Housing Assistant - Bilingual (Spanish)
About the role
The New York City Housing Authority is seeking a Housing Assistant for the Leased Housing Department's Brooklyn Client Services Application Unit. Brooklyn Client Services performs various duties related to the voucher issuance and rental process, which may or may not include reviewing documents to determine eligibility for the Section 8 program, resolving Applicant related issues, verifying information about the Applicant's income, communicating with the landlord and outside agencies and conducting informal conferences & reviews. This position will report to the Assistant Housing Manager(s), with some latitude for independent judgment and decision-making. Works with Section 8 applicants and tenants with limited or no facility in English, as well as English speaking applicants/tenants, speaking to them in the appropriate language, performs related work.
Responsibilities
- Maintain voucher holders' records by entering and reviewing case notes; logging events and progress.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for property owners, case managers, and the voucher holders during the eligibility process.
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
- Interview applicants, review documents and determine eligibility for Tenant Based, VASH, and Project based vouchers.
- Conduct sex offender, criminal background checks and other related verifications for the applicant (i.e., WMS, HUD EIV former and existing tenant search, SAVE).
- Brief all Project Based applicants on the program.
- Review Eligibility SR and case to ensure information is accurate and required documents are uploaded.
- Create building profiles and units in Siebel.
- Complete related verification searches.
- Resolve voucher holder related issues.
- Communicate with outside agencies.
- Ensure accurate and timely responses to inquiries.
- Report system issues and recommend enhancements to improve operations.
- Perform related duties as assigned.
- Translate all above duties in Spanish when required.
Requirements
Foreign Language Requirement: This position requires a candidate fluent in Spanish. Candidates must pass an oral proficiency test.
Minimum Qualifications:
- A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college; or
- An associate degree or sixty semester credits from an accredited college and one year of satisfactory full-time experience in housing management at a development or developments containing at least 150 apartments, performing any one or a combination of the following duties: interviewing applicants; determining eligibility; gathering and evaluating information to resolve complaints; collecting rents; and/or resolving tenant-related problems; or
- A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent, and three years of satisfactory full-time experience as described in "1" above; or
- A satisfactory equivalent combination of education and experience as described in "1" or "2" above. Undergraduate college credit may be substituted for experience on the basis of 30 semester credits from an accredited college for one year of satisfactory full-time experience. However, all candidates must have a four-year high school diploma, or its educational equivalent.
Preferred skills
- Knowledge of the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) Program and related compliance functions including the Department of Housing and Urban Development ("HUD") rules and regulations.
- Extensive knowledge of the Siebel database.
- Proficiency in Word, Excel Outlook, and other database systems.
- Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing.
- Excellent detail-orientation and follow-up skills.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with peers, superiors, residents, community service agencies, and the public.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and demands analyze situations, identify problems and offer solutions.