Housing and Community Development Specialist III

County of San Mateo; California; On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

County of San Mateo is seeking a Housing and Community Development Specialist III to lead affordable housing initiatives. You will manage funding, underwriting, and compliance for development projects, while partnering with cities, the Housing Authority, and county agencies to deliver housing solutions.

Ideal candidates bring strong project management, negotiation, and public‑facing communication skills, plus knowledge of LIHTC and subsidy lending within a dynamic team environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field is required.
• Understanding of housing development, land use, and financing issues is essential.
• Experience with affordable housing lending or development as project manager is preferred.
• Strong program and project management skills with public speaking ability.
• Familiarity with LIHTC and local subsidy lending is valuable.

Responsibilities

• Administer federal, state, and local funding for affordable housing developments.
• Negotiate loan terms and oversee compliance across multiple projects.
• Develop NOFAs/RFPs, review proposals, and determine funding recommendations.
• Manage assets of loans and grants portfolio and monitor performance.
• Collaborate with city staff, Housing Authority, and other agencies.

Skills

Housing development knowledge

Housing finance knowledge

Project management

Underwriting experience

Public speaking

Negotiation

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Adaptability

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

LIHTC knowledge

Job description

The Department of Housing is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Housing and Community Development Specialist III.

The Department of Housing is a catalyst for increasing access to high-quality affordable housing for households earning a variety of incomes and supporting related community development activities so that housing and robust services exist for people of all income levels and ages in San Mateo County. The Department consists of two divisions, Housing and Community Development (HCD) and the Housing Authority of the County of San Mateo.

The San Mateo County Department of Housing is looking for smart, committed professionals to join our team. If you are passionate about helping to solve one of the most critical issues facing communities across the country the lack of safe, decent, affordable housing for all, including those who are the most vulnerable, we’d love to learn more about you. We are looking for candidates with experience in affordable housing development and/or finance or other aspects of community development. This is a fast-paced position with opportunities for learning new skills, working collaboratively with a dynamic team, and taking the lead on projects and programs. You would be joining a diverse team that works effectively together to achieve our shared vision to ensure that people of all income levels, ages, and abilities in San Mateo County have access to a place to call home.

HCD is recruiting for a Housing and Community Development Specialist III. Reporting to the HCD Supervisor, the Housing and Community Development Specialist III will engage in a variety of functions aimed at increasing the supply of affordable housing throughout San Mateo County and forging partnerships to address critical housing needs. The Specialist position will have job duties with a focus on managing, as the subsidy lender, affordable housing development projects from predevelopment through permanent conversion.

The Specialist may also have the opportunity to work on activities that are more programmatic in nature and will require the Specialist to provide a variety of program support services, including drafting template loan documents, preparing Notices of Funding Availability (NOFAs), evaluating project proposals and underwriting, and understanding and applying relevant federal, state, and local regulations. Finally, the Specialist will also have the opportunity to collaborate with city housing staff, the Housing Authority of the County of San Mateo, and other County agencies providing essential services and resources for vulnerable populations targeted by the new construction affordable rental housing projects financed by HCD.

The Ideal Candidate will have:

• A Bachelor's degree in a relevant field.
• An intermediate to advanced understanding of the complexities of housing development, land use, and affordable housing financing issues.
• An intermediate to advanced understanding of affordable housing finance and underwriting and/or experience in managing and oversight of one or more affordable housing projects.
• Three years of progressively advanced skills and experience with affordable housing lending and/or development as project manager.
• Strong program and project management skills.
• Mastery of federal and state housing finance programs such as Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) and understanding of the role of local subsidy lending in this financing system.
• Knowledge of programs for facilitating and subsidizing low- and moderate-income housing.
• Experience in community outreach and partnership development.
• A positive attitude and sense of humor.
• An ability to embrace change with initiative, flexibility, and enthusiasm.
• Demonstrated experience in drafting complex legal documents and agreements tasks, including preparing initial drafts of loan documents.
• Effective oral communication skills, including high-stakes negotiations and public speaking.

NOTE: The eligible list generated from this recruitment may be used to fill future extra-help, term, unclassified, and regular classified vacancies.

The HCD Specialist's project management duties may include, but are not limited to:

• Administering financial investment of federal, state, and local funding in the development of affordable housing primarily through the administration of affordable housing lending on behalf of San Mateo County, which includes evaluation of proposals, underwriting of development budgets, financing plans, and operating pro forma projections. This work will also include preparing and negotiating loan and contract documents, monitoring the progress of funding recipients from predevelopment through construction completion and lease-up and the conversion to permanent financing. The HCD Specialist will represent the Department in construction and permanent loan closings.
• Negotiating contract and/or loan terms with nonprofit and for-profit developers of affordable housing, outside vendors, consultants, or organizations and oversight of all monitoring, compliance, and evaluating fiscal and legal liability of same.
• Supporting the Department’s applications for funding to federal, state, and other funding to re-lend to affordable housing developments.
• Assisting the Housing Supervisor in the development and administration of the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) and Request for Proposal (RFP) to solicit proposals from vendors, community-based organizations, and developers of affordable housing and permanent supportive housing. This includes review of all proposal materials, familiarity with program budgets and affordable housing project development budgets, financing plans and operating pro forma projections to determine the project feasibility and ultimately make funding recommendations for the allocation of funds from the County's Affordable Housing Fund (AHF), funded largely by Measure K sales tax proceeds.
• Developing and administering housing and community development programs which support affordable new construction, acquisition of existing affordable housing, and rehabilitation, as well as community and public services contracts, public facilities funding and minor home repair.
• Design, develop, and implement compliance, monitoring, and asset management systems for affordable housing loans, community facility loans/grants, and non-profit grants to ensure compliance with local, State, and Federal regulations, including environmental reviews, prevailing wage requirements, long-term affordability as set forth in regulatory agreements, and other requirements imposed by the funding.
• Managing the assets of the Department's loans and grants portfolio and providing analysis and recommendations in response to requests to subordinate, refinance, or restructure existing DOH loans.

The HCD Specialist's programmatic support duties may include, but are not limited to:

• Managing a portfolio of grantees including negotiating contracts, processing requests for payment, and reviewing quarterly and/or annual progress reports.
• Monitoring the performance of grantees and writing performance reports as needed.
• Conducting due diligence reviews on applications for community development and public services, housing grants and loans, and coordinating with consultants on final staff recommendation reports.
• Preparing funding recommendations, memos, resolutions, and supporting materials that will go to the Board of Supervisors.
• Interpreting, explaining, and directing the enforcement of all applicable standards, codes, and regulations.
• May represent the Department of Housing at meetings of the County Board of Supervisors.
• Preparing detailed written reports, policies, procedures, and contracts.

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE

Final Filing Date: Tuesday, November 3, 2026, 11:59 PM PST

Application Screening: November 16 - 20, 2026

Civil Service Panel Interviews: December 8 and/or 9, 2026