Community Development Specialist

ABOUT HOUSING INITIATIVE PARTNERSHIP:

Housing Initiative Partnership develops innovative, affordable housing, revitalizes neighborhoods, and equips people to achieve their housing and financial goals. Our vision is that every person lives in high-quality, affordable housing in a thriving community. HIP has developed 110 single-family for-sale houses and has constructed more than 500 units of award-winning rental housing for persons earning low- and moderate incomes. Our housing counseling team provides a broad scope of services ranging from eviction prevention to homebuyer education and serves, on average, 2,000 clients annually. HIP maintains offices in Hyattsville in Prince George’s County and Germantown and Gaithersburg in Montgomery County, Maryland.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Community Development Specialist’s primary responsibility will be as the first point of contact for homeowners seeking below-market home repair loans from the Prince George’s County Housing Rehabilitation Assistance Program (HRAP). In this client-facing role, the Community Development Specialist will market the program, contact potential applicants, assist in document preparation and application completion, pre-qualify applicants for the program, and maintain application files. This position also conducts outreach activities as needed to support other community revitalization initiatives.

In addition, this position will be a member of HIP’s Housing Development Team and will support the acquisition, renovation/new construction, and sales/lease-up of HIP’s single-family developments.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

•           Understands and effectively communicates program terms, processes, and procedures.

•           Markets program and solicits loan applications from potential applicants

• Receives and calls potential applicants, supporting them through the intake process, which may include diligent follow-through and assistance in obtaining and organizing paperwork.

•           Executes preliminary income certifications and program eligibility screening.

•           Coordinates 3rd party vendors and government agencies as needed to obtain loan approval.

•           Works with the Program Manager to meet stated loan disbursement deadlines in accordance with grant requirements.

•           Maintains project files in accordance with the program record retention policy.

•           Maintains or develops an understanding of affordable housing trends and the Federal, State, and County laws that govern them.

•           Other duties and special projects as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE & SKILL REQUIRED:

• Bachelor’s Degree plus two (2) years experience in residential real estate development, sales, or an administrative capacity preferred.

•           Passion for HIP’s Mission and Values.

•         Fluency in Spanish is preferred.

•           Ability to work with diverse clients and partners while building strong professional relationships.

•           Applies strategic thinking for the role; anticipates and/or identifies problems and opportunities

•           Excellent written and oral communication skills.

•         Strong attention to detail and advanced problem-solving skills.

•          Self-starter and deadline-driven.

•         Professional, well organized and able to handle various duties simultaneously.

•           Positive attitude and excellent customer service skills.

•           Experience in real estate development a plus

•           Proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite.