Housing & Grants Specialist

Job Description:

Housing & Grants Specialist

Description

Position Description

Come Grow with Us!

The City of Tulare is excited to announce the addition of a Housing & Grants Specialist position. This is a unique opportunity for a dedicated and collaborative professional with well-developed administrative and accounting skills, to join our Housing & Grants team.

In this role, the selected candidate will work closely with team members, external agencies, non-profit organizations, and developers to ensure successful program implementation and broaden housing opportunities.

The ideal candidate will have increasingly responsible experience in the field of housing, CDBG program implementation, HUD program implementation, real estate, revolving loans, or community planning and development. If you're ready to play a key role in making a lasting difference in individuals and families lives by helping them secure safe, sustainable and affordable housing, we encourage you to apply!

RECRUITMENT OVERVIEW:

The City of Tulare is a vibrant and steadily growing community with a population of 70,693 located in the heart of California's Central Valley. The organization, staffed with 400 full-time employees, enjoys a culture of fiscal conservatism, collaboration, teamwork and dedication to public service and our community.

To be considered for this position applicants must submit an application with detailed information in each section of the application: Education, Work Experience, Certificates and Licenses, and Skills. In addition to submitting a detailed application, applicants are required to respond to the supplemental questions associated with the application. Your responses to the supplemental questions will be used to help us evaluate your qualifying knowledge, skills, and abilities. Resumes may be attached but will not be accepted in lieu of a complete, detailed application or in lieu of detailed responses to the supplemental questions. Applicants that meet the minimum qualifications will be invited to interview for the position.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Under general direction, performs technical and professional work in the administration, accounting, planning, implementation and promotion of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program, affordable housing programs, various Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grants, and other grant programs to ensure contractual compliance on all projects utilizing federal, state, or local agency funds; performs a variety of office and administrative tasks; and performs a variety of duties relative to assigned area of responsibility.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Receives general direction from the Housing & Grants Manager and direct or general supervision from the Community Development Director. No supervision of staff is exercised. May provide lead oversight on a project related basis.

CLASS CHARACTERISTICS:

This is the journey-level class within the Housing and Grants Specialist series responsible for a variety of professional and technical duties. Incumbents with well-developed administrative and accounting skills are expected to learn technical and specialized rules, regulations, policies, procedures, and activities related to the housing and grants function and to apply them. This class is distinguished from the Housing & Grants Manager in that the latter is the advanced-journey level class in the series responsible for technical and functional direction over lower-level staff and is capable of performing the most complex housing and grant duties.

Examples of Essential Functions

Management reserves the right to add, modify, change or rescind the work assignments of different positions and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job.

• Establishes goals and objectives for City’s housing programs based on the Housing Element, community participation, CDBG (Community Development Block Grant), HUD, and HOME guidelines and regulations,
• Performs duties related to the administration and usage of Community Development Block Grant and HOME funds for public service, homeless, and public public infrastructure projects.
• Performs a variety of duties to develop necessary agreements for agency funding; consults with legal staff as needed; prepares legal documents relating to housing rehabilitation loans; submits copies of all agreements and loan documents to concerned parties for review, approval and signature; monitors the implementation of agreements to ensure compliance.
• Provides guidance on contractual compliance with CDBG and other funding agency program requirements; identifies deficiencies and develops solutions for deficiencies; interprets and explains contracted compliance.
• Ensures state compliance with the federal CDBG regulations that govern the program to ensure continued federal funding of the city’s CDBG program.
• Recommends and assists in with the development and implementation of HUD program goals and objectives, policies and procedures; with the programming and oversight of Entitlement Funds from HUD.
• Prepares HUD reports and documents, including financial narrative and annual reports such as the Five-Year Consolidated Plan, Annual Action Plans, Comprehensive Annual Program Evaluation Report, and required amendments.
• Serves as the primary contact for federal HUD staff when they are monitoring and ensuring compliance with CDBG review requirements.
• Reviews CDBG applications for completeness and ensures that HUD objectives are met.
• Reviews project proposals for CDBG funds, independently formulates funding recommendations, negotiates and drafts contracts, and monitors assigned projects for compliance with contract terms and conditions, and with the wide range of complex federal regulations that accompany the CDBG program.
• Prepares financial data management reports and ensures that all expenditures are accurately accounted for and documented.
• Coordinates and supervises the auditing, monitoring and scheduling of grant reports of various sub recipients.
• Directs and monitors housing programs including CDBG, HOME investment partnership funds, and special grant programs.
• Identifies and designates funding sources to accomplish housing program objectives.
• Participates in budget preparation and administration; and monitors and controls expenditures.
• Monitors performance of sub recipients and contractors for compliance with grant goals and objectives.
• Ensures compliance with State and Federal laws for housing programs.
• Serves as resource to City Departments, Committees, Council, Planning Commission and community groups on the City’s CDBG program and housing program.
• Reviews HUD policy changes, updates, and recommend changes in local policies or procedures to maintain compliance.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications / Requirements

Knowledge of:

• Federal and State laws and regulations related to CDBG and HOME administration, policy and procedures and other housing grant programs.
• Basic principles practices, and procedures of funding sources and grant funds disbursement.
• Principles and procedures of grant application and administration including CDBG and related funding programs.
• Principles and practices of general HUD rules and regulations regarding eligible activities and yearly program requirements.
• HUD Integrated Disbursement Systems requirements and management.
• HUD environmental and regulatory requirements.
• Recent developments, current literature and information related to community development and grant funding.
• Issues that affect the homeless population (in general) and the challenges for this group of citizens to secure quality housing and job placement on a long-term basis.
• Principles and procedures of governmental accounting, purchasing and contract compliance.
• Principles and procedures of data collection and report preparation.
• Contract development, negotiation and monitoring.
• Modern office practices, methods, and computer equipment.
• Computer applications related to the work, including data tracking, word processing, and basic spreadsheet applications.
• Record keeping and filing principles and practices.
• Business arithmetic and basic statistical techniques.
• Geography of the city and surrounding area.
• English usage, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation.
• Techniques for dealing with and solving the problems presented by a variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds, in person and over the telephone.
• Techniques for providing a high level of customer service to the public and City staff, in person and over the telephone.

Ability to:

• Plan, organize and evaluate housing programs to achieve objectives.
• Coordinate the activities of a comprehensive community development block grant program.
• Oversee the financial reporting, usage and administration of various grants and funding sources.
• Develop financial reports, and interpret the usage and administration of various grants.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with governing bodies, agencies, committees, financial institutions and the public.
• Ensure compliance with mandated regulations and requirements as they relate to funding source requirements.
• Analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions and implement recommendations in support of goals.
• Prepare clear, concise, and accurate reports, correspondence and other written materials.
• Prepare clear and concise financial and administrative reports for Council, committees, and the public.
• Prepare and give effective presentations for Council, committees, and the public.
• Organize, research and maintain technical and administrative files.
• Enter data into a computer system and prepare written materials with sufficient speed and accuracy to perform the work.
• Make accurate arithmetic and statistical calculations.
• File and maintain automated and hard copy records with speed and accuracy.
• Organize own work, set priorities, and meet critical deadlines.
• Operate modern office equipment including computer equipment and software programs, as well as a digital camera.
• Use English effectively to communicate in person, over the telephone, and in writing.
• Use tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment within general policy and legal guidelines in politically sensitive situations.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Education and Experience: Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, public policy, planning, urban studies, economics, or a closely related field, and three (3) years of increasing responsible experience in the field of housing, CDBG program implementation, HUD program implementation, real estate, revolving loan funds, or community planning and development.

License:

• Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid Class C California driver’s license. This classification requires the ability to travel independently within and outside of City limits.

Additional Information

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Must possess mobility to work in a standard office setting and use standard office equipment, including a computer; to operate a motor vehicle; and to visit and inspect various housing and project sites; vision to read printed materials and a computer screen; and hearing and speech to communicate in person, before groups and over the telephone. This is primarily a sedentary office classification, although the job involves field inspection work requiring frequent walking at inspection sites to monitor performance and to identify problems or hazards; standing in work areas and walking between work areas may be required. Finger dexterity is needed to access, enter, and retrieve data using a computer keyboard, typewriter keyboard, or calculator and to operate standard office equipment. Positions in this classification occasionally bend, stoop, kneel, reach, and push and pull drawers open and closed to retrieve and file information. Employees must possess the ability to lift, carry, push, and pull materials and objects up to 20 pounds.

ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENTS:

Employees work in an office environment with moderate noise levels and controlled temperature conditions; but may occasionally be exposed to loud noise levels, cold and hot temperatures, inclement weather conditions, road hazards, vibration, confining workspace, chemicals, mechanical, and/or electrical hazards, and hazardous physical substances and fumes. Employees may interact with upset staff and/or public and private representatives in interpreting and enforcing departmental policies and procedures.

• Members of the California Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). In accordance with the California Public Employees Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA), the City of Tulare will offer the following retirement benefit (2.0% at 62) to new PERS members beginning January 1, 2013 with three (3) years final compensation. Existing PERS members with no break in service will receive the 2.5% at 55 formula with single highest year.
• City pays a portion of the employee and dependent coverage costs of group medical, dental and vision insurance. An opt-out plan is also available.
• Life insurance - Based on salary.
• Short and long term disability insurance.
• 10 working days vacation per year. Additional days based on years of service.
• 12 days sick leave per year.
• 15 holidays annually: 12 city observed holidays, plus birthday credit and 2 in-lieu holidays.
• Management leave - 64 hours per year.
• Flexible benefit program - IRS Section 125 Plan.
• Deferred compensation plan - 457 Plans available.
• City sponsored clinic - Opening March 1, 2025. Services to include: general medical care and health and wellness coaching. No deductibles, co-pays, or out-of-pocket expenses.

Closing Date/Time: 7/29/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$74,750.76 - $90,860.16 Annually