PUBLIC HOUSING REVITALIZATION SPECIALIST
TROUBLED AGENCY RECOVERY
CENTER
OFFICE OF PUBLIC HOUSING
GS-1101-13
INTRODUCTION:
The Public Housing Revitalization Specialist [PHRS] is located in the Troubled Agency Recovery Center [TARC] on in the HUB Field office, directly reporting to the Director, TARC or subordinate supervisor as assigned. The incumbent develops and implements intervention strategy designed to bring troubled PHAs to a passing score within one year of designation. The incumbent provides comprehensive technical assistance and advice. The incumbent serves as an internal consultant within the TARC, and to other HUD HUB Field Offices, Program Centers, Management Centers and Headquarters program offices on complex technical problems involving PIH activities and projects associated with Public Housing Agencies (PHA) designated as troubled. The incumbent of this position serves as one of the principal experts on HUD issues and procedures for public housing programs managed by designated troubled PHAs. In addition, the incumbent may be utilized to assist Headquarters in the implementation of national policies and procedures or serve on Headquarters established task forces as necessary.
DUTIES
AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
1.
Identifies
problems and causes of problems at housing agencies designated as troubled.
Develops and implements an intervention strategy to deal with the problems
identified.
2.
Participates
in or oversees the provision of technical assistance to the targeted PHA, in
conjunction with HUB Field Office staff, other Management Center staff and
Headquarters as necessary to improve PHA performance. The incumbent provides
proactive services, ie., preventing or mitigating problems by providing
appropriate technical assistance, alternatives and solutions after an in depth
analysis of the situation.
3.
Coordinates
and effects solutions for problems at the targeted PHA by communicating across
program lines in PIH and by involving appropriate Headquarters, other
Management Center staff and HUB Field Office or Program Center staff as
necessary to implement appropriate strategies of improvement. The incumbent
coordinates the review and approval of documents submitted in conjunction with
the various solutions proposed by the TARC. Forwards to Headquarters recommendations
of regulatory changes or modifications necessary to improve PHA performance.
4.
Ensures
the creation of problem solving partnerships, by identifying and developing a
network of relationships with public interest groups, State and local
officials, resident organizations, and representatives of the private sector,
such as non-profit organizations and foundations to solve the problem of
non-performing and non-complying PHAs.
5.
Ensures
that the TARC acts as an agent to change unacceptable performance of the
targeted PHA by assuring that performance and compliance deficiencies are
identified and documented; strategies are developed to address these; and other
resources are targeted to resolve problems and improve performance as
appropriate.
6.
Ensures
the efficient deployment of limited HUD resources and funding by conducting or
participating in long and short term planning exercises and evaluations of PHA
operations conducted by the Assessment Center. Oversees other TARC staff, HUB
field office TARC staff, Management Center staff or Headquarters staff involved
in the correction of deficiencies and enhancement of PHA capacity, involving
appropriate HUD Field Office or Program Center staff as necessary.
7.
Coordinates
provision of technical assistance to the PHA’s and HUB Field Office’s or
Program Centers staff enhancing abilities to implement, review and monitor the
overall management of the Section 8 program operations, if applicable.
8.
Participates
in or oversees provision of assistance to the targeted PHA regarding the
development and monitoring of Memoranda of Agreements. This includes
participating on the MOA team, reviewing draft MOAs, reviewing progress on MOA
attainment, reporting results and progress.
9.
Reviews
progress of Troubled PHAs against established targets to ensure that targets
are being met.
10.
Initiates,
convenes, and chairs meetings, workshops, seminars, and conferences, when
necessary.
11.
Utilizes
available computer equipment and data systems to maintain current data, track
performance trends and compliance issues, and generate appropriate work
products.
12.
Works
with Enforcement Center attorneys to prepare necessary documentation for the
referral of troubled PHAs to judicial receivership in the event that a PHA
cannot be removed from troubled status after one year.
A mastery of the concepts, principles, and methods associated HUD oversight of rules and regulations, statutes, and other controlling documents pertaining to all programs administered by PHAs. Skill in analyzing and administering PHA operations.
Expert skill in applying problem-solving and analytical techniques to program deficiencies identified by the Assessment Center.
In-depth knowledge of trends in pertinent PIH programs in order to develop realistic intervention strategies and to provide management and staff in the HUB field offices, Program enters or other Management Centers with information upon which to develop solutions to any significant downward performance trends developing at non-troubled PHAs.
Assignments are given in general terms via TARC goals and objectives or as identified through the Assessment Center. The incumbent is independently responsible for planning and carrying out assignments by determining, after identifying problem areas, what an appropriate intervention strategy is and what resources will be needed to implement the strategy. The
Incumbent
is expected to provide expert advisory assistance and exercise judgment in
negotiating actions required by the troubled PHA to address identified
deficiencies and problems. The incumbent is expected to develop, in conjunction
with the PHA, a realistic, achievable timetable and a means of tracking
performance against established objectives within the agreed upon times.
The incumbent provides authoritative
recommendations and decisions on various Public Housing programs and issues,
involving social, economic and political factors, such as in using targeted
interventions for deficient PHAs or proposing action against a non-compliant
PHA. The incumbent also makes recommendations on changes for the targeted PHA’s
performance to the TARC Director or subordinate supervisor for short and long
range goals, objectives, resources, and schedules to meet changes in programs,
funding, and legislation.
Work is reviewed for consistent
interpretation of legal precedents, equitable treatment of PHAs, impact on HUD
policy and effectiveness in removing PHA designation as troubled at the end of
one year. The incumbent’s judgment is accepted as technically sound.
Guidelines include legislative statutes, Departmental regulations, and HUD-PHA contractual agreements. The nature of the work involved is complex and sensitive. May develop new guidelines where none exist.
Precedent may be lacking, requiring the PHRS to use experience and judgment in developing new and unique methods or techniques to solve complex problems based upon a thorough understanding of legislative intent and Departmental policies.
The work involves performing complex reviews and analysis of troubled PHAs, identifying operational and programmatic deficiencies and negotiating MOAs with PHAs. The incumbent must make decisions regarding needed action for management improvement, correction of deficiencies, efficient management and economy of operations based on experienced judgment to resolve problems. The incumbent must be able to analyze performance against agreed upon objectives and time frames and take appropriate action when it becomes apparent the PHA will not be able to achieve the agreed upon performance target in the established timeframe. The duties include identifying and defining problems relating to factors such as local housing market trends, conditions, laws or pending legislation, and numerous other elements related to technological developments which would impact the clientele base.
The incumbent must be able to recognize the relationship of all public housing programs to the community at large in order to avoid problems when developing solutions or resolving identified problems.
Factor 5, Scope and Effect
The work involves developing and implementing an intervention strategy for PHAs designated as troubled; negotiating with upper level PHA management, Boards of Commissioners, and/or local elected officials to agree upon actions to be taken to resolve management and operation deficiencies, the timeframe for the actions to be achieved and resources which will be committed to the PHA. The work may also affect the eligibility of officials to exercise authority throughout a sizable PHA organization. The work aids the policy making activity of the PIH program in the development of regulatory, procedural and similar guidance for use by subordinate organizational levels. Work also involves working with other HUD specialists or generalists in the HUB Field Office, Program Center or other Management Centers on issues or problems related to the Low Rent Public Housing and Section 8 programs.
Contacts are with Members of Congress,
elected officials such as Mayors or County Executives, PHA directors, HUD
Headquarters, and staff from other Management Centers, HUD Field Offices and
Program Centers.
The purpose of the contacts is to exchange information, clarify questions related to programmatic or Department policies, resolve long-standing problems associated with troubled housing authorities or with distressed properties. The incumbent may encounter severe opposition to proposals, but must negotiate an intervention strategy and implement that strategy. Contacts are also made to assure that the PHA’s performance objectives are met and legal, regulatory and policy directives are adhered to.
The work is usually sedentary; however, the work will require extended work days while on travel in order to conduct night and weekend meetings with residents and local officials as research, analysis and report writing in the evenings. Incumbent will also travel by public conveyance outside normal work hours and on weekends, placing additional physical demands on the employee.
On-site inspections to identify deficiencies at assigned Troubled Housing Authorities, will require travel, walking the site and any other special demands associated with the risks occurring in a Troubled PHA environment.
Assignments regularly require visits to
troubled housing authorities or distressed properties, some of which have
extremely high crime rates and have major physical deficiencies. Protective
clothing and gear and observance of safety precautions are required. Incumbent
may be required to work for an extended period of time (weeks or months) at a
location other than their official duty station.