Senior Housing Specialist

Orange County; California; Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Orange County Housing Authority is seeking a Senior Housing Specialist to administer the Housing Choice Voucher program and related HUD-funded housing initiatives. You will join a collaborative team, ensure accurate eligibility determinations, and support landlords and voucher recipients in accessing housing opportunities.

The ideal candidate will possess extensive knowledge of federal, state, and local housing regulations, strong attention to detail, and excellent written and verbal

Qualifications

• Extensive experience with HUD's Housing Choice Voucher Program and related subsidized housing programs.
• Strong ability to interpret and apply federal, state and local housing regulations.
• Customer-focused with excellent organizational and communication skills.
• Experience training staff and monitoring workloads for operational effectiveness and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Monitor, assign, and review tasks and workloads of subordinate staff.
• Perform quality control of eligibility determinations, HQS inspections, and HAP contracts.
• Respond to inquiries from a variety of sources.
• Conduct program integrity activities and present cases during appeals.
• Collaborate with counsel on records requests, policies and litigations.
• Provide technical support for administrative functions and oversee file room operations.
• Represent the Housing Authority at meetings, conferences, and trainings.

Job description

SENIOR HOUSING SPECIALIST

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

This recruitment will establish an open eligible list that will be used to fill current and future Senior Housing Specialist. The eligible list established may also be used to fill positions in similar and/or lower classifications throughout the County of Orange.

DEADLINE TO APPLY

This recruitment will be open for a minimum of five (5) business days and will close on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at 11:59 P.M. (PST)

OC COMMUNITY RESOURCES (OCCR)

The Orange County Community Resources that administer the Housing Choice Voucher Program and other similar subsidized housing programs on behalf of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Make a positive difference in the community by providing essential housing assistance to low-income households, by joining a dynamic and innovative team as a Senior Housing Specialist with Orange County Housing Authority (OCHA). The Senior Housing Specialist understands and applies the regulations and processes associated with the administration of Housing Choice Voucher Program and similar subsidized housing programs funded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). OCHA is divided in four (4) sections, generally performing the following functions:

Occupancy Section

In compliance with federal regulations and local policy, staff in the Occupancy coordinate the opening of the waiting list, verify preference status, determine initial and ongoing eligibility, conduct program briefings, calculate potential rent payments, issue housing choice vouchers, refer potential program abuse for investigation, and execute repayment agreements.

Leasing Section

In compliance with federal regulations and local policy, staff in Leasing conduct initial and biennial Housing Quality Standards inspections of rental units, determine rent reasonableness, negotiate and approve rent amounts, calculate Housing Assistance Payments (HAP), execute HAP contracts with landlords and promote OCHA rental assistance programs in an effort to generate landlord interest and participation.

Special Housing Programs

In compliance with federal regulation and local policy, staff in Special Housing Programs perform similar tasks as those in the aforementioned sections for specialized programs and functions, including but not limited to: Family Self Sufficiency, Family Unification, Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing, and Non-Elderly Disabled Housing, Mainstream, and Continuum of Care program.

Administration

Staff in Administration manage operational functions and oversee program integrity in support of the agency as a whole, including all aforementioned sections.

The general responsibilities and duties associated with this position may include but are not limited to the following:

• Monitoring, assigning, and reviewing tasks/workloads of subordinate staff.
• Performance of quality control review of work performed by Housing Specialists such as initial and ongoing determinations of eligibility, Housing Quality Standards inspections, and execution of HAP contracts.
• Responding to inquiries from a variety of sources.
• Conducting program integrity activities such as reviewing investigation responses from District Attorney's investigator and presenting cases during appeals addressed via the Informal Hearing process.
• Collaborating with counsel regarding records requests, policies, procedures, practices, and litigations.
• Providing technical support for administrative and operational functions such as ensuring compliance, sorting, and distributing mail, and overseeing the File Room and Reception.
• Representing the Housing Authority at various meetings, conferences, and trainings.

A hybrid telecommuting work schedule may be available for this position. This may revert to a regular on-site schedule depending on business needs.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS AND CORE COMPETENCIES

The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience in HUD's Housing Choice Voucher Program, as well as a strong working knowledge of interpreting and applying local policies, State and Federal regulations. They will be customer focused with strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and a positive, collaborative attitude. Candidates with experience providing training and monitoring workloads for operation effectiveness and ensuring compliance with federal regulations are preferred.

In addition, the ideal candidate will also have extensive experience in the following core competencies:

Leadership Skills

• Extensive experience conducting staff development and providing technical guidance.
• Embracing continuous learning and be receptive to change.

Technical Expertise

• Extensive knowledge of Federal, State, and local regulations governing the Housing Choice Voucher Program and similar subsidized housing programs.
• Ability to interpret, understand, apply, and explain housing laws, regulations, and policies.
• Knowledge and experience with reviewing and preparing documents, procedures, correspondence and reports related to rental assistance and housing information.

Verbal & Written Communication

• Effectively communicate in writing and orally, technical and complex information.
• Ability to compose complex correspondence and reports for a wide range of audiences.
• Present information clearly and in an organized manner.
• Create and conduct informative presentations to the public.

Customer Focus

• Shows interest and understanding of the needs, expectations, and circumstances of internal and external customers.
• Explore options and pursues solutions until customers are satisfied.
• Responsive, pleasant, professional, and easy to do business with.

Organization & Planning

• Organize, plan and structure workload in a manner, which maximizes productivity while ensuring excellent quality.
• Prioritize workload in accordance with deadlines and Department/County goals and initiatives.
• Manage time efficiently.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Human Resource Services (HRS) will screen all application materials to identify qualified applicants. After screening, qualified applicants will be referred to the next step and notified of all further procedures applicable to their status in the competition.

Application Screening (Refer/Non-Refer)

Applications and supplemental responses will be screened for qualifications that are highly desirable and most needed to successfully perform the duties of this job. Only those applicants that meet the qualifications as listed in the job bulletin will be referred to the next step.

Recorded Structured Oral Interview |rSOI (Weighted 100%)

The recorded Structured Oral Interview (rSOI) is a timed, recorded assessment conducted via an online platform. Applicants will answer job-related questions on video, which will be reviewed and rated by a panel of subject matter experts using standardized evaluation criteria. Only the most qualified candidates will advance to the next step in the recruitment process or will be placed on the eligible list.

Eligible List

Once the assessment has been completed, HRS will establish an eligible list of candidates. Candidates placed on the eligible list may be referred to a selection interview to be considered for present and future vacancies. Based on the County's needs, the selection procedures listed above may be modified. All candidates will be notified of any changes in the selection procedures.

Veterans Employment Preference

The County is committed to providing a mechanism to give preferential consideration in the employment process to veterans and their eligible spouses and will provide eligible participants the opportunity to receive interviews in the selection process for employment and paid internship openings.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

The County of Orange is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Individuals who require a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should notify the recruiter listed on the job posting as soon as possible. Documentation supporting the accommodation request may be required.

EMAIL NOTIFICATION

Email is the primary form of notification during the recruitment process. Please ensure your correct email address is included in our application and use only one email account.

NOTE: User accounts are established for one person only and should not be shared with another person. Multiple applications with multiple users may jeopardize your status in the recruitment process for any positions for which you apply. Candidates will be notified regarding their status as the recruitment proceeds via email through the GovernmentJobs.com site. Please check your email folders, including spam/junk folders, and/or accept emails ending with "governmentjobs.com" and "ocgov.com." If your email address should change, please update your profile at www.governmentjobs.com.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For specific information pertaining to this recruitment, contact Jamiee Lang at [e-mail] or [phone].

Orange County, as an equal employment opportunity employer, encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.