Housing Specialist

About the Coalition

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 families, children, and individuals who are experiencing or at-risk of homelessness 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.

Philosophy of Service

• We believe all people have the right to adequate housing and health care.
• We work to remove the barriers that restrict access to these rights.
• Society benefits when adequate housing and healthcare are available to everyone.
• We create lasting solutions to homelessness by:
  • Honoring the inherent dignity of those we serve, affirming their capabilities, and fostering their hope that a better life is possible;
  • Building strong, caring, and trauma-informed communities through the integration of housing, health care, and supportive services;
  • Advocating for social and racial equity, inclusion, and diversity and challenging the status quo in partnership with our workforce members and those we serve;
  • Achieving excellence through continuous quality assurance, innovation, and professional development;
  • Using resources judiciously and effectively.

About the Role

The Housing Specialist is responsible for collaboratively addressing the housing stability needs of program participants and ensuring housing program integrity. This includes working with other CCH staff members and outside agencies to ensure (1) ongoing housing stability of program participants and (2) HUD housing program compliance, including the management of housing files and databases.

Responsibilities

• Researches, monitors, and properly interprets HUD rules and regulations for various housing programs, including 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 while maintaining a caseload of 100–150 households.
• Outreaches and engages program participants as needed, including meeting with them in the office, on the streets, in 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, and case managers, including rent and lease negotiations per CCH procedures.
• Collaborates with case managers, other CCH staff, and outside agencies to ensure housing stability for households.
• Coordinates with the CCH Accounting department and/or the Division of Housing to ensure paperwork is completed accurately and timely, including the monthly housing assistance accounting report.
• Demonstrates competency in and maintains housing databases, including data entry into multiple systems such as HMIS, FileMaker, Elite, and others.
• Actively participates in appropriate team meetings and meets regularly with a manager for one-on-one supervision.
• Conducts household rent calculations in accordance with funder and HUD regulations, documenting:
  • Income verification
  • Payment standards/FMRs
  • Utility allowances
  • Contract rents
  • Total tenant payments
  • Housing assistance payments
  • Final tenant rent
• Maintains a work environment marked by respect for others, valuing inclusiveness, building workforce diversity, and fostering cooperation and teamwork.

Qualifications

• HUD housing program administration experience preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in a 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 pass criminal background and automobile insurance carrier’s Motor Vehicle Record background investigations.

Skills

• Sound critical thinking and decision-making skills to ensure HUD regulations are followed while being sensitive to the needs of participant households and their landlords.
• Consistently superb customer service skills, including effective interpersonal communication and active listening skills demonstrating a high degree of emotional intelligence.
• Knowledge of homeless issues and demonstrated sensitivity to and a desire to work with underserved and marginalized populations.
• High degree of cooperation and collaboration with other CCH staff, landlords, and outside agencies.
• Strong writing and computer skills, including:
  • Writing business letters
  • Data entry into various databases
  • Utilizing Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365 applications
• Excellent time management and organizational skills, especially in sometimes chaotic environments, including the ability to prioritize, schedule, and coordinate multiple responsibilities simultaneously.
• Ability to engage in direct supervision with a manager on a weekly or as-needed basis to ensure CCH, department, and program activities are accomplished accurately and efficiently.
• Ability to work independently on a high volume of work without direct daily supervision.
• Able to prioritize job functions based on current needs of CCH and/or overall department needs.
• Bilingual candidates preferred.

Benefits

We offer a full suite of benefits for eligible employees and their dependents, including same- and opposite-sex domestic partner coverage.

• Health Insurance – HMO or PPO
• Dental plans, vision insurance, flexible spending accounts, supplemental life insurance
• Company-paid basic life and AD&D insurance coverage
• Employee Assistance Program
• 403(b) retirement savings matching
• Extensive paid time-off, including holidays, sick leave, and vacation

The effective date for benefits is the first of the month following the date of hire.