH Accounting department and/or the Division of Housing to ensure that paperwork is completed in an accurate and timely manner; including the monthly housing assistance accounting report.
• Demonstrates competency in and maintains housing databases. This may include data entry into multiple systems; HMIS, FileMaker, Elite, and others.
• Actively participates in appropriate team meetings and meets regularly with manager for one-on-one supervision.
• Conducts household rent calculations in accordance with funder and HUD regulations. This will include documenting (1) income verification (2) payment standards/FMRs (3) utility allowances (4) contract rents (5) total tenant payments (6) housing assistance payments and (7) final tenant rent.
• Maintains a work environment that is marked by respect for others; that values inclusiveness and builds workforce diversity; and that fosters cooperation and teamwork.
• Demonstrates a respectful attitude towards partners and coworkers that promotes teamwork, open communication, and effective customer service.
• Monitors and documents rental units that fail inspection. Imposes sanctions of rent abatement for units not meeting repair deadlines.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Employee must be able to perform essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation and without posing a direct threat to safety or health of self or others. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Qualifications Summary

• HUD housing program administration experience preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in social service-related field preferred. Experience may be substituted for education.
• Experience working with people who are experiencing homelessness or who have come from homelessness preferred.
• Reliable transportation required. Valid Driver's License Required.
• Must be able to pass criminal background and automobile insurance carrier's Motor Vehicle Record background investigations.

WHERE A CANDIDATE IS PLACED IN THE COMPENSATION RANGE DEPENDS ON TOTAL RELEVENT YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless is committed to delivering services, making employment-related decisions, selecting volunteers, and selecting vendors without regard to age over 40, race, sex, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, disability, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, military status, or any other applicable status protected by law.

The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless is committed to delivering services, making employment-related decisions, selecting volunteers, and selecting vendors without regard to age over 40, race, sex, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, disability, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, military status, or any other applicable status protected by law.

• Denver, CO, USA