Housing Development Officer (Office of Housing Stability) - City of Boston

Overview

The mission of the Mayor's Office of Housing (MOH) is to make Boston a more equitable and inclusive city where all residents can thrive. MOH oversees programs that create and preserve affordable housing, support homeowners and renters, provide housing and services to homeless individuals and families, and develop city-owned property. The Mayor's Office of Housing seeks to carry out its mission through a lens of promoting diversity, equity and inclusion and addressing the effects of systemic racism in our city.

The Office of Housing Stability (OHS) is a front-facing, constituent services based office supporting renters and families facing homelessness in the City of Boston. Our mission is to help residents find and maintain stable, safe, and affordable housing. Our office works to prevent displacement and promote housing preservation and stabilization. Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Director for the Office of Housing Stability or their designee, the Housing Development Officer (HDO) will be responsible for the management of all grants awarded on behalf of the Office of Housing Stability in addition to the primary responsibilities and tasks below.

Responsibilities

• Manage OHS’s Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG); Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and other federal, state and local grants.
• Provide administrative and programmatic oversight of all OHS funded contracts including federal and state compliance requirements and invoice processing.
• Assist in awarding Federal, State and Local funding grants to external vendors to perform housing counseling, eviction prevention, tenancy preservation, housing search, financial assistance and rapid re-housing for homeless households and those at risk of homelessness.
• Continuously monitor and evaluate vendors to ensure appropriate and efficient allocation of resources and to assist with achievement of Divisional and City strategic goals.
• Utilize knowledge of mainstream benefits to complement and coordinate with limited program resources.
• Assist with stakeholder management and engagement at all levels of government to ensure better management and coordination of discharge planning from institutions and other systems of care.
• Assist with preparation of the City’s annual competitive Continuum of Care funding application.
• As part of that effort, prepare the annual HOPWA CAPER, as required by HUD, including the provision of training to project sponsors on reporting requirements, the collection, analysis and compilation of useable program data, the dissemination of draft report for review and public comment and the submittal of the finalized HOPWA CAPER to HUD in accordance with statutory guidelines.
• Provide technical assistance and training to vendors/grantees, including targeted assistance to ensure that programs are meeting all program match requirements and are supplementing client services with mainstream benefits and resources.
• Assist with the City’s response to constituent inquiries, emergencies and displacements as necessary.
• Maintain project records.
• Perform related duties as required.

Minimum Entrance Qualifications

• At least two (2) years of experience in policy development, program evaluation and design, and stakeholder management including programmatic experience in Federal, State and Local Funding Grants.
• Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Public Policy, or Public Health preferred.
• Familiarity with HUD regulations, specifically the Continuum of Care program, the HEARTH Act, Emergency Solutions Grant and Community Development Block Grant.
• Understanding of housing issues and programs including those that serve homeless and those at risk of homelessness.
• Working knowledge of administrative procedures including program requisitions, contract management and budget oversight.
• Comprehension of housing development or finance principles and practices.
• Strong negotiation, communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office, Google, Salesforce and HUD reporting systems.
• Bilingual language capabilities are preferred.
• Ability to exercise good judgment and focus on detail as required by the job.

BOSTON RESIDENCY REQUIRED

Terms:Union/Salary Plan/Grade: SEIU 888/N-22 Hours Per Week: 35