Assistant Director, Housing Initiatives

Assistant Director, Housing Initiatives

Services · Portsmouth, New Hampshire (Hybrid)

INTRODUCTION: Granite United Way’s vision is to be the preferred way people work together to build a community that values its collective responsibility to care for each other.  All employees at Granite United Way are an integral to our ability to achieve our mission. Performance of the job duties outlined below will enable us to follow through on our promises to the communities we serve.

RESPONSIBILITIES: The Affordable Housing Incentive Program (AHIP) is an initiative of Granite United Way and the Home for All Coalition that was launched in 2020 and currently serves three NH communities: the Seacoast (Rockingham and Strafford Counties), Belknap County, and Merrimack County. AHIP addresses the immediate needs related to homelessness and the shortage of affordable housing, by partnering with local landlords to increase affordability within existing housing stock and reduce barriers to participating in assisted housing programs, like the Housing Choice Voucher Program. This results in less time a rental unit is vacant, opens the door to permanent housing for households experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and helps ensure tenants are connected to supportive services to help prevent returns to homelessness or housing instability.

AHIP is the product of collaboration and thought leadership of the Home for All Coalition. Home for All was convened in 2009 by United Way of the Greater Seacoast to bring thought partners together around a collective approach to preventing and ending homelessness in the region. Home For All is a partnership of over 50 active members representing 7 distinct and interconnected sectors (service providers, government, business, education, healthcare, community leaders and other stakeholders). Home For All members are dedicated to mobilizing resources (human, financial, community), assisting with the ongoing assessment of needs and opportunities, and developing/implementing collaborative, coordinated and proven strategies for: Preventing homelessness, housing instability, and eviction, removing barriers to accessing affordable and deeply affordable housing, as well as advocating for new development of affordable and deeply affordable housing on the Seacoast.

 

The Assistant Director of Housing Initiatives’ primary responsibility will be to oversee the implementation, reporting, evaluation, and landlord engagement for AHIP in the four counties it serves as well as helping support the continued expansion of the program. The Assistant Director will work closely with partner agencies and landlords to ensure successful outcomes. In addition, the Assistant Director will also provide support to the Home for All Coalition and Director of Housing Initiatives, which may include facilitating or scheduling the Home for All quarterly meetings, drafting monthly newsletters for Coalition members, mobilizing the network around housing related policy priorities, and making connections with local, regional, and statewide partners. Additionally, the Assistant Director support efforts to secure ongoing funding to support the state-wide expansion of AHIP and other affordable housing and homeless initiatives under Granite United Way.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Affordable Housing Incentive Program (AHIP)

• Work closely with prospective landlords and property managers throughout New Hampshire to promote and identify housing opportunities for households that are experiencing homelessness and those that are at-risk of homelessness.

• Lead landlord engagement efforts (recruitment, communications, organizing regular educational and networking opportunities) for GUW housing initiatives and programs, including: hosting landlord recruitment and engagement events with partner agencies, educating landlords on barriers to accessing housing, assisted housing programs, and trauma-informed housing practices, and disseminating timely policy / legislative updates and information to landlord partners.

• Serve as the primary point of contact for landlords and acting as a liaison to for landlords, partner agency case managers, and tenants to resolve any concerns or tenancy issues.
• Create and/or maintain a database of landlords and properties and the relevant selection criteria they utilize and share vacancies with partner agencies.
• Work with AHIP partner agencies to identify prospective AHIP tenants for vacant units.
• Assist both landlords and service providers through process of enrolling and accessing AHIP resources.
• Review all applications, contracts, and documents related to unit enrollment, tenant placement, and ongoing provision of housing stability services.
• Process reimbursement of funds to eligible landlords and agency partners.
• Oversee ongoing evaluation of AHIP and other GUW housing and homeless incentive programs and assist with grant writing and reporting.
• Create and update program documents as needed, including policies and procedures, collateral, contracts, etc.

Home for All Coalition Support

• Assist with organizing, facilitating, notetaking, and providing follow up for quarterly coalition meetings.
• Assist with organizing, facilitating, notetaking, and providing follow up for bi-monthly Leadership Team meetings.
• Participate in the coalition’s strategic planning and goal development efforts.
• Assist with the dissemination of timely information through the network to inform, collaborate, and mobilize regarding local, region, or state level advocacy and awareness.
• Work with Home for All Leadership Team to plan, strategize, and secure resources to sustain coalition activities to work toward increasing supply and access to affordable housing.

General

• Increase visibility of United Way’s role and commitment to issues of affordable housing and homelessness via speaking engagements, producing social media content/posts and other opportunities.
• Work collaboratively with United Way colleagues in donor and volunteer efforts to bring awareness and resources to the issues of affordable housing and homelessness.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with landlords/property owners, consultants, local, state and federal officials; ability to communicate with people from a broad range of socio-economic backgrounds.
• Assist with deepening existing partnerships with the private sector (including and not limited to landlords/property managers, financial institutions, and private sector employers) who have shared goals related to our most vulnerable individuals and families in the community.
• Maintain knowledge of all GUW’s housing and homeless initiatives and programs and related community programs and services.
• Maintain relationships and network with other housing and social service providers.
• Participate in relevant networks around the region and state working on solving the issues of homelessness. Current networks include:
• Home for All Coalition
• NH Coalition to End Homelessness
• Tri-City Task Force to End Homelessness
• Housing Action New Hampshire
• Balance of State CoC and Youth Sub-Committee
  
   

OTHER DUTIES:

• Ability to represent GUW at social, civic, and business events. Some of which are outside of general business hours.
• Other duties as assigned.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, AND SKILLS REQUIRED:

• Proven experience leading, coordinating, and facilitating multi-organization initiatives with diverse stakeholders.
• Strong knowledge of the homeless population and best practices/models with proven effectiveness
• Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Possess organizational, planning and analytical skills.
• Excellent communication and relationship building skills required: including listening skills, written and oral communication skills, facilitation skills, and presentation skills.
• Experience working federally funded projects and completing required reporting.
• Strong writing skills. Prior grant writing experience preferred.
  
  Ability to contribute effectively as part of a team.
• Homelessness disproportionately affects people of color and LGBTQ youth; we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other marginalized communities and/or those with lived experience relevant to the work.
• Microsoft Office skills, Canva, data management, basic website maintenance experience.

 ENVIRONMENT:

The venue of this position is a general office environment that is clean, well lighted, environmentally comfortable, free of fumes or airborne particles, and only minimally exposes employees to office solvents limited to those relative to copier equipment.

This position requires the ability to:

1. Minimal requirement to reach at or above shoulder level; occasional reaching below shoulder level required.
2. Hand manipulation - equipment and controls, frequent; grasping and handling, occasional.

1. Ability to travel throughout the territory required.
2. Ability to work a flexible schedule, which may include night and weekends.
3. Ability to tolerate prolonged sitting and/or standing and to lift up to approximately 50 pounds to waist high level whenever necessary.
4. Mobility includes regular sitting, some standing and walking.