Administrative Hearing Officer

Team: Rental Assistance | Reports To: Rental Assistance Director | FLSA: Exempt

About the Role

Conducts administrative appeal hearings for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program and provides administrative support for program and compliance oversight.

Responsibilities

• Manage the Section 8 administrative appeal hearing process, including timely scheduling of hearings in accordance with the Section 8 Administrative Plan, reviewing records, conducting informal hearings, obtaining statements from tenants and/or witnesses, analyzing facts, researching laws, regulations, and case precedents, and rendering final decisions on program eligibility issues in compliance with federal and state laws, program rules, and the Administrative Plan.
• Notify tenants and OHFA staff of hearing decisions and document actions taken and results in files.
• Complete all open records requests received for the Rental Assistance Team.
• Lead the Richard S. Lillard Emergency Housing Assistance Fund, assisting Oklahoma families whose homes have been declared uninhabitable due to federally declared disasters or state emergencies, and maintain program-related documentation while ensuring adherence to processes and procedures.
• Attend and train staff to represent the agency at Multi-Agency Resource Centers (MARC) and participate in Oklahoma Voluntary Organization Active in Disaster (OK VOAD) meetings to stay current on Oklahoma Emergency Planning Processes.
• Assist with conducting an annual utility allowance analysis and adjusting rates.
• Assist with revising the Administrative Plan, Briefing Book, and the HCV Procedure Manual.
• Process rent reasonableness certifications for all contracts with PHAs requiring third-party certifications.
• Assist with reviewing and analyzing OHFA’s payment standards when HUD releases revised Fair Market Rents (FMRs), prepare and submit a spreadsheet analysis of current and proposed payment standards, and enter final approved payment standards into the database.
• Enhance the overall operations of the Agency on a day-to-day basis as needed.
• Deliver exceptional customer service to all external and internal customers by being polite and helpful at all times.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university; and two to three years of related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.
• Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.
• Basic mathematical skills, including the ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, compute rates, ratios, and percentages, and draw and interpret bar graphs.
• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form and to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.
• Valid driver's license and must be bondable.
• Certification as a Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Specialist required within 6 months.
• Certification as a Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Hearing Officer required within 1 year.
• Certification in Fair Housing regulations within 1 year.

Skills

• Familiarity with federal housing programs and knowledge of federal regulations.
• Knowledge of report preparation techniques and procedures, with demonstrated ability to prepare and evaluate professional and technical reports and other documents.
• Knowledge of the Section 8 HCV Administrative Plan and related rules for various housing programs administered by the Agency.
• Ability to present ideas clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to analyze reports, spreadsheets, summarize findings, and present results in a clear, concise format.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, consultants, external auditors, HUD, and local, state, and federal officials.

Physical Demands

• Regularly required to sit and talk or hear.
• Frequently required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel.
• Occasionally required to stand and walk.
• May occasionally lift and/or move up to ten pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

• The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.