Housing Choice Voucher Property Owner Liaison

Job Description

Job Description

Join our Team at the Omaha Housing Authority!

Are you passionate about making a real difference in the community? Do you thrive in a collaborative and supportive environment? he Omaha Housing Authority (OHA) is looking for a dynamic Property Owner Liaison to assist our residents and help us fulfill our mission of providing safe and affordable housing.

About Us

Founded in 1935, the Omaha Housing Authority is a nonprofit government agency committed to enhancing the quality of life for low and moderate-income individuals. With over 2,700 public housing units and up to 4,300 Housing Choice (Section 8) Vouchers, we work diligently to ensure our residents have access to safe, sanitary, and affordable housing.

Our Core Values

• Teamwork: We work together to achieve our goals.
• Welcoming: We create a supportive and inclusive environment.
• Actively Listen: We focus, clarify, and communicate next steps.
• We Build Trust: We do what we say we will do and assume good intent.
• Diverse, Inclusive & Equitable: We embrace all identities and backgrounds.
• De-Escalation: We manage conflicts calmly and effectively.
• Exceptional: We strive for excellence in all we do.
• Self-Care: We believe in the well-being of our team and ourselves.
• Share Power: We empower each other and our community.

Why Work with Us?

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• 17 paid holidays, including your birthday, a floating holiday, and a self-care day
• 12 days of vacation and 12 days of sick leave per year
• Medical, dental, and vision benefits start the 1st of the month following date of hire
• Life Insurance, Health & Dependent Care FSA, Allstate Voluntary Insurance, and Pet Insurance
• 401(a) retirement plan with a 5.5% match and 457 compensation plan

Salary Range

$46,195 – 63,858

Job Function

The HCV Property Owner Liaison is responsible for leading agency-wide efforts to effectively market OHA’s voucher programs to new and existing landlords and owners to meet the goal of expanding the number of units available to rent by families receiving rental assistance The liaison will recruit and retain rental housing units throughout the Housing Authority’s Jurisdiction, and develop partnerships with landlords to overcome barriers that prevent voucher clients from obtaining permanent housing. The liaison will work closely with the HCV team and with external stakeholders to ensure clients can access housing. The employee normally receives little instruction on day-to-day work and receives general instructions on new assignments. Under the general direction of the Housing Choice Voucher Director, this position will assist in monitoring operational goals, objectives, and priorities.

Essential Functions

• Perform landlord outreach efforts including meeting with various interested parties to discuss the advantages of participating in OHA’s voucher programs; on-site visits at apartment complexes or realtors’ offices; private presentations at OHA and attending meetings where interested parties may be present.
• Coordinate landlord outreach efforts with local partners including apartment associations, realtors, tenant councils, and other community partners with an emphasis on recruiting additional property owners willing to lease their properties to participants of the HCV program and other rental assistance programs.
• Coordinate, conduct, or participate in events where property owners/investors and managers are present. This includes creating a professional presentation for meetings, projects, or events and compiling all information for the events regarding the benefits of participating in the housing choice voucher program.
• Ensure compliance with expanding housing opportunities to include outreach efforts to encourage the participation of owners with units in high opportunity areas, complete reports on de-concentration efforts, and compile all data and information.
• Identify opportunities for expanding the number of units available to voucher participants using OHA's leasing statistics, market data, and other sources of information. Conducts marketing/customer service surveys, data collection, and data entry.
• Monitors customer satisfaction regarding landlords/owners, promptly respond to questions, complaints, and concerns, and prepares customer satisfaction reports.
• Engages in client-centered interviews to ascertain clients' housing needs and preferences.
• Advocates on behalf of clients to secure permanent housing units.
• Provides information to clients about available housing options and how to choose quality housing, and may transport clients for property viewings, lease signings, and housing-related appointments.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for property managers/owners' concerns and complaints. Act as a liaison and mediator for housing issues that may arise.
• Resolves client, landlord/owner questions, inquiries, issues, or complaints in person and/or via phone, email, fax, or correspondence.
• Develop and maintain a network of professional contacts in the property management and real estate industry.
• Collaborate with the Metro Area Continuum of Care for the Homeless (MACCH) Property Owner Mitigation Program to increase property owner participation in the HCV program.
• Assess current practices and make recommendations to improve customer service and increase landlord/property owner participation in the HCV program.
• Assist with establishing processes for monitoring tenant and landlord compliance with the Housing Choice Voucher program. Investigates reports of tenant/landlord program abuse.
• Negotiate and draft formal MOUs on a case-by-case basis that provides preferred access to available units.
• Coordinate quick turnaround HQS inspections and rent reasonable studies as needed to secure units.
• Identify and monitor flexible funding opportunities to assist families with rental application fees and security deposits.
• Assist Housing Specialists with coordination of residential support services to ensure clients maintain housing.
• Work closely with other agencies providing supportive services to voucher participants.
• Create and maintain available unit lists. Coordinate the rental listings process with the current online OHA rental listing.
• Must clearly understand all aspects of the policies and procedures of OHA, including, OHA admissions and continued occupancy policies. Ensure all program rules and regulations are followed, as well as contract requirements being fulfilled.
• Develop recommendations to modify and update OHA policies and procedures that improve customer service.

Additional Responsibilities

• Ability to work evening and weekend hours, as necessary.
• Conduct general or specialized training sessions for OHA staff, tenants, and landlords.
• Perform related duties as required or assigned by Housing Choice Voucher Director.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred in a related field and a minimum of three (3) years of professional experience, or a combination of education and training and experience.
• Experience in property management, real estate, sales, or experience with housing authority programs.
• Knowledge of the Nebraska rental market.
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Excellent oral, written, analytical, and interpersonal skills. Must have a strong ability to identify and solve problems. Ability to develop and present training sessions. Ability to understand oral/written instructions and provide feedback.
• Knowledge of the general operations and procedures of a Public Housing Agency (PHA) program.
• Knowledge of the purposes, policies, and regulations of the Housing Authority as established by the Board of Commissioners and HUD regulations.
• Must maintain current knowledge of rules and regulations affecting Housing Choice Voucher residents. Must participate in training opportunities and seminars relevant to this position and pass examinations.
• Must be comfortable working with a diversified type of individuals from a variety of social economic conditions and ethnic origins.
• Ability to evaluate the performance of subordinates accurately, correct deficiencies, and guide, replace, and assign personnel.
• Ability to coordinate a high level of productivity under a variety of conditions and restraints.
• Must possess and maintain a valid motor vehicle operator’s license and excellent driving record. Must be insurable under the OHA auto insurance policy. Must have transportation available to perform the functions of this position as needed.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, consultants, contractors, HUD, local, state, and federal officials; ability to communicate with people from a broad range of socio-economic backgrounds.

Working Conditions

• Work may be performed remotely, off-site, or in an office setting.
• Work performed in an office setting is amid normal conditions of dust, odors, fumes, and noises and involves considerable public contact.

Abilities

• Ability to sit, stand and walk up to 100% of the time; and reach stoop, squat, push, pull and type up to 75% of the time.
• Ability to move objects weighing up to ten (10) pounds up to 50% of the time.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Equipment Operation

(Any one position may not use all the tools and equipment listed nor do the listed examples comprise all of the tools and equipment that may be used in positions allocated to this classification)

• WIFI/Internet Connection
• Computer
• Telephone
• Copier
• Calculator
• Facsimile Machine

OHA is Committed to Equal Opportunity

Omaha Housing Authority is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression, or any other characteristics protected by federal, state or local laws. Omaha Housing Authority is actively seeking diverse candidates and affirming of all identities.

If you need a reasonable accommodation to complete the online application or have a question about your application, please contact the Human Resource Department at careers@ohauthority.org.