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NEOGOV · 1 day ago

Rent Assistance Housing Specialist

Janesville, WI

Full-time

Onsite

Mid Level

$55K/yr - $60K/yr

3+ years exp

The City of Janesville is committed to fostering a diverse community and is seeking a Rent Assistance Housing Specialist to provide housing support and case management to eligible Rent Assistance participants. This role ensures compliance with federal regulations and promotes fair housing while maintaining the quality and safety of assisted housing.

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Responsibilities

Determines all aspects of initial eligibility of applicants and their position on the waiting list, including, but not limited to, 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

Qualification

Housing Quality Services CertificationHousing Specialist CertificationEnterprise Income VerificationHUD regulationsLow-income populationsOrganizational skillsCommunication skillsCritical thinking skillsBasic construction knowledgeSocial work experienceCustomer service skillsInterpersonal skills

Required

High School diploma or GED is required

Minimum of three (3) years' experience working with low-income populations or housing program, determining program eligibility, income calculation, or federal or state assistance programs is required

A valid state-issued driver's license at time of hire is required

Have or ability to obtain within six (6) months of hire: Housing Quality Services (HQS) Certification, Housing Specialist Certification, Enterprise Income Verification

Preferred

Graduation from an accredited college or university with an associate degree in social work, communications, public administration, or a closely related field is preferred

Experience in social work or working for a social service agency or with the Housing Choice Voucher Rent Assistance is preferred

Basic construction knowledge or prior experience in housing inspection is preferred