JOB
Housing Policy Director (EMS 4)At the Department of Commerce, we’re reimagining what’s possible in government. We’re builders, thinkers, and change-makers, working at the intersection of innovation, community, and impact. From unlocking critical funding to fueling inclusive economic growth, we’re turning big ideas into real-world solutions that uplift people and places.Our agency’s strength lies in the diversity of our workforce and the breadth of the lived experiences and perspectives employees bring to the work. We believe equity is not just a value but a practice, which is reflected in how we design programs, engage communities, and deliver outcomes. We foster a workplace culture where curiosity is encouraged, bold thinking is welcomed, and collaboration drives our impact.Let’s build what’s next, together.The Housing Policy Director is a senior leader, reporting to the Housing Division Assistant Director, serving on the Housing Division leadership team, and leading the policy operations of the Housing Division and the collaborative policy work across the Agency. The Housing Policy Director is the statewide expert on housing and homelessness policy, representing the agency and the agency Director in strategic meetings and high-level policy discussions with the Governor and his staff. The Housing Policy Director also negotiates and partners with other state agencies (such as Department of Transportation, Department of Social and Health Services, and State Patrol) and local governments (cities and counties) to drive innovative policy and effective programs that provide unprecedented solutions to the homelessness crisis in our state.This position is the Policy Director of the Housing Division of the Washington State Department of Commerce and the statewide expert on housing and homelessness policy. This position makes decisions and manages the internal development of polices to address housing affordability and homelessness, including changes to existing policies and resources under existing authority, and the development and pursuit of new state and federal policies and associated funding necessary to achieve stable and affordable housing for Washington residents and an effective response to unsheltered homelessness. The Housing Policy Director supports the Assistant Director and joins the Housing Division leadership team in providing strategic leadership to fulfill the agency mission of fostering resilient communities. The Housing Policy Director partners with the agency Government Affairs and Policy Director on agency-wide policy and programs, ensuring that housing and homelessness are at the top of the agenda for our agency and Director, and that our agency and programs stay aligned with the Governor’s strategic plan to reduce poverty and combat homelessness. The Housing Policy Director represents the agency and agency Director at strategic meetings and discussions with the Governor and his staff related to housing initiatives, with the purpose of driving and implementing unprecedented solutions to solve the homelessness crisis in our state. One example of a nationally unprecedented initiative is the Governor’s initiative to swiftly outreach to and transition people experiencing homelessness from the state’s rights-of-way to safer and permanent housing solutions (the initiative was funded by the 2022 Legislature; the budget is $144 million). Should this initiative be successful in safely transitioning people to permanent housing solutions, it would have a tremendous impact on the state’s housing and homeless future budgets, as well as serve as a leading model for other states that are experiencing homelessness crisis.Location: Olympia or Seattle, WA — hybrid work flexibility
EXAMPLE OF DUTIES
- Lead responsibility for communicating with Governor’s Office, legislators, stakeholders, advocates, and media regarding Commerce housing policies and programs. Lead responsibility for developing and pursing adoption of housing-related agency request legislation and budget proposals that support the Governor’s priorities, including affordable housing and homelessness strategic plans.• Responsible for leading and implementing the development of coordinated and complementary policies for all programs in the Housing Division including, but not limited to policies: 1) determining what decision packets (DP) and/or agency request legislation (ARL) are submitted to the Governor each year; 2) determining how funds are awarded; 3) governing the allowable use of funds; and 4) determining who is eligible for and prioritized to receive housing and related services.• Responsible for working closely with the Local Government Division to develop and implement land use and infrastructure policies that improve housing affordability and enable siting of necessary affordable and special needs housing.• Responsible for working with other state agencies and local governments to clearly determine responsibility for funding and managing the necessary components of an effective response to homelessness, including temporary and permanent housing, behavioral health and other supportive services, and outreach and engagement.• Responsible for the Statewide Interagency Council on Homelessness and Washington Statewide Advisory Council on Homelessness (ICH, SACH) that include collaboration with stakeholders to inform policies to end homelessness.• As the statewide expert on housing and homelessness policy, responsible for leading the development and implementation of processes to forecast the impact of potential housing program policy and resource changes on housing affordability and homelessness, and estimating the impact of potential land use regulation changes on housing affordability. Activities managed in support of forecasting including maintaining updated literature reviews on impacts of programs and policies, ensuring data collection processes in Commerce and other state agencies are providing the data needed to forecast impacts, and working with the research community to design and implement studies of program effectiveness when existing research is inadequate to support accurate forecasting.• Responsible for leading the updates of the state affordable housing and homeless housing strategic plans that quantify how proposed policy and resource changes will improve housing affordability and reduce homelessness using strategies that align with the values and priorities of the Director, Housing Division Assistant Director, Governor’s Office, local governments, people with lived experience of housing instability and homelessness, housing and services providers, and agency advisory committees. Responsible for developing multi-factor models of affordable housing and homelessness unmet needs and drivers, and deploying the models to forecast future needs and the impacts of proposed policy changes. This position is designated as the lead at the National level and by other states to share Washington’s policies and practices.• Direct responsibility for partnering with other state agencies (Department of Transportation, Department of Social and Health Services, Health Care Authority ,and State Patrol) and others and local governments (cities and counties) and managing the implementation of nationally unprecedented efforts to effectively transition people from public rights-of-way to housing, including managing the related staff and developing the policy approach.• Advise the Housing Division Assistant Director and the agency Director in the development and implementation of strategic priorities, division-wide and agency-wide initiatives, and coordination of standards and processes of program implementation and resource allocation across division programs.• Embrace the agency mission of strengthening communities and the ongoing cultivation of a healthy agency culture embodied by the values of trust, collaboration, and creativity. Lead with integrity and transparency and with a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion internally and in the delivery of agency services and programs. Coordinate with and promote our mission of strengthening communities with other key agencies and stakeholders.• Directly supervise: Legislative Lead, State Homelessness in Rights-of-Way Manager, and Administrative Support. Secondary supervision of two Rights-of-Way Regional Leads.• Serve as sponsor and leader of Housing Division process improvements to implement policy development procedures that ensure every person in the Housing Division can meaningfully participate in policy and program development, leveraging the diversity of experiences of values while building understanding of buy-in regarding policies and programs.• Lead Housing Division process improvements to ensure every program and policy development process includes people with lived experience of housing instability or homelessness, and people from historically marginalized communities. Inclusion processes must be accessible to people with a diversity of experiences and knowledge so that final policies include the informed contributions of a truly representative group of people.• Implement policy development procedures that ensure that every person in the Housing Division can meaningfully participate in policy and program development, leveraging the diversity of experiences of values while building understanding and buy-in regarding policies and programs.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Where You’ll WorkYour duty station will be Commerce Headquarters (Olympia, WA) or the Commerce Seattle Office (Seattle, WA). Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance.Your ScheduleThis position is eligible for telework and flexible schedules. A minimum of one day per week in-office is required, with additional in-person meetings/activities as needed. Schedules depend on position needs and may change.Additional InformationThis high-level leadership position may occasionally speak or act for the Director. Working extra hours in the evenings, weekends, or holidays can occur at this level.This recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies within 60 days.Technical support: NEOGOV at 8555245627 (login, password, email issues, error messages). DES job seeker support:
[email protected] screening will be based solely on application completeness and materials submitted. All information may be verified; documentation may be required.Our Commitment to Equal Opportunity The Washington State Department of Commerce is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, veterans or people with military status, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply. Persons needing accommodation in the application, testing, or interview process or this job announcement in an alternative format may email Human Resources at
[email protected]. Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call through the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388. Department of Commerce also offers a competitive benefits package including: medical and dental insurance benefits, retirement and deferred compensation plans, 11 paid holidays each year, 14-25 vacation days per year (depending on length of employment), 8 hours of sick leave per month (if full time employed), bereavement leave, an employee assistance program, as well as other benefits. Please see the Benefits Tab for more details.
