Are you passionate about ending homelessness and housing instability? In 2024, the City of Raleigh Housing and Neighborhoods Department formed a new Homeless and Community Programs team, which is responsible for planning, implementing, and managing programs and projects to end and prevent homelessness, and supporting the Raleigh/Wake County homeless response system, including the Wake County Continuum of Care (CoC).
Our team is seeking an experienced professional committed to evidence-based best practice in addressing homelessness to join City of Raleigh as a Homeless and Community Programs Specialist. This senior-level role works alongside two other team members to serve as a project manager for contracts related to the provision of homeless services, and to support the homeless response system by participating in CoC committees, funding allocation processes, and reporting. The Homeless and Community Programs Specialist also assists with assessing the homeless response system and funded agencies’ performance and identifying gaps in the system as well as capacity-building needs of homeless services. The Homeless and Community Programs Specialist will work closely with the Housing Development, and Planning and Compliance teams. The team’s approach to work is flexible, highly collaborative, and evidence based.
Candidates interested in and experienced with homelessness systems with excellent interpersonal communication and collaboration skills, a commitment to equity, and a track record of demonstrating initiative and sound judgment are encouraged to apply.
This position will be supervised by the Homelessness and Community Programs Manager, although the ideal candidate will be self-directed and able to operate in crisis response situations with minimal supervision.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Assists with the allocation processes of federal funds targeted to addressing homeless and housing needs, including Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) and Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) funds
- Administers the City’s Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Program, which requires a working knowledge of program guidelines. Responsibilities include developing RFPs; developing contract scopes of work; managing grant contracts; and monitoring grant award subrecipients for program compliance
- Develops and disseminates Department-issued Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for programs and projects and reviews proposals for project funding as part of a team
- Drafts contracts for funded agencies, including meeting with subrecipients to discuss terms and conditions, preparing memos for City Council review, overseeing contract execution and project startup
- Monitors project implementation through review of reports and invoices, meets with homeless service providers to ensure that project is on track, identifies any potential risks to the project and/or to the City, and ensures that applicable federal and City funding requirements are being met
- Assists with reporting on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) homelessness programs
- Conducts policy research and data analysis, and recommends Housing First and other evidence-based best practices for ending and preventing homelessness
- Participates in Wake County Continuum of Care (CoC) meetings and workgroups and provides input on how the City can strategically deploy its resources to best meet community needs
- Supports the drafting and implementation of policies and procedures to improve CoC coordination and performance, including capacity building, program performance evaluation, project monitoring, and other needs as identified
- Develops and maintains strong working relationships with homeless service providers to ensure open communication, provide technical support and share regulatory and compliance updates
Typical Qualifications
Education and Experience:
Bachelor’s Degree in social work, public administration, public health, human services or directly related, and five years of experience in community development, affordable housing/homeless services, and/or related policy experience
OR
An equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above, unless otherwise subject to any other requirements set forth in law or regulation.
Additional Information
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Familiarity with evidence-based best practice in ending and preventing homelessness, as well as with Raleigh and Wake County housing resources
- Advanced collaboration and interpersonal skills with the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships, build consensus, and promote the exchange of information among team members and partners
- A track record of demonstrating initiative and sound judgment when handling ambiguity.
- Excellent proficiency with:
- Project and time management, including planning, organizing, evaluating and implementation.
- Strategic thinking and analysis
- Written and verbal communication, including public presentations
- Experience with racial equity analysis and trauma-informed care.
- Microsoft programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and Windows accessories
ADA and Other Requirements:
Positions in this class typically require: standing, walking, fingering, talking, hearing, seeing and repetitive motions.
Sedentary Work:
Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.
Working Conditions:
Work is performed in both the field and in an indoor office environment with moderate exposure to extreme temperatures and travel.
Note:
This job classification description is intended to be generic in nature. It is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The essential duties, functions, and responsibilities and Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) designation may vary based on the specific task assigned to the position.