Community Housing Specialist

Carrboro, Town of (NC); Raleigh (NC); On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

The Town of Carrboro is seeking a Community Housing Specialist to perform administrative, technical, and community-facing duties supporting housing programs and initiatives. You will be the primary contact for residents seeking housing assistance and coordinate with local partners to connect people with resources.

Responsibilities include documenting complaints, coordinating inspections, and ensuring timely case resolution while maintaining respectful, equitable service for all residents.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Progressively responsible experience in housing services, human services, or related field.
• Strong communication, organizational, problem-solving, and customer service skills.
• Ability to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds and manage sensitive situations.
• Experience with local government housing programs preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary contact for residents seeking housing assistance and information.
• Coordinate with community resources and service providers for housing support.
• Document resident concerns, actions taken, and outcomes with accurate records.
• Prepare reports and summaries of resident assistance activities.
• Coordinate with town departments and partners to facilitate inspections and compliance.
• Assist in developing customer service standards and administrative procedures.

Skills

Communication

Customer service

Organization

Problem solving

Record keeping

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

Job description

The Community Housing Specialist performs responsible administrative, technical, and community-facing work in support of the Town of Carrboro's housing programs and initiatives. The position serves as a primary point of contact for residents seeking housing assistance, connects individuals with appropriate community resources, and coordinates the administration of the Town's minimum housing code. Responsibilities include receiving and documenting complaints, conducting preliminary assessments of housing concerns, coordinating inspections and compliance activities with appropriate Town departments, monitoring case resolution, and maintaining relationships with community partners. Work requires independent judgment, effective communication, and a strong commitment to responsive and equitable public service.

This is primarily sedentary work requiring the exertion of up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to move objects; work requires reaching, fingering, grasping, and repetitive motions; vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels; visual acuity is required for preparing and analyzing written or computer data, visual inspection involving small defects and/or small parts, operation of machines, determining the accuracy and thoroughness of work, and observing general surroundings and activities; the worker is not subject to adverse environmental conditions. Work administering the minimum housing code may be active in nature, such as site inspections and field meetings. Work is performed under general supervision.

The Town recognizes that housing is an essential need that is central to resident well-being, community stability and economic vitality. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills or abilities required.

Graduation from high school or equivalent, supplemented by progressively responsible experience in housing services, human services, community assistance, code compliance coordination, case management, program administration, or a related field. Candidates must demonstrate strong communication, organizational, problem-solving, and customer service skills, including the ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and manage sensitive situations professionally. Experience working with local government programs, housing assistance resources, or community service organizations is preferred. An equivalent combination of education, training, and relevant experience may be considered.

Resident Assistance – General Housing and Human Services

• Serve as a primary point of contact for residents seeking housing assistance, information, and community resources.
• Provide professional, responsive, and effective resident engagement, including assistance to individuals experiencing housing instability or other housing-related challenges.
• Connect residents with appropriate community resources, housing assistance programs, and service providers.
• Maintain accurate and detailed records of resident concerns, actions taken, referrals, required follow-up, and outcomes.
• Prepare reports and summaries of resident assistance activities, service requests, and outcomes as directed.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with Police Department R.E.A.C.H team, community partners and resource providers, including organizations such as Legal Aid.
• Coordinate with Orange County staff and relevant housing and human services programs, including eviction diversion and housing stability initiatives.

Resident Assistance – Minimum Housing Code Coordination

• Serve as a primary point of contact for residents, property owners, property managers, and the public regarding minimum housing code concerns.
• Educate residents and property owners about the Town's minimum housing code, applicable standards, and available resources for achieving compliance.
• Coordinate the Town's minimum housing code complaint and resolution process, including complaint intake, preliminary assessments, referrals for inspection, communication with involved parties, and follow-up through case resolution.
• Coordinate with the Fire Department and the Inspections Division of the Planning, Zoning and Inspections (PZI) Department to facilitate timely inspections, compliance activities, and resolution of housing concerns.
• Assist in developing and improving administrative procedures, customer service standards, communication practices, and processes for receiving, tracking, and resolving housing complaints.
• Maintain accurate case records and prepare reports monitoring complaint activity, inspection referrals, compliance progress, and case resolution.
• Apply a customer service-oriented approach to addressing housing concerns while balancing the needs of residents, property owners, and the broader community.

Special Requirements

• Valid driver's license.
• Ability to understand, reasonably interpret and apply the provisions and standards of Chapter 17 - Housing Code in the Carrboro Town Code.
• Ability to conduct occasional field visits and preliminary housing condition assessments in coordination with appropriate Town personnel.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of modern office practices, procedures, technology, and computer applications, including Microsoft Word and Excel. Ability to learn related programs such as permitting software as needed.
• Knowledge of or ability to learn local housing codes, housing assistance programs, community resources, and applicable administrative procedures.
• Ability to perform programmatic and administrative work accurately, exercise independent judgment, and maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive information.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, and independently prepare correspondence, including violation letters, reports, and case documentation.
• Ability to provide professional, responsive, and effective customer service to residents, property owners, and community partners.
• Ability to manage sensitive or contentious situations professionally, exercise sound judgment, and facilitate constructive communication between parties.
• Ability to coordinate housing-related cases involving multiple departments, agencies, and stakeholders, including tracking complaints, referrals, follow-up activities, and resolutions.
• Ability to conduct preliminary housing condition assessments, document observations, and identify concerns requiring referral to appropriate personnel.
• Ability to organize and prioritize multiple responsibilities, maintain accurate records, and meet established deadlines.
• Ability to perform basic arithmetic, financial, and statistical computations accurately.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with Town staff, community members, and external partners.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Commitment to customer service best practices, equitable service delivery, and effective resolution of housing concerns.