Rental Assistance Counselor in Syracuse, New York at Christopher Community, Inc.

Christopher Community, Inc. (CCINC) seeks a Full-Time Rental Assistance Counselor to join its growing organization! The physical work location for this position will be at Christopher Community, Inc. located in Syracuse, NY!

CCINC is a not-for-profit Housing Development and Property Management company that assist low- and moderate-income families and seniors to secure suitable housing across Upstate New York. Christopher Community currently manages over 3,300 units of housing in more than 100 buildings, and administers the Rental Assistance Program in Onondaga County, which provides assistance to over 1,200 households. Since 1971, Christopher Community has maintained a proven track record in developing and operating affordable housing. We regularly receive very high ratings both from government and private entities for the way we manage our properties.

Christopher Community offers competitive wages and generous benefits!

Benefit Summary:

• 35-hour work week with flexible schedule
• 15 Days Paid Time Off (PTO) - Vacation, Personal & Sick Days; increased to 30 PTO days after 1st Year!
• 14 Paid Holidays (plus 2 floating holidays of your choice)
• Retirement Match for 403(b) retirement plan
• Company contribution to Medical, Dental, Vision and Life Insurance

Pay Range: $26 - $28 hourly

Position Summary:

The Rental Assistance Program Department administers the Federal Housing Choice Voucher Program (referred to as Section 8) for Onondaga County on behalf of the Village of Manlius Public Housing Authority. The Rental Assistance Counselor will be primarily responsible for administering and maintaining Housing Choice Vouchers issued by the Rental Assistance Program including other current or future tenant or project-based assistance.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The program provides rental assistance to over 1,200 households comprised of seniors, families, and disabled individuals. This position directly reports to the Director of the Rental Assistance Program.

• Conducts intake meetings to determine final eligibility of household to participate in the Rental Assistance Program to receive a Housing Choice Voucher from the waiting list and after completing the pre-screening review/meeting.
• Interviews new and current participants to obtain data regarding income and household expenses and collects documents of proof, then verifies information is accurate by checking directly with sources.
• Schedules/Coordinates the briefing meeting with eligible households and issues vouchers.
• Determines initial and continued eligibility of participating households including annual recertification.
• Mediates tenant and landlord conflicts regarding issues with housing quality standards.
• Enters and manages the rental assistance program database software.
• Completes all tenant certification and compliance reports; including Enterprise Income Verification (EIV).
• Coordinates with Housing Inspector to schedule unit inspections for initial inspection, re-inspection, and annual inspection
• Performs complex calculation of sources of income, assets, deductions, etc. to determine eligibility.
• Calculates rent and housing assistance payments.
• Prepares Housing Assistance Payment contracts
• Maintains tenant and client files
• Assists landlords with completing forms for lease and contract renewals to receive rental subsidies.
• Prepares correspondence dealing with rental assistance applications, participant selection, program regulation, and related activities
• Performs other tasks and special projects as assigned.
• Regular attendance is required.

• Associate degree with 2 years of experience related to public or private housing management is preferred.
• Certified Occupancy Specialists (COS) certification is desired; must acquire within 60 days of hire.
• Prior experience

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• Must have excellent oral and written communication skills and be able to communicate effectively with a diverse population. Ability to speak Spanish is a plus.
• Excellent time management skills are necessary.
• Must demonstrate strong attention to detail,
• Must have ability to follow through while working under stressful conditions
• Must be able to work independently, maintain confidentiality, and utilize crisis intervention techniques,
• Must have ability to perform basic mathematical calculations and must be proficient using excel.

Supervisory Skills

• The Rental Assistance Counselor does not have any direct supervisory duties.

Problem Solving/Decision Making

• Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos.
• Ability to calculate rent and housing payments; ability to complete housing contracts.
• Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, vendors, and other employees of the organization.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions.
• Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in flexible situations that may call for various solutions.
• The ability to delegate tasks to specialized vendors if required and deliver quality workmanship in an efficient timeframe.

Computer/Technical Skills

• Basic personal computer skills that include the ability to send/receive e-mail messages, post information to a database or spreadsheet, and perform basic word processing, bookkeeping, and/or data entry
• Employees should be trained in the use of a tablet or similar device for daily tasks.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate.