Team Leader for the Division of Tenant & Owner Resources (HOME TBRA Program)

About The Agency

The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) oversees housing standards across all 3.7 million homes in New York City. As the nation’s largest municipal housing agency, HPD is responsible for building and preserving affordable housing, protecting tenants from harassment and displacement, and holding landlords accountable across the five boroughs. Under Commissioner Dina Levy and the Mamdani Administration, HPD is pursuing an ambitious housing agenda focused on the needs of New York’s tenants. With a broad set of tools including standards enforcement, tenant resources, and the creation of new affordable housing, HPD is committed to making New York City a more affordable place for renters and homeowners alike.

About the Team

At HPD, rent subsidy programs are administered by the Division of Tenant & Owner Resources (DTOR). HPD’s rental subsidies are local, state, or federally funded. HPD is also working on new programs that will expand its populations served with rental assistance, including NYC 15/15, HOME TBRA, and HAVP.

The largest program administered is the federal Section 8 or the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, which provides funding to eligible low-income families for rental assistance toward decent, safe, and affordable housing in a neighborhood of their choice. Families pay approximately 30% of their income toward rent, and HPD pays the difference directly to the owner. The unit must have a rent that is determined reasonable and affordable by HPD and must meet federal Housing Quality Standards (HQS) to be approved.

The federally funded HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) permits HPD to create flexible programs that provide assistance to individual households to help them afford the housing costs of market-rate units. These programs are known as "Tenant-Based Rental Assistance," or TBRA. HPD’s HOME TBRA program will work similarly to the Section 8 program, providing tenant-based rental assistance in privately owned housing.

Impact

Team Leaders in the Division of Tenant and Owner Resources are responsible for monitoring, tracking, and delegating work to a team of Case Managers or Specialists. Team Leaders serve as mentors and provide training in accordance with applicable program rules and regulations. They work with Case Managers to ensure necessary services are performed to assist and expedite vouchers to HPD clients, including meeting with groups in-house or at workshops and community events. Team Leaders also participate in tenant activity programs to improve tenant-management relations and encourage participation in the subsidy program.

Additionally, Team Leaders perform work review and quality control duties to ensure participant cases are accurately screened, properly documented, and compliant with Federal HUD Rules and Regulations.

Responsibilities

• Initial application screening and eligibility determination
• Contract preparation and client briefings
• Rent calculations and file preparation
• Interim reexaminations and annual recertifications
• Client transfers and data entry into the EliteDatabase
• General communication with clients and landlords via telephone, email, mail, and in-person meetings
• Review cases, develop unit goals and objectives, and monitor staff productivity
• Interface with landlords and clients
• Ensure staff compliance with federal regulatory and local policy guidelines
• Cross-train in all areas of rental subsidy administration
• Complete mandatory trainings
• Provide input and assist Coordinators with Performance Evaluations
• Collaborate on special projects and provide training to case management staff

Requirements

• High school graduation or equivalent and three years of experience in community work or community-centered activities related to the duties described
• NYC residency required
• Authorization to work in the United States (HPD does not provide sponsorship for visa applications, extensions, or status changes)
• This position is grant-funded for a 2-year limit

Preferred Skills

• Excellent communication skills
• Strong customer service focus
• Computer proficiency
• Bilingual (a plus)
• Rental subsidy experience (a plus)