Housing Specialist at Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO)

SUMMARY

Under the supervision of the Property Manager, the Housing Specialist is responsible for performing a variety of property management functions related to the operations of the community while providing superior customer service to residents and HANO team members. The Housing Specialist performs a wide range of activities related to property operations and administration including admissions and continued occupancy, property inspections and maintenance, rent collection and financial operations, and compliance with HANO, HUD, and other program agency requirements.

 ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The below statements are intended to describe the general nature and scope of work being performed by this position.  This is not a complete listing of all responsibilities, duties and/or skills required. Other duties may be assigned.

 General 

• Works cooperatively with other members of the site management team, adjusting workload as necessary for optimum property operations or when other members are absent;
• Investigates and resolves resident complaints minimizing involvement of supervisor to the satisfaction of all parties;
• Communicates with applicants, residents, vendors and co-workers in a manner that is courteous and professional;
• Answers resident and prospective resident questions, providing information on status of rent, maintenance requests, property inspections, provisions of the lease and contract, program regulations, Housing Authority policies, and procedures, etc.;
• Provides clients with information on HANO policies and procedures, and responds to requests for information within the scope of authority;
• Maintains absolute confidentiality of work-related issues and HANO information;
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Administrative 

• Answer office phones and assist visitors to office in a courteous and helpful manner;
• Maintains clean and orderly workplace by filing important documents in appropriate locations or files;
• Submits daily, weekly, and monthly performance reports as required;
• Monitoring of office and maintenance supplies and equipment. Ordering of supplies as directed by Property Manager.

Leasing and Waiting List Management 

• Either by phone or in person, assists prospective applicants by explaining program types and eligibility, unit availability, waitlist policies, and touring of community;
• Intakes pre-applications and reviews for accuracy and completion;
• Inputs pre-applications to appropriate waitlist for program type in HANO systems or other log on site;
• Updates applicant information as requested by applicant and gives waitlist status to applicant;
• Purges waitlist annually;
• Monitor status of waitlist to insure sufficient applications to maintain 98% occupancy for public housing units and 95% occupancy of tax credit and market rate units;
• In addition to the duties described elsewhere in this document, the Housing Specialist will demonstrate a complete understanding of the leasing and admissions rules as determined in the HUD and tax credit regulations, when applicable, along with HANO ACOP and policies and procedures.

 Admissions 

• Processes applicants from the public housing, tax credit, and market rate waiting lists as directed by Property Manager in a manner consistent with the ACOP and tenant selection plan;
• Conducts eligibility interviews with applicant either at the site office or in the client’s home as needed;
• Conducts home inspections prior to admission as required;
• Conducts all applicable screenings including criminal history check on all adult members of applicant families and credit screening on the head and co-head of household;
• Documents family composition, citizenship or eligible immigrant status and social security numbers of family members, annual income, and calculates Total Tenant Payment in accordance with HUD requirements. Requests all documents required for determination of eligibility for family application and notifies clients of any missing documents
• Compiles all applicant paperwork for approval by Property Manager
• Determines the unit size for which each family qualifies in accordance with the ACOP;
• Upon approval by Property Manager, assigns applicant to vacant or on-notice unit for occupancy and schedules move in date;
• Processes HAP contract paperwork and monitors successful unit inspection to facilitate HCVP voucher move-ins;
• Submits documents to Compliance Consultant for approval and makes corrections as necessary as required by consultant;
• Schedules lease signings and prepares all appropriate paperwork in advance;
• Communicates with applicant through move in process until occupancy to insure smooth move in of new tenant;
• Sets up complete and accurate files with all necessary participant-supplied documents and third party verifications (or documentation of why third party verifications are not present);
• Enters correct information and forwards accurate and timely 50058 form on HANO systems for submission to HUD.

 Continued Occupancy: HUD and Tax Credit Annual Re-certifications, Interim Adjustments and Rent Increases 

• Provide case management to participants in the Public housing program;
• Schedule and conduct annual and special inspections;
• Schedules and conducts annual recertification interviews in a manner that ensures that notices of rent increase are provided at least 30 days before the anniversary date and the entire process is completed by the anniversary date;
• Determines whether the participant family qualifies for a different unit size than currently occupied and adds to on-site transfer waitlist when appropriate;
• When participant reports changes in income or family composition, processes Interim Adjustments;
• Documents all information (complete information for the annual recertification, only changed information for the Interim) using EIV when available, otherwise third party verifications or documentation of why third party verification was unavailable;
• As the utility allowance schedule is updated, ensures that the utility allowances used in determining tenant rent are correct and accurate, taking into account the size and type of unit and the utilities paid directly by the tenant;
• Processes move outs and End of Participation certifications. Submits collections report to Asset Management monthly;
• Enters correct information and forwards accurate and timely 50058 form for submission to HUD;
• Properly processes client files as assigned within prescribed timeframe.

 Make Ready / Turnover Unit 

• Monitors and maintains the vacancy report and other leasing activity reports in order for all staff to be knowledgeable of unit availability;
• Communicates with Property Manager and relays information on property vacancies, transfers, and unit availability;
• Monitors and inspects vacant units for completion of make ready for scheduled move ins;
• Ensures vacant units are made ready within 20 days of vacancy and occupied within 30 days of vacancy, giving first priority to Public Housing and tax credit vacancies.

 Rent Collections / Bookkeeping 

• Accurately collects resident rent and posts to accounts in computer systems;
• Performs all duties of rent collection including posting of late fees, sending of appropriate notices and forwarding of accounts to Legal for filing of evictions;
• Ensures all account balances are accurate and that no credits/balances of over $10 are maintained on accounts for more than 60 days;
• Collects and posts all move in fees, maintenance fees, pet and security deposits, and any other miscellaneous fees to accounts;
• Processes security deposit accountings after move outs.

 Accounts Payable 

• Submission of all invoices received at property office to Finance;
• Maintains log and submits all utility invoices to Finance;
• Processing HANO payable paperwork for each invoice received for Property Manager’s review. Submit approved paperwork to Asset Management for processing;
• Collect, monitor, and submit utility invoices received for Property Manager’s review, and submit to Finance for payment.

 Maintenance and Inspections 

• Receive and enter maintenance work orders in HANO systems;
• Process completed work orders in HANO systems daily and update Property Manager of incomplete work orders;
• Perform annual UPCS inspections of public housing and tax credit units with Maintenance, and generate work orders;
• Perform pre-inspections with Maintenance prior to scheduled HQS inspections for voucher units, and generate work orders;
• Perform housekeeping, move in/move out, and other special inspections as assigned by Property Manager.