Official Title: Housing Program Specialist IV
Functional Title: Real Estate, Redevelopment and Special Projects Specialist
Primary Location: United States-Massachusetts-Boston-100 Cambridge Street
Job: Community and Social Services
Agency: Department of Housing & Community Development
Schedule: Full-time
Shift: Day
Job Posting: Jan 4, 2022, 9:17:12 AM
Number of Openings: 1
Salary: $73,194.94 - $105,581.06 Yearly
Bargaining Unit: 06-NAGE - Professional Admin.
Confidential: No
Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is within Housing and Economic Development Secretariat and its work touches the lives of all Massachusetts residents. DHCD's mission is to strengthen cities, towns and neighborhoods to enhance the quality of life of Massachusetts residents by providing leadership, professional assistance and financial resources to promote safe, decent affordable housing opportunities, economic vitality of communities and sound municipal management.
The Housing Program Specialist IV (Real Estate, Redevelopment & Special Projects Specialist) is a position within DHCD’s Division of Public Housing. This position reports directly to the Division Director and is charged with developing and implementing creative strategies to leverage the value of public housing land at over 1,400 properties and identify potential new resources to preserve and redevelop the state-aided public housing portfolio of approximately 45,000 units for low-income senior, family, and special needs residents. The Real Estate, Redevelopment & Special Projects Specialist:
Serves as the primary Division staff resource for real estate and redevelopment issues to ensure DHCD:
- works creatively to maximize state, local, federal, and private resources for public housing preservation;
- most effectively leverages the value of public housing land to support housing authorities and increase housing production; and
- Creates and implements effective policy that assists Local Housing Authorities (LHAs) in preservation and redevelopment strategies.
Coordinates real estate and redevelopment efforts for the state-aided public housing portfolio; identifies troubled or underutilized public housing assets; develops strategies for disposition or redevelopment of trouble assets; serves as primary DHCD staff resource for LHAs on land disposition issues; acts as project manager for large, mixed-finance capital projects awarded through preservation and redevelopment initiatives such as Public Housing Innovations; identifies categories of typical concerns with real estate and redevelopment and assists in the development of agency policies to address such problems; assists in developing and implementing real estate and redevelopment programs and initiatives; tracks legislative and policy change at local, state, and federal level that affects resources available for public housing preservation and redevelopment; evaluates success of past redevelopment practices.
Additionally the Real Estate, Redevelopment & Special Projects Specialist assists in other special projects and critical policy areas as required and as allowed by workload; these may include but are not limited to projects regarding promoting regional, efficient structures of local housing authorities; financing for energy efficiency capital improvements; overall fiscal health of the portfolio (capital and operating); final status of the Section 8 New Construction/Substantial Rehab program.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (these duties are a general summary and not all inclusive):
- Serves as the primary Division of Public Housing staff resource for public housing real estate and redevelopment, to ensure such issues are addressed promptly and consistently by DHCD.
- Works collaboratively with Director, Bureau of Housing Development and Construction; Director, Division of Public Housing; Division of Housing Development; DHCD Office of the General Counsel; outside partners such as Massachusetts Housing Partnership; and other staff as needed to develop mixed-finance strategies to preserve public housing.
- Serves as primary Division project manager on public housing mixed-finance redevelopment projects. Works directly with DHCD staff, LHAs, developers, tenants and others, to resolve problems with a focused and coordinated agency response. Such projects may include proposals to: convert existing public housing from one program use to another; “reinvent” public housing sites by redeveloping them for non-public housing uses; utilize vacant LHA-owned land; redevelop public housing properties as denser, mixed-income communities; bring in non-public housing funding and non-profit/private management; and transition state-aided public housing to other funding streams such as federal public housing or project-based section 8.
- Ensures proper monitoring of mixed-finance and other non-traditional developments, post-occupancy, to ensure compliance with regulatory and other requirements, including but not limited to those related to tenant selection, operating budgets and ownership of Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) developments after the 15-year compliance period.
- Identifies categories of common portfolio through analysis of collected data; assists DHCD staff and working groups in the development of agency policies to address such problems where they exist, and prevents them from developing elsewhere. In particular, develops strategies for preservation or disposition of scattered-site units for families.
- Primary DHCD contact for LHAs on land disposition issues.
- Assists in developing and, through training, grant rounds, regulatory change and other means, in implementing real estate and redevelopment programs and initiatives.
- Involves and informs DHCD management, finance, modernization and other staff, as necessary, in resolution of asset management issues to coordinate a clear and consistent agency response.
- Assists DHCD in developing and evaluating proposals relating to public housing and procurement reform, as they relate to preservation and redevelopment of the public housing portfolio.
- In collaboration with the Director of Finance and the Director of Policy, Programs and Operations, makes multi-year forecasts of subsidy use. Assesses overall resource needs for MA state-aided public housing in comparison with other types of affordable housing and makes recommendations for “right sizing” resources to needs.
- In collaboration with Sustainability Programs Developer, assists LHAs with strategies to generate revenue through renewable energy production.
- In collaboration with Director, Bureau of Housing Management and others, develops policies to promote regionalization and/or other efficiencies for smaller LHAs.
- Performs other related work as required and assigned.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Knowledge and experience with real estate procurement and law.
- Knowledge of the capital needs and life cycle of housing developments.
- Knowledge of the principles of affordable and/or market-rate housing development, including ability to analyze pro-forma development budgets and other financial materials, knowledge of applicable laws regarding real estate development and disposition, and knowledge of typical project timelines including zoning, local approvals & permitting, design, contracting, financing, and construction.
- Ability to prepare charts, graphs and tables.
- Ability to review, analyze, and summarize complex financial data in particular housing development pro-formas.
- Ability to interpret and apply the laws, rules, policies, procedures, and guidelines governing housing programs, including fair housing laws and the doctrine of reasonable accommodations.
- Demonstrated willingness to take initiative and work effectively, independently, and with little supervision.
- Ability to develop written program summaries, documents, and training materials.
- Excellent organizational skills and the ability to manage and direct multiple projects.
- Ability to maintain manage large amount of correspondence and project/program documents through organized electronic filing system.
- Experience in housing development, capital asset management, or related field is preferred.
- Ability to analyze management systems and finances for compliance with applicable laws and regulations highly desirable.
- Must be able to maintain positive working relationships.
- Proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PowerBI and able to quickly learn new software applications.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.
- Occasional evening or weekend work may be required as part of the regular duties of this position.
- Travel across the state may be required. Those employees who elect to use a motor vehicle for travel must have a current and valid Massachusetts Class D Motor Vehicle Operator's license or the equivalent from another state.
COMMENTS:
Please upload resume and cover letter.
This position is currently a telework position. The successful candidate will work remotely but must be flexible and able to perform duties in a shared office workspace as required.
Salary placement is determined by years of experience and education directly related to the position and the Human Resources Division’s Recruiting Guidelines. In the case of a promotional opportunity, the salary provisions of the applicable collective bargaining agreement will apply to placement within the appropriate salary range.
Education, licensure and certifications will be verified in accordance with the Human Resources Division’s Hiring Guidelines. Education and license/certification information provided by the selected candidate(s) is subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law and may be published on the Commonwealth’s website.
QUALIFICATIONS:
First consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days.
Minimum Entrance Requirements:
Applicants must have at least (A) five years of full-time of equivalent part-time, professional experience in the government program management, administration and/or development of real estate, property and/or public housing.
Substitutions:
I. An Associate's degree with a major in real estate, public administration, business administration or business management may be substituted for a maximum of one (1) year of the required experience.*
II. A Bachelor's degree with a major in real estate, public administration or business management may be substituted for a maximum of two (2) years of the required experience.
III. A Master's degree or higher with a major in public administration, business administration or business management may be substituted for a maximum of three (3) years of the required experience.
* Education toward such a degree will be prorated on the basis of the proportion of the requirements actually completed.
Special Requirements: Based on assignment, possession of a current and valid Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Operator's License may be required.
Executive Order #595: As a condition of employment, successful applicants will be required to have received COVID-19 vaccination or an approved exemption as of their start date. Details relating to demonstrating compliance with this requirement will be provided to applicants selected for employment. Applicants who receive an offer of employment who can provide documentation that the vaccine is medically contraindicated or who object to vaccination due to a sincerely held religious belief may make a request for exemption.
An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
If you have Diversity, Affirmative Action or Equal Employment Opportunity questions or need a Reasonable Accommodation, please contact Diversity Officer / ADA Coordinator: Marjie Lalli - 6175731254