Housing Programs Lead

The primary purpose of this role is to lead, administer, and assist with Housing Programs run by the Richland County Community Development Office. Primarily funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), this position will help oversee affordable housing programs providing down payment assistance, minor home repair, and housing rehabilitation for citizens of Richland County. This position assists in day-to-day operation of the housing activities, supports citizens through application processes, leads workshops and helps market programs, provides information to stakeholders about the available programs, and ensures compliance with local, state and federal regulations. The Housing Programs Lead works under the direct supervision of the Manager of Housing and the general supervision of the Division Head. The role operates within a structured framework of program and grants management responsibilities, develops work methods based on established precedents, and accepts responsibility for assigned tasks and work in a coordinated and cooperative manner with other Community Development staff.

The tasks listed below are those that represent the majority of the time spent working in this class. Management may assign additional tasks related to the Lead as necessary.

GENERAL PROGRAM MANAGEMENT:

Oversee and implement two signature Richland County housing programs: minor and major Housing Rehabilitation Programs (HR) and Down Payment Assistance Programs (DPA). At the direction of the Manager of Housing, or Division Head and/or Director, assume administrative responsibilities for a variety of housing projects from implementation phase through closeout of completed projects as needed.

Ensure effectiveness and efficiency of housing programs by assisting citizens with application processes, maintaining individual client lists and application tracking logs, marketing programs through community events & social media, providing customer service and information to stakeholders, maintaining policies and procedures, monitoring program beneficiaries, and ensuring compliance with local, state, and federal laws.

Serve as lead for HUD-funded Richland County Homeowner Assistance Program (RCHAP) to provide down payment assistance and any future iterations of a County-run DPA programs to ensure maximum effectiveness and efficiency of the programs through:

• Managing the program application process, assisting citizens, screening and reviewing applications for eligibility.
• Assisting with marketing the program and leading RCHAP workshops.
• Conducting HUD-compliant underwriting to ensure eligibility and affordability of all potential activities; requires working with confidential information (i.e. credit reports, employment, household income, tax history, and deed/title property searches) and the use of an Excel-based underwriting tool.
• Coordinating National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) inspections.
• Ensuring compliance with site specific environmental reviews, Lead Base Paint (LBP), asbestos, radon, and noise assessments.
• Communicating with stakeholders for each potential activity, including: homebuyer, real estate agent, lender, closing attorney, Register of Deeds Office, etc.

Oversee and implement Homeowner Rehabilitation (HR) Programs including the in-house program Operation One Touch (OOT) and outsourced minor home repair activities with local nonprofits. Facilitate the timely progress of the HR Program, including:

• Managing the program application process, assisting citizens, and reviewing applications for eligibility.
• Coordinating pre/post rehab NSPIRE inspections.
• Ensuring compliance with site specific environmental reviews, Lead Base Paint (LBP), asbestos, radon, and noise assessments.
• Maintaining contractor lists and helping conduct contractor workshops.
• Reviewing and processing contractor requests for payment
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Prepares the necessary internal reports of individual project status and loan program activity on a regular basis as required by the Manager of Housing.
 

PROCUREMENT, CONTRACTING & OVERSIGHT:

Assist with contractor procurement process to include preparing bid packages, notifying contractors and clients of walk through and pre-construction meetings; assist with conducting bid openings, and maintaining bid tabulation sheets.
 

Coordinate, schedule, and facilitate Triparty Agreement meetings involving contractors and homeowners to ensure mutual understanding of project scope, expectations, timelines, and responsibilities. Serve as a liaison to address questions, clarify contract terms, and document agreements prior to the start of work.
 

Make arrangements for loan closings for HR Programs and RCHAP clients, prepare closing documents for clients, contractors, and the County representative signatures, conduct or assist with closings.
 

Provides each potential client with information about the Uniform Relocation Act (URA) policy and explains how it will be applied during each phase of the process. Schedules NSPIRE inspections and, as needed, will accompany Housing Inspector for final signatures on required forms.

GRANT COMPLIANCE, MONITORING & RECORDS MANAGEMENT

Ensure strict adherence to U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) federal rules and regulations, applying all applicable 24 CFR Part 570 conditions and standard 2 CFR 200, Subpart F auditing conditions to programmatic compliance for project lifecycles for assigned work.
 

Work with Housing Manager and other staff to ensure program compliance with HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) grant requirements, including NEPA Environmental Review (ER), procurement requirements for Contractors, inspection and housing standards, labor standards for contractors, and record keeping and data management.
 

Ensure all grant-funded projects tasked for completion by the Housing Manager and HUD comply with local, state, and federal codes, ordinances, and regulations.
 

Verify that properties built prior to 1978 undergo proper lead-based paint testing, and ensure any identified hazards are addressed and incorporated into the Work Write-Up. Confirm that radon testing is completed for all applicable projects, and that results are documented and mitigation measures are included when necessary.
 

Work with Housing Inspector and Housing Manager to conduct ongoing monitoring of homeowners throughout the affordability period to ensure compliance with program requirements. This includes maintaining regular communication, verifying continued occupancy, providing guidance on program obligations, and documenting any changes that may impact eligibility.
 

Compiles and maintains complete, accurate, and orderly files related to individual housing program projects in accordance with U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) requirements and Community Development Policies and Procedures.

Assists Housing Manager and other staff with ensuring compliance with Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA) and Section 3 requirements impacting labor standards and wage rates for all applicable HUD-funded housing projects.

PUBLIC SPEAKING, WORKSHOPS, AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

Conduct public-facing workshops and educational programs, demonstrating strong public speaking skills to effectively communicate housing assistance opportunities, compliance requirements, and program benefits to diverse audiences.

Develop and disseminate comprehensive marketing materials to promote the Division's projects and funding opportunities, ensuring clarity and engagement across various media platforms.

Assist Housing Manager with public relations activities, including delivering presentations, participating in community events, preparing press releases to inform and engage stakeholders, and creating content for social media.

Foster strong relationships with community organizations, businesses, and other stakeholders to enhance awareness and participation in housing programs for vulnerable communities.

Interact with various individuals and groups to provide and obtain information concerning the Division's operations, projects, and programs. Coordinate work activities with other divisions, departments, non-profit organizations, civic groups, businesses, real estate agents, lending institutions, contractors, and the general public.
 

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Disseminates information regarding other agencies or service providers to citizens in need to assist with issues related to property title defects, credit problems, or other housing related problems.

Assists with receiving, documenting, and resolving complaints from property owners and contractors that arise during housing projects.
 

RELEASE OF RECORDS

Release records to authorized individuals in accordance with established guidelines, ensuring sound judgment and thorough verification of all eligibility criteria before any information is disclosed.
 

MEETINGS

Must actively attend and participate in all required meetings, training events, workshops, seminars, and other relevant activities mandated by the Division or Department to enhance job knowledge and skills. Some training/meetings may require in or out of state travel, and be held after normal working hours and/or on weekends.
 

OTHER DUTIES

Assist in the preparation of materials and content for all Community Development Reports and Plans, including: briefings and reports for County Council and Administration, the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER), Annual Action Plan (AAP), and Five-Year Consolidated Plan (Con Plan).
 

Prepare for and attend program-monitoring visits conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD).
 

Perform duties as assigned by the Manager of Housing or other superiors to support the overall mission and objectives of the Community Development Division and Grants & Community Outreach Department.
 

• Bachelor's degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Social Sciences or related field/programs.
• Three (3) years of work experience in community development, affordable housing management, nonprofit program coordination, lending, or similar field.
• Experience coordinating community-based grant programs or grant-funded programs, especially those involving Federal funds and serving low- to moderate-income populations.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Strong project management and application processing skills with the ability to communicate to a variety of stakeholders about technical programs.
   

• Knowledge of HUD, CDBG, HOME or related programs, and experience with or exposure to financial underwriting is desirable.
• Preferred experience with application processing, contract management, project management, community development, organizational management, or customer service.

This is a full-time, grant-funded position using annual CDBG funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). All grant-funded positions and programs are dependent on the renewal of the founding source