JOB
Who can Apply
This opportunity is only open to residents of the State of Colorado.
About the Colorado Department of Local Affairs
The Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) serves as the primary interface between the State and local communities. The Department provides financial support to local communities and professional and technical services (including training and technical assistance) to community leaders in the areas of governance, housing, and property tax administration. While all state governments provide such services through various Departmental structures, Colorado’s approach is unique in that these local community services are gathered into one Department of “Local Affairs,” which has a central focus on strengthening Colorado communities and enhancing livability.
Vision
The Department of Local Affairs is responsible for strengthening Colorado's local communities through: accessible, affordable, and secure housing; implementing property tax law; capacity building; strategic training, research, and technical assistance; and funding to localities.
Mission
Our mission is to help strengthen Colorado’s communities.
Why work for the Colorado Department of Local Affairs?
The work we do matters greatly. It matters to us and it matters to the citizens of the great state of Colorado. We love our communities and are passionate about supporting our communities. We value the diversity that Colorado offers. If your goal is to build a career that makes a difference in communities across the State, consider joining the dedicated people of the Department of Local Affairs.
In addition, we offer a great location and great benefits, which include:
Medical and Dental Plans
Strong, secure, yet flexible Retirement Plans including PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan plus pre-tax and ROTH 401K, and 457 plans
Employee Wellness Programs
Paid Life Insurance
11 paid Holidays per year plus Vacation and Sick Leave
Short and Long-Term Disability Coverage
RTD Eco Pass to all eligible State Employees
Flexible work schedule options and hybrid work options
Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
Training opportunities
Variety of Free discounts on services and products available through the State of Colorado's Work-Life Employment Discount Program
Please see the Benefits Overview video for details on the benefits offered to employees.
The eligible list created from this recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies in the work unit.
EXAMPLE OF DUTIES
The Office of Rental Assistance (ORA) creates and maintains affordable housing options by partnering with local service providers and private owners to serve historically underserved populations. We support very low-income individuals navigating complex life transitions, including persons with disabilities, veterans, youth aging out of foster care, and survivors of domestic violence and exploitation.
Our mission is to ensure these individuals can live safely and independently within their own communities. To achieve this, we provide a comprehensive range of support, from rental subsidies and technical assistance to the oversight of home accessibility modification programs and residential setting inspections. By addressing both financial and physical barriers, we empower our clients to transition out of or avoid institutional settings and remain in their homes with dignity. The Voucher Program Unit manages the strategic oversight of rental subsidies by providing a dedicated single point of contact (SPOC) for our network of partner agencies. The unit ensures these external partners maintain high standards of compliance through consistent performance monitoring and technical guidance.
Division of Housing by independently managing a portfolio of DOH contracts which include agencies that administer the following rental assistance programs: the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program, the State Housing Voucher (SHV) Programs (including the Homeless Solutions Program and the Community Access Team Voucher Program), and the Continuum of Care Permanent Supportive Housing (CoC PSH) Program.
This position provides programmatic and technical guidance to DOH contractors and acts as the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for their portfolio which requires an understanding of the nuances between each of these programs and the ability to apply different regulations and processes based on the assigned program to facilitate successful program administration.
This position communicates with a highly diverse public clientele, department staff, staff from other agencies and others. This position must be able to determine priorities and meet deadlines that could have adverse effects on program participants, staff, and stakeholders if not met. The professional judgment required to carry out the responsibilities of this position has the potential to affect the housing of vulnerable individuals and families across the State of Colorado. Competing priorities must be dealt with on a daily basis, and professionalism must be exhibited at all times.
The primary duties and responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to:
Program Management, Technical Assistance, and Regulatory Compliance
Manages a caseload of approximately 8-12 Colorado Division of Housing (DOH) contractors who are responsible for the administration of approximately 800 - 1,000 voucher participants across the State. Provides first-line programmatic support, technical guidance, and state level oversight of assigned DOH contractors, private sector landlords, and program participants by applying federal, state, and agency program regulations, including 24 CFR 982, to ensure accurate housing assistance payments are made and that DOH Rental Assistance Programs are being correctly and uniformly administered. Maintains an understanding of the programmatic nuances of administering multiple programs with different regulations and funding sources.
Identifies and corrects programmatic errors through in-depth review of case file paperwork and data entry submitted by DOH contractors for each payment action processed in the Emphasys Elite database. Tracks voucher turnover and waiting list status for DOH contractors and ensures all available vouchers are issued to maximize budget utilization. Completes all reasonable accommodation approvals or denials within a firm deadline to avoid a fair housing violation. Facilitates and mediates the resolution of landlord/tenant disputes and evictions when necessary to assist participants in maintaining housing assistance. Reviews and completes contractor requests for participant terminations.
Utilizes the CORE accounting system to ensure accurate program data information is maintained and payments to landlords and DOH contractors are received timely. Uses problem solving based in experience to answer complex questions/inquiries regarding program processes and regulations from DOH contractors, landlords, and participants receiving rental assistance.
Monitoring, Enforcement, and Training
Ensures DOH contractors are administering the Rental Assistance Programs in accordance with federal, state, and agency regulations through daily, monthly, and annual program monitoring. Meets weekly with contractors to advise and counsel to solve compliance irregularities and to address specific concerns related to portfolio. Conducts annual on-site monitoring of program administration at each contractor agency in the assigned portfolio. Enforces program regulations by conducting reviews of participant files to assess local service provider compliance. Completes annual file audits of 5% of all portfolio participants to determine eligibility, income and rent calculation, and required forms are being completed correctly and following program requirements.
Analyzes contractor agency performance levels, identifies programmatic and quality assurance concerns, and tailors a multi-tiered training plan specific to the needs of the contractor agency to bring them into compliance. Determines if it is necessary to issue warnings of contract violations and program compliance to the agency Executive Director and suggest termination of contracts as appropriate. Independently determines and implements appropriate corrective action or measures to ensure compliance.
Executes DOH's onboarding process with all new contractor agency staff in portfolio. Develops, prepares, and presents training material to contractor agency staff. Designs and presents at least one monthly DOH webinar covering a general topic of interest.
Special Program Administration
Serves as a specialized resource and programmatic champion for an assigned special project or program. Collaborates with department staff, contractor agencies, and external stakeholders to independently coordinate, evaluate, and execute key agency priorities on a rotational or as-needed basis.
Specific assignments are managed on a rotational or as-needed basis and could encompass one or more of the following core areas:
Voucher Program Subject Matter Expertise:
Elite Reasonable Accommodation Process Oversight:
Specialized Housing Programs:
Coordinates the day-to-day administration and compliance of specialized programs, including the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program, Project-Based Vouchers (PBVs), and the Homeownership Program.
Landlord Engagement and Portal Management:
Handles landlord recruitment and retention strategies, manages and reconciles the DOH Landlord Portal and associated websites, coordinates the publication of the DOH Landlord Newsletter, and designs/presents landlord-specific educational webinars.
Data Integrity, Compliance, and Systems Training:
Reviews data specific assignments are managed on a rotational or as-needed basis and could encompass one or more of the following core areas: a quality tracking for Elite, PIC, and SEMAP metrics, leads database clean-up projects, and provides training on the Emphasys-Elite system.
Programmatic Financial Integrity:
Training Coordination:
Acts as the regional Training Coordinator by building, scheduling, and delivering monthly technical webinars and training courses for contractor agency staff.
Agency Stabilization and Rapid Response ("Special Team"):
Deploys as part of an internal "special team" to provide temporary, direct voucher administration and backup coverage to partner agencies facing staffing shortage, compliance issues, or contract termination.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
The State of Colorado strives to create a Colorado for All by building and maintaining workplaces that value and respect all Coloradans through a commitment to equal opportunity and hiring based on merit and fitness. The State is resolute in non-discriminatory practices in everything we do, including hiring, employment, and advancement opportunities.
DOLA is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist
individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including
completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to Melissa Bellew, DOLA ADA Coordinator at
[email protected].
Email Address: All correspondence regarding your status in the selection/examination process will be conducted via email. Include a working email address on your application; one that is checked often as time sensitive correspondence such as exam information or notification will take place via email. Please set up your e-mail to accept messages from "state.co.us" and "
[email protected]" addresses. It is your responsibility to ensure that your email will accept these notices and/or review your junk mail and spam filtered email.
Biweekly Pay: As of July 1, 2023, all DOLA new hires, including transfers of current state employees and reinstatements of former state employees, will be placed on the biweekly pay schedule. This means you will be paid every other Friday for a total of 26 pay periods over the course of a year. Biweekly pay is also lag pay, meaning you will be paid two weeks after the end of each pay period. Please click here for more information about the move to biweekly payroll.
Technical Assistance: If you experience technical difficulty with the NEOGOV system (e.g. uploading or attaching documents to your online application) please contact NEOGOV technical support at 855-524-5627 Mon-Fri between 6 am and 6 pm (Pacific Time). Helpful hints: if you are having difficulty uploading or attaching documents to your application first, ensure your documents are PDF or Microsoft Word files, and second, close the document before you attempt to upload (attach) it.
Appeal Rights: An applicant who has been removed from an employment list or removed from consideration during the selection process may request a review by the State Personnel Director. As an applicant directly affected by the results of the selection or comparative analysis process, you may file a written appeal with the State Personnel Director.
Review of the completed, signed and submitted appeal will be timely on the basis of written material submitted by you, using the official appeal form signed by you or your representative. This form must be completed and delivered to the State Personnel Board by email at
[email protected] within ten (10) calendar days from your receipt of notice or acknowledgment of the Department’s action. For further information on the Board Rules, you can refer to 4 Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1, State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, Chapter 8, Resolution of Appeals and Disputes, at spb.colorado.gov/board-rules.
For questions related to this job posting, please reach out to Danielle Milone via email at
[email protected].
