Housing and Homeless Services Manager at City of Santa Barbara, CA

About the Department

ABOUT US

At the City of Santa Barbara, the best part of our organization is our people. As a City of Santa Barbara employee, you will work in an environment with other motivated individuals who are passionate about their work. We strive to provide employees with the support they need to thrive. Discover more about us, our values and our organizational culture here. 

The mission of the City Administrator’s Office is to provide overall management and administration of the City of Santa Barbara in accordance with the City Charter and the policy direction of the City Council. Read more about the City Administrators Office here.

THE POSITION

The City of Santa Barbara City Administrators Office is seeking a strategic, resourceful, and collaborative Housing and Homeless Services Manager. This position is responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the work of the Housing and Homeless Services Division. This position promotes and evaluates the success of existing programs; establishes and revises policies and procedures to meet customer needs; manages programs, contract services, and division budget; supervises, assigns, and reviews the work of staff responsible for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME), Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program (HRLP), Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA), Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) Program, Affordable Housing Programs (rental and owner-occupant), Human Services, Rental Housing Mediation Program, Access to Legal Counsel Program, and fair housing/discrimination; provides staff support to the Community Development and Human Services Committee and Rental Housing Mediation Board, and outside officials.

Hybrid/Flexible Work Schedule: This position has the flexibility to work a hybrid schedule. schedule options. Schedules are dependent upon operational needs and are subject to change. Details of teleworking considerations can be addressed during the interview process.

Distinguishing Characteristics

The Housing & Homeless Services Manager is a management level classification that has a broad responsibility for division policies, programs, and services within the City, under the guidance of the Deputy City Administrator. The Housing and Homeless Services Manager is distinguished from other division managers by its knowledge of principles and practices of real estate law, real estate management, real estate financing and analysis, escrow procedures, real property title, lien and foreclosure regulations, Low Income Housing Tax Credit financing, mortgage financing principles and practices, CDBG, PLHA, TBRA, and HOME regulations, landlord/tenant rights and responsibilities, and efforts to reduce homelessness and its impacts on the City.

BENEFITS: 

To view our benefits page click here.

Position Duties

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of real estate law, real estate management, real estate financing and analysis, escrow procedures, and real property title, lien and foreclosure regulations.
• Principles of the California Environmental Quality Act and the National Environmental Policy Act.
• Low Income Housing Tax Credit financing.
• Accounting principles and practices.
• Operations, services and activities of community development, housing and homeless services programs.
• Project management principles and program evaluation practices.
• Principles of staffing, selection, training, supervision, evaluation and discipline.
• Budgeting practices.
• Contract administration practices.
• Customer service principles.
• Principles and practices of effective communication.
• Principles and practices of program development and administration.
• Methods and techniques of research and analysis.
• Principles of finance.
• Applicable Federal, State, and local ordinances, codes and regulations related to community development capital and public service activities and affordable housing, including Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA), Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) Program, Housing and Urban Development/CPD regulations.
• Technical report writing.

Skills:

• Operate computer hardware and use information systems and related word processing, database, spreadsheet, and graphics presentation software programs; operate a calculator.
• Use software programs for word processing, database creation, spreadsheets, and graphic presentations.
• Operate a motor vehicle.

Ability to:

• Provide assistance in the coordination of homeless efforts, such as the City’s Housing and Homelessness Action Plan, ACT on Homelessness Collaborative and Encampment Resolution Fund Grant Program. Serve on the Santa Maria / Santa Barbara County Continuum of Care (CoC) Board of Directors and participate in CoC related meetings and activities.
• Participate in regular check-in meetings with provider partner agencies to monitor progress and client outcomes on agreements with City related to addressing homelessness and its impacts. Respond to constituent inquiries and reports related to people experiencing homelessness and coordinate citywide response to priority areas of concern.
• Elect, train, supervise, coordinate, and evaluate the work of division staff.
• Review and evaluate existing contractual obligations, such as loan agreements and restrictive use covenants, to ensure compliance and analyze annual financial statements to determine payments owed the City.
• Review and evaluate new and existing multifamily housing projects and generate creative solutions to extend affordability and provide long term funding to support the administration of the City's affordable housing program.
• Determine the City's loan financing terms on multiple affordable housing projects and make recommendations to the City Council on the most effective use of available housing funds.
• Research, interpret and implement Federal, State and Local policies laws, rules, regulations, guidelines, practices and procedures.
• Enforce City Fair Housing and Mobile Home Arbitration Ordinances.
• Plan, organize and complete projects, and lead and motivate staff to meet established deadlines.
• Independently perform complex research, analysis and report writing.
• Prepare clear and concise technical reports and grant applications.
• Negotiate contracts and monitor program activities for Federal, State, and local regulation compliance.
• Make effective presentations to large groups, exercise objectivity and independent judgment.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Negotiate, facilitate, and mediate effectively.
• Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with elected and appointed public officials, colleagues, community groups, the general public and others contacted in the course of work.
• Work independently.

EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING GUIDELINES

Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience:

Five (5) years of increasingly responsible experience in community development programs, two of which include supervision, or an equivalent combination of training and experience.

Education and/or Training:

Bachelor's degree in planning, public administration, business administration, real estate finance, or a related field

License, Certificate and/or Other Requirements:

Minimum Qualifications

It is important that your application and supplemental questionnaire show all the relevant education, training, and experience you possess which qualifies you for this position. All applications and supplemental questionnaires will be reviewed and the most qualified candidates will be invited to continue in the selection process. Be sure to be thorough in your responses. Statements such as “See application”, “Extensive Experience”, or "See Resume" are not an acceptable substitute for a completed application and supplemental questionnaire.  

The selection process may consist of an application screening, written exam, computer skills exam and/or an oral interview. The successful candidate's employment history will be thoroughly evaluated prior to appointment.

Other Qualifications

There is currently one (1) vacancy within the City Administrator’s Office.

Communication regarding your application and/or status will be sent to the email address listed on your application.  Please check your email and spam regularly throughout the recruitment process. You may also log into your governmentjobs.com account to view these emails.

CITY APPLICATION AND RESPONSES TO THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE MUST BE RECEIVED BY 5:30 PM ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2025