AddressSummary The incumbent serves as the Housing Development specialist for the HUD-VASH Program, located in the Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program (HCHV), within the Patient Experience Service at the Albany Stratton VA Medical Center. The HUD-VASH Program is a key component in VA's continuum of homeless services, representing VA's only means of providing permanent housing to homeless Veterans and serving a critical role in VA's Mission to End Homelessness among Veterans. Responsibilities Major Duties Include: Direct Patient Care The incumbent will develop the necessary knowledge base to serve as the HCHV's primary resource on existing and future permanent housing resources for all counties participating in the HUD-VASH program. The incumbent will work closely with the current HUD-VASH Case Managers and HCHV supervisor to become the primary assistance to Veterans entering the HUD-VASH program. The incumbent should have substantial knowledge of and experience working with the real estate market as it pertains to identifying and finding low income housing. They should be able to work independently and in a variety of settings. They may be required to attend VA and community-related homeless/housing meetings, provide program presentations and updates and build collaborative relations with area Public Housing Authorities (PHA), Veteran Service Officers (VSO) and landlords. A key responsibility of the Housing Specialist is in-community work securing permanent housing stock to ensure housing options for homeless and formerly homeless Veteran clients. Coordination of Care This requires coordination between the HUD-VASH Team and independent landlords, property management companies as well as rental associations and real estate brokerage companies, community and government agencies, and/or leadership of corporations involved with the development of affordable housing. The incumbent will assist the current HUD-VASH staff and supervisor as a liaison between the HUDVASH Program and the Public Housing Authority (PHA) responsible for the Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers Veterans receive in the HUD-VASH Program. In this liaison role, the incumbent meets frequently with PHA staff to address challenges in coordination and planning. The incumbent educates PHA's regarding VA performance measures and necessary time frames. The incumbent develops working relationships and agreements with other organizations and directly communicates with local housing authorities regarding housing authority inspection standards and paperwork. The incumbent is responsible for reviewing the agreements between Section 8 landlords, Public Housing Authorities (PHA's), and the VA to establish appropriate referral sites for placements. Perform other duties as assigned. Current, Valid Driver's License Required For Daily Community Work Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Housing Program Specialist/PD25681O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/22/2024. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: substantial knowledge of and experience working with the real estate market as it pertains to identifying and finding low income housing and coordinating between the HUD-VASH Team and independent landlords, property management companies as well as rental associations and real estate brokerage companies, community and government agencies, and/or leadership of corporations involved with the development of affordable housing. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed Master's or equivalent graduate degree OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.B. or J.D.(TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond a successfully completed post-high school education. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Listening Manages and Organizes Information Negotiation Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: See VHA Directive 5019. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
