Housing Programs Specialist

State-of-Maine; Augusta (ME); Hybrid; USD 59,000 - 83,000; Full time

Job summary

State of Maine in Augusta, ME seeks a Social Services Program Specialist II to oversee rental subsidy contracts and homeless housing programs, ensuring accountability and compliance. The role requires working with OBH and DHHS, providing guidance to contracted providers and monitoring program performance.

The full-time position offers partial telework with management approval and occasional in-state travel for site visits, contract monitoring, and stakeholder meetings.

Qualifications

• Eight-year combination of education and/or professional experience in Mental Health, Substance Use, Public Health, Healthcare, Housing, or Homelessness programs.
• At least one year of related housing/rental assistance program or grant management experience.
• Preference for candidates with three or more years of housing or homelessness services experience.

Responsibilities

• Oversee Rental Subsidy and Florence House contracts for accountability and compliance.
• Assist Housing Program Manager with BRAP, PSHP, and PATH program oversight.
• Provide technical assistance to community providers contracted with OBH homelessness and housing programs.
• Support policy changes through participation with Statewide Homeless Council, Maine Continuum of Care, and other stakeholder groups.
• Develop and submit HUD and CoC grant renewals according to NOFO.
• Review and approve monthly billing submitted by contracted providers for allowability and accuracy.
• Review and issue decisions on Reasonable Accommodation requests and appeals filed with contracted agencies
• Collaborate across OBH, other DHHS Offices, Maine State Housing Authority, and community organizations to problem solve and build a complete housing continuum of care

Skills

Collaboration

Stakeholder engagement

Regulatory knowledge

Flexibility

Job description

Social Services Program Specialist II

Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Social Services Program Specialist II

Opening Date: August 31, 2026

Closing Date: September 14, 2026

Job Class Code: 5093

Grade: 25 (Supervisory)

Salary: $58,552.00 - $82,700.80 per year* *This is inclusive of a 2.00% recruitment and retention stipend

Position Number: 03200-2166

Location: Augusta

This is a full-time position located in Augusta, ME, and allows for partial telework with management approval.

This position requires occasional in-state travel to monitor contracts, conduct site visits, and attend stakeholder meetings.

Currently, this position is not eligible for visa sponsorship or STEM OPT extensions.

Core Responsibilities

• Oversight and management of the Rental Subsidy Program and Florence House Program contracts to ensure accountability and compliance with regulations.
• Assist the Housing Program Manager with the management and oversight of Bridging Rental Assistance Program (BRAP), Continuum of Care - Permanent Supportive Housing rental assistance program (PSHP), and Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH).
• Providing technical assistance and guidance to community-based providers contracted with OBH homelessness and housing programs.
• Support policy changes through active participation and collaboration with Statewide Homeless Council, Maine Continuum of Care, and other stakeholder groups
• Collaborate on the development and submittal of HUD and CoC grant renewals according to federal Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
• Review and approve monthly billing submitted by contracted providers for allowability and accuracy.
• Review and issue decisions on Reasonable Accommodation requests and appeals filed with contracted agencies
• Work across teams of OBH, other DHHS Offices, Maine State Housing Authority, and community organizations to problem solve and collaborate, while developing resources to support a complete housing continuum of care

Minimum Qualifications

An eight (8) year combination of education and/or professional experience in Mental Health, Substance Use, Public Health, Healthcare, Housing, or Homelessness programs to include at least one (1) year of related housing/rental assistance program or grant program management experience. In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications, preference will be given to candidates with three (3) or more years of professional experience in housing or homelessness services. The background of well-qualified candidates will demonstrate the following competencies:

• A demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective, collaborative working relationships, such as with state/federal officials and stakeholder groups.
• Experience working with federal and state rental assistance or outreach programs and regulations. Please be specific in describing any programs you managed, job title, experience, etc.
• Ability to remain flexible and adaptable to shifting priorities while remaining responsive to urgent requests

Agency information: The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is dedicated to promoting health, safety, resilience, and opportunity for Maine people.

The Department provides health and social services to approximately a third of the State's population, including children, families, older Mainers, and individuals with disabilities, mental illness, and substance use disorders.

The Department also promotes public health, operates two state psychiatric hospitals, and provides oversight to health care providers.

The Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) within DHHS is responsible for providing leadership and active partnership in Maine’s comprehensive system of support to communities and individuals with substance use and mental health conditions through a network of community providers.

Benefits of working for the State of Maine

No matter where you work across Maine state government, you find employees who embody our state motto—"Dirigo" or "I lead"—as they provide essential services to Mainers every day. We believe in supporting our workforce's health and wellbeing with a valuable total compensation package, including:

• Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave.
• When you or immediate members of your family are ill, utilize 12 days of sick leave per year.
• Health Insurance Coverage – The State of Maine pays 85%-95% of employee-only premiums ($12,213.60 - $13,650.48 annual value), depending on salary.
• Use this chart to find the premium costs for you and your family, including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State.
• Health Insurance Premium Credit – Participation decreases employee-only premiums by 5%.
• Dental Insurance – The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($365.28 annual value).
• Retirement Plan – The State contributes the equivalent of 14.06% of the employee's pay towards the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS), on behalf of the employee.
• Gym Membership Reimbursement – Improve overall health with regular exercise and receive up to $40 per month to offset this expense.
• Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts – Set aside money pre-tax to help pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and/or daycare expenses.
• Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness – The State of Maine is a qualified employer for this federal program.
• Living Resources Program – Navigate challenging work and life situations with our employee assistance program.
• Parental leave is one of the most important benefits for any working parent. All employees who are welcoming a child—including non-birthing and adoptive parents—receive six weeks of fully paid parental leave.
• Additional, unpaid leave may also be available, under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
• Voluntary Deferred Compensation – Save additional pre-tax funds for retirement in a MaineSaves 457(b) account through payroll deductions.
• State employees are eligible for an extensive and highly competitive benefits package, covering many aspects of wellness.
• Learn about additional wellness benefits for State employees from the Office of Employee Health and Wellness.
• Note: Benefits may vary somewhat according to specific collective bargaining agreements and are prorated for anything less than full-time.

There's a job and then there's purposeful, transformative work. Our aim is to create a workplace where you can learn, grow, and continuously refine your skills. Applicants demonstrate job requirements in differing ways, and we appreciate that many skills and backgrounds can make people successful in this role.

As an Equal Opportunity employer, Maine State Government embraces a culture of respect and awareness. We are committed to creating a strong sense of belonging for all team members, and our process ensures an inclusive environment to applicants of all backgrounds including diverse race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, familial status or genetics.

If you’re looking for a great next step, and want to feel good about what you do, we’d love to hear from you. Please note reasonable accommodations are provided to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.