Housing Specialist I/II

Salary: $44,892.00 - $60,432.00 Annually
Location : Kenosha, WI
Job Type: Regular - Full Time
Job Number:
Department: Housing Authority
Opening Date: 03/24/2025
Closing Date: 4/13/:59 PM Central

General Overview of Position

Under the general supervision of the Executive Director and Deputy Director of the Kenosha Housing Authority (KHA), performs administrative and clerical duties related to the administration of KHA rent assistance and other related programs for low income households, including elderly and disabled individuals. Clerical duties include organizing, compiling, recording, check processing, account maintenance and typing a variety of data. Incumbent also performs a variety of technical tasks relative to administration of the Section 8 housing program. Work is reviewed through observation, conferences, quality control checks and written reports for adherence to established policies and procedures. Performs other work as requested or assigned.
Example of Duties & Responsibilities

Housing Specialist I

• Establishes and maintains complete files on assigned cases.
• Verifies family income and composition.
• Reviews and calculates rent amounts and revisions.
• Explains Housing Authority rules and regulations and general information regarding leases.
• Performs annual recertification for tenants including employment verification, child care verification, unemployment verification, child support, social security, family composition,TANF, and Police and Court record checks for criminal activity.
• Develops housing assistance payment contracts; performs move-in and re-certification inspections.
• Ensures assisted units are in compliance with HUD Housing Quality Standards (HQS),establishes rent and housing assistance amounts and monitors and reports expenditures.
• Investigates and resolves participant complaints and grievances.
• Prepares and sends denial letters to participants; meets with participants regarding violations, recommends solutions to violations.
• Posts housing assistance payments and tenant rent changes and maintains rent roll control and analyzes records.
• Prepares and sends correspondence to tenants related to balances due, delinquent payments, and lease or program violations.
• Maintains required computer data base information on participant families and landlords.
• Schedules appointments for recertification for participants.
• Gathers and maintains rental market survey data for rent reasonableness program requirements.
• Performs other duties as required.

Housing Specialist II

• Has obtained prior HUD certification/training.
• Works with a KHA supervisor to schedule and assign all annual HQS inspections at least 90 days prior to participants' annual recertification dates;
• Conducts scheduled HQS inspections;
• Completes follow through of HQS inspections with landlord for all failed items, including abatement of payments and termination of the contract for non-compliance;
• Completes monthly tracking and reporting for all inspections and reinspection for outcome (pass, fail, tenant caused fail, not home);
• Conducts monthly tracking and reporting for all Housing Assistance Payment abatement and contract termination for all inspections that fail beyond deadlines;
• Tracks all exterior repair extension requests, including; assigns and conducts follow-up inspections, obtains signed exterior repair waiver and extension requests, maintains master list of waivers/extension requests, tracks reinspection of waivers/extension requests and follow through until completion or termination of Housing Assistance payments;
• Assists with inspection training for new Housing Authority employees.
• Works with executive director and deputy director to coordinate and monitor lead based paint inspections requirements, record keeping and follow-up with families and Kenosha County Division of Health;
• Contributes news articles about housing inspection for "KHA Owner News" newsletter;
• Maintains inspection materials and supplies; smoke detector batteries, flashlights and batteries, inspection report forms, update owner and tenant letters, lead based paint notices and brochures;
• Attends advanced HUD housing inspection training course(s) and HUD lead based paint training;
• Verifies family income and composition; reviews and calculates rent amounts and revisions;
• Establishes and maintains complete files on assigned cases; withdraws and reinstates applicants as required;
• Explains Housing Authority rules and regulations and general information regarding leases;
• Performs annual recertification for participants including income verification, child care verification, unemployment verification, child support, social security, TANF, and Police and Court record checks for criminal activity;
• Develops housing assistance payment contracts; performs move-in and recertification inspections; ensures assisted units are in compliance with HUD Housing Quality Standards (HQS); establishes rent and housing assistance amounts; monitors and reports expenditures;
• Develops rent maintenance report; occupancy rate and turnover reports and various reports for the board of Commissioners and specific entities;
• Investigates and resolves participant complaints and grievances;
• Prepares and sends termination letters to participants; meets with participants regarding violations; recommends solutions to violations;
• Posts housing assistance payments and tenant rent changes, maintains rent roll control and analyzes records;
• Prepares and sends correspondence to participants related to balances due, delinquent payments, and lease and program violations;
• Maintains required computer data base information on participant families and landlords.

NOTE: The duties listed above are intended as illustrations of the various types of work performed by persons in positions covered by this classification specification. This list is not all inclusive. The omission of a particular job duty does not mean that the duty is not one of the essential functions of the position. Management reserves the right to assign employees in this classification to duties not listed above, if the duties are fairly within the scope of responsibilities applicable to the level of work performed by employees in positions covered by this classification specification. This classification specification does not create an employment contract between the City and the employee and is subject to change by the City as the needs of the City and department change over time.
Requirements

Housing Specialist I Training & Experience:

• High School Diploma or GED.
• Two (2) years clerical experience with heavy public contact, proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel, or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
• Section 8 Occupancy and Housing Quality Inspection (HQS) Training from a HUD approved certification agency highly desired.
• Possession of a valid Motor Vehicle's operator's license and good driving record.
• Will be required to provide a personal vehicle for use on the job.

Housing Specialist II Training & Experience:

• High School Diploma or GED;
• Three (3) years of experience as a Housing Aide or Occupancy Specialist
• Current Section 8 Occupancy and Housing Quality Inspection (HQS) training from a HUD approved training agency is desired.
• Possession of a valid Motor Vehicle's operator's license and good driving record;
• Will be required to provide a personal vehicle for use on the job.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of interviewing concepts and techniques;
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of record keeping and reporting;
• Knowledge of basic mathematical principles and practices;
• Skill in the operation of modern office equipment;
• Ability to interpret and explain Housing Authority policies and procedures;
• Ability to work effectively with people from a variety of social, economic and ethnic backgrounds, including elderly and persons with disabilities;
• Ability to communicate clearly & concisely, both orally & in writing using tact, courtesy & good judgment;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with Housing Authority staff, program participants, landlords, local non-profit agencies and the general public.

Physical Requirements:

• Task involves frequent walking; standing; some lifting and carrying objects of moderate weight (12-20 pounds); and/or the operation of vehicles, office, shop keyboard, or hand tools in which manipulative skills and hand-eye coordination are important ingredients of safe and/or productive operations.

Environmental Requirements:

• Task is regularly performed without exposure to adverse environmental conditions.

Sensory Requirements:

• Task requires sound perception and discrimination. Task requires odor perception and discrimination. Task requires visual perception and discrimination. Task requires oral communications ability.

Method of Selection

Applicant's education, training and experience will be analyzed. Written, oral and/or proficiency exams may be required to establish eligibility. Appointment to this position will be in accordance with City policy, the Civil Service Rules and Regulations . click apply for full job details