Director FOR Affordable Housing Services

Director of Affordable Housing Services

The Housing Services Administration (HSA) helps clients with histories of homelessness succeed in permanent housing by providing access to permanent housing with support services. HSA works closely with other divisions of HRA and with other governmental and non-governmental service providers to create new programs and to integrate and refine existing services so that clients experiencing homelessness can move into safe, affordable housing that best supports their stability and integration in the community. Under general direction of the Deputy Commissioner for Housing Supply, the Director of Affordable Housing Services, with wide latitude for independent initiative and judgement, the Director of Affordable Housing Services will be responsible for the management of a pipeline of AHS acquisition projects, as well as future initiatives that require housing finance expertise. The Director will have experience in the financing of construction, repair and or rehabilitation of multiple dwelling projects. The Director will work with affordable housing developers, financial sector partners, and colleagues in the HRA Office of Housing Supply to identify and implement Affordable Housing Services projects, and to expand housing opportunities for clients experiencing homelessness.

About AHS: The NYC DSS Affordable Housing Services (AHS) acquisition contracts finance the purchase – and in some cases, construction - of permanent affordable housing for formerly homeless individuals and families. In this program, the Human Resources Administration (HRA) enters into a long-term contract with a not-for-profit to provide permanent housing. The not-for-profit in turn uses the value of the contract to leverage debt to purchase building, and tenants are referred by DHS. The contract covers CityFHEPS rents, maintenance and operations, and light-touch (non-supportive) social services for the contract term.

The Human Resources Administration (HRA) is recruiting for one (1) Executive Assistant to the Deputy Commissioner M2 to serve as Director for Affordable Housing Services, who will be responsible for create and manage complex projects financed through project based rental subsidies, City subsidized loans from housing agencies, conventional bank loans, and other tools created by the City. The director will be responsible for coordinating with multiple agencies and interested parties on these projects. Specific tasks include:

• Evaluate housing projects, budgets, and underwriting.
• Create new policies and tools as it relates to the creation of affordable housing through the Affordable Housing Services and other DSS/DHS/HRA programs.
• Facilitate projects from inception to budget negotiation, through contract registration.
• Defining and negotiating business terms to advance HRA goals and policy objectives.
• Serve as a liaison to external partners, including for-profit and non-profit developers, banks, and other government agencies as well as various departments at HRA, DHS, and DSS to execute successful projects.
• Advise on best practices and policies for housing projects that come through the Affordable Housing Services and other DSS/DHS/HRA housing programs.
• Support the issuance of Requests for Proposals ("RFPs") a by performing financial modeling of anticipated affordability scenarios.
• Take on special projects to support other time-sensitive HRA/DSS Housing priorities as needed.

Minimum Qualifications:

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and four years of full-time, satisfactory professional experience in one or more of the following fields: program evaluation, public/business administration, public relations, labor relations, fiscal/financial administration or a related field; at least eighteen months of which must have been in an administrative, managerial or executive capacity or supervising professional personnel performing duties in one or more of the fields described immediately above; or 2. Education and/or experience equivalent to "1" above. However, all candidates must possess the eighteen months of supervisory, administrative, managerial or executive experience as described in "1" above.

Preferred Skills:

• Have latitude for independent judgement, initiative and action, and must be able to work independently and under deadline
• Excellent verbal and written communication and strong interpersonal skills, strong analytical, organizational, and quantitative skills.
• Advanced experience utilizing and developing complex Excel spreadsheets and presentation software is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and manage multiple projects in a timely manner and to be a team player.
• Background in real estate finance and/or affordable housing development as well as program implementation experience, required.
• Preference will be given to candidates with experience working for or with government agencies and government programs related to affordable housing development.
• Candidates with master's in urban planning, Real Estate Finance, Real Estate Development, Business Administration, Public Administration or related fields are strongly preferred

Public Service Loan Forgiveness:

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education's website.

Residency Requirement:

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

Additional Information:

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.