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Job Description

About the Agency:

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation Development (HPD) promotes quality and affordability in the city's housing, and diversity and strength in the city’s neighborhoods because every New Yorker deserves a safe, affordable place to live in a neighborhood they love.

• We maintain building and resident safety and health

• We create opportunities for New Yorkers through housing affordability

• We engage New Yorkers to build and sustain neighborhood strength and diversity.

HPD is entrusted with fulfilling these objectives through the goals and strategies of “Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness,” Mayor Adams’ comprehensive housing framework. To support this important work, the administration has committed $5 billion in new capital funding, bringing the 10-year planned investment in housing to $22 billion the largest in the city’s history. This investment, coupled with a commitment to reduce administrative and regulatory barriers, is a multi-pronged strategy to tackle New York City’s complex housing crisis, by addressing homelessness and housing instability, promoting economic stability and mobility, increasing homeownership opportunities, improving health and safety, and increasing opportunities for equitable growth.

Your Team:

The Division of Special Needs Housing (DSNH), within the Office of Development, administers four loan programs/initiatives: the Supportive Housing Loan Program (SHLP), the Senior Affordable Rental Apartments (SARA) program, Homeless Housing Strategic Initiatives (HHSI), and Rehousing Our Neighbors Initiatives (RONI).

Your Impact:

HPD's SARA Program provides gap financing in the form of low interest loans and leverages other financing sources including Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, tax-exempt bonds, Project-Based Section 8, and private debt and equity to support the construction and renovation of affordable housing for seniors. SARA projects must also include a 30% homeless set-aside.

Your Role:

In your role as the Director of SARA, you will oversee the Deputy Director of SARA and a team of Project Managers and managing all aspects of SARA projects in order to reach the ambitious production goals set out in Housing Our Neighbors. You will work in close coordination with other loan programs within the Division of Special Needs Housing, other divisions within the Office of Development and across HPD, and in partnership with other City, state, and federal agencies on issues relating to the development of affordable senior housing development.

Your Responsibilities:

As Director of SARA, you will work closely with the Deputy Director and a team of Project Managers and other key staff to produce new and renovated housing for seniors. Your duties will include but not be limited to:

• In collaboration with the Assistant Commissioner, overseeing the development and implementation of the loan program to meet the goals of Housing Our Neighbors plan.

• Managing the development pipeline for SARA and ensuring timely, high-quality closings, completions, conversions, and rent up of projects.

• Leading negotiations relating to deal structure, funding commitments and other project requirements on behalf of HPD.

• Tracking and reporting of key project issues, including timing of project loan closings, construction status, project completion and budget close outs.

• Supervising and provide technical assistance to a team of Project Managers who are the primary point of contact for project sponsors, consultants, government agencies, financing partners, and internal agency departments.

• Identifying opportunities to train and build out expertise of Division of Special Needs staff.

• Managing special projects, including development and implementation of senior housing initiatives and strategies in conjunction with other City agencies.

• Communicating with elected officials, other City agencies, sponsors, lenders, community groups and other stakeholders as necessary, including presenting program materials at interagency meetings, meetings with elected officials and community meetings.

• Other responsibilities and initiatives as may be required to ensure the success of the division, the Office of Development, and the Agency.

In addition to the tasks described above, you should have strong managerial and leadership experience, a record of achieving results in a fast-paced environment, and experience managing programs as well as seeking ways to improve programs and procedures. You must be able to assess situations, persuade with concise specific solutions, and coordinate and troubleshoot concerns with internal and external partners.

As a successful candidate, you may be tasked with tracking workflow across the Division, participating in the development of RFPs and policy related projects, and assisting the Assistant Commissioner and others with time-sensitive research and report production and additional administrative activities as required. You should have demonstrated analytical skills and work comfortably with Microsoft Excel. In addition, you should have demonstrated capacity and experience analyzing development proposals using knowledge of financing tools including low income housing tax credits and bond financing.

There is a strong preference for candidates with significant real estate development experience, knowledge of and interest in the development of senior housing, housing for the homeless, supportive housing, and related social services, knowledge of the construction process and experience with loan underwriting and project scheduling.

Preferred skills:

Strong preference for candidates who possess:

• Knowledge of or experience working with NYC capital development sources and underwriting for affordable housing,

• Proficiency using Microsoft Office suite,

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills,

• Experience supervising staff with a range of experience levels,

• Ability to perform tasks and manage workflow with limited supervision,

• Demonstrated capacity for performing multiple tasks, analyzing complex processes, using independent judgment, and conducting difficult negotiations while maintaining a sense of humor, and

• Strong track record of working with the affordable housing industry.

Please note only candidates who are permanent, serving in the Associate Housing Development Specialist title who have passed and taken the exam, or candidates who have passed and taken the exam will be considered. Candidates in a comparable title may apply as well.

Qualifications

1.A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and three years of full-time satisfactory professional experience in the development, appraisal, financing, negotiation, or disposition of real estate, or in real estate law, or in urban planning or analytical or coordination work related to housing programs; or

2. A four year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a State's Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization and seven years of full-time satisfactory experience as described in "1" above; or

3.A satisfactory combination of education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. Graduate study in the field of urban studies, city planning, business or public administration, finance, architecture, engineering or other related fields may be substituted for up to one year of the required experience on the basis of 30 credits equaling one year of experience. Graduation from an accredited law school may be substituted for one year of the required experience. However, all candidates must have at least two years of experience as described above.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.