Housing Court Specialist

APPLICANTS MUST BE PERMANENT IN THE ASSOCIATE BENEFITS OPPORTUNITY SPECIALIST CIVIL SERVICE TITLE

The Homelessness Prevention Administration (HPA) works to keep New Yorkers in their homes. HPA works with the Department of Homeless Services (DHS), the NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA) and many other organizations and City agencies to assist families and individuals in need in obtaining and maintaining stable, affordable housing.

HPA / HHSI Rental Assistance Unit (RAU) assists in the prevention of homelessness and provides grants under certain conditions to New Yorkers facing housing emergencies, to prevent evictions. Payments are generally made for rent arrears or new apartment expenses and may also be made for mortgage and property tax arrears. RAU may also authorize other expenses related to the emergency, such as moving costs. RAU’s overall goals are to prevent evictions, and to help applicants/participants remain in their homes.

HPA/ Rental Assistance / Housing Court Unit (HCU) is recruiting for two (2) Associate Job Specialist 02 to function as a Housing Court Specialist, who will:

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Review and authorize contracted Advocates, and Legal provider’s requests for payment of
  
  

services provided for representing participants facing eviction for non-payment of rent (to

include clients/tenants in receipt of FHEPS, CityFHEPS) related matters; review and assess

requests for emergency rental assistance received from Benefit Access Centers (BAC).

• Review the legal provider’s submission and authorize payment of arrears (rent, mortgage,
  
  

taxes) conduct interviews with family heads to determine the need for emergency rent deposits

and verify the information utilizing various databases.

• Work closely with attorneys representing both landlords and tenants, as well as with Housing
  
  

Court judges, to facilitate, expedite, and negotiate the best course of action to prevent

evictions; and consult with HRA Office of Legal Affairs.

• Process requests for authorization of payment of rent arrears to prevent participant’s eviction
  
  

as well as intervene in emergency cases to prevent evictions.

• Maintain chronological logs of activities in order to record case disposition.
• Complete reports
  
  

Hours: 9am-5pm

Work Location: 111 Centre Street New York, NY 10013

ASSOCIATE JOB OPPORTUNITY SPEC - 52316

Minimum Qualifications

• A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent, and three years of full-time satisfactory experience working directly in social/human services or a related setting, providing either
• client services; or
• employment planning or counseling services which involve job development, skills assessment, and employment placement or other economic opportunity programming; or
• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college plus eighteen months of full-time satisfactory experience working as a Job Opportunity Specialist/Benefits Opportunity Specialist; or
• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college; plus, eighteen months of full-time satisfactory experience as described in one (1) above; or
• College credit from an accredited college may be substituted for this experience on the basis of 60 semester credits for 9 months of the work experience described above. However, all candidates must have 18 months of full-time satisfactory experience working as a Job Opportunity Specialist/Benefits Opportunity Specialist or performing social/human services work as described in one (1) above.
  
  

Preferred Skills

• Working knowledge of WMS, POS, HRA Viewer. - Good written and verbal communication skills.
  
  

55a Program

This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/

Residency Requirement

New York City Residency is not required for this position

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.