Housing and Community Development Director

This is highly responsible administrative and managerial work directing community housing and redevelopment programs and activities. The position requires exceptional initiative, sound judgment, and accountability, as well as the ability to represent the City of Tampa professionally and advance organizational objectives in all settings.

 

An employee in this class, under administrative direction, directs, coordinates, and performs tasks of unusual difficulty and responsibility involving housing rehabilitation, affordable housing programs, strategic acquisition for real estate for housing, and negotiating the inclusion of affordable housing units in development projects. The position requires the application of considerable initiative and independent judgment in planning, directing, and supervising redevelopment and housing affordability activities citywide, including eight (8) Community Redevelopment Districts; formulating and monitoring programs and programmatic, administrative, and escrow budgets; coordinating activities with other city departments and with public and private agencies; and negotiating and implementing programs with local lending institutions. Work is reviewed through conferences, reports submitted, and results achieved.

Plan, organize, and direct the efficient operation of the City’s Housing and Community Development Division, providing oversight of all personnel, budgets, and administrative matters.

Establish clear goals, monitor performance through data and metrics, and ensure continuous improvement in operations, turnaround times, and customer service.

Align division activities with the City’s strategic vision and Mayoral priorities for housing affordability.

Ensure all division programs comply with federal and state legislation, HUD regulations, and adopted Community Redevelopment Plans for the City’s eight (8) Community Redevelopment Districts.

Oversee preparation and submission of HUD planning and reporting documents, including the Consolidated Plan, Annual Action Plan, and related performance reports (e.g., CAPER).

Develop, implement, and monitor policies and procedures for construction requirements, loan processing and underwriting, housing counseling, inspections, and other programmatic functions.

Interpret housing-program regulations, oversee preparation of grant applications, administer federal, state, and local housing programs, and negotiate sub-recipient agreements and vendor contracts.

Lead the planning and execution of affordable-housing initiatives, including owner-occupied and rental rehabilitation programs, down-payment assistance for first-time homebuyers, housing counseling, and rehabilitation services.

Analyze development proformas, negotiate housing-development deals, and coordinate with builders, developers, and lenders to expand affordable housing opportunities.

Oversee administration of specialized programs such as Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA), the City’s homeless outreach initiatives, and CRA housing activities.

Prepare and manage the division’s budget, integrating federal and state funding allocations with local priorities.

Develop and monitor performance measures for staff, programs, and Community Redevelopment Agency housing efforts.

Review, monitor, and submit federal, state, and local reports related to funding, participation, and performance; respond to internal, external, federal, and state audits.

Collaborate with external partners, including the Tampa Housing Authority, Tampa Hillsborough Homeless Initiative, nonprofit housing providers, realtors, mortgage lenders, and community organizations.

Serve on boards, task forces, and/or advisory committees as assigned, representing the City’s interests and advancing its housing and community-development goals.

Represent the City at regional, state, national, and international forums on housing and community-development issues.

Present housing and community-development updates to City Council and participate in Senior Staff meetings; support cross-departmental coordination on housing initiatives.

Direct the preparation of marketing materials and outreach strategies for housing programs.

Recruit, assign, develop, evaluate, and coach professional, paraprofessional, and clerical staff to foster high performance and accountability.

Guide staff in implementing best practices and ensure alignment with the City’s mission and objectives.

Provide strategic advice to executive leadership on complex or sensitive matters, consulting before finalizing high-impact decisions.

Perform related work as required.

Extensive knowledge of: Federal and state housing program regulations, as well as the principles and practices of urban development and housing management; community redevelopment and housing programs, including public-financing principles, loan-processing procedures, and construction-contract practices; state housing finance programs and incentives, including 4% State Apartment Incentive Loan (SAIL) and 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) programs, and their application in affordable-housing development; current federal, state, and local housing redevelopment rules and regulations; modern management principles and procedures; real-estate practices, procedures, and laws; public and private agencies providing social, economic, and housing-related assistance.

Comprehensive knowledge of: Housing, building, and energy codes; procedures used in title search, property description, and property assessment; federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations governing housing and community-development programs, including SHIP, HOME, HOPWA, NSP, CDBG, CRA housing programs, and related financial-software systems.

Ability to: Provide strategic direction and effective leadership for all housing and redevelopment operations, ensuring alignment with City priorities; analyze development proformas, assess project feasibility, and negotiate terms for housing-development deals to advance affordable-housing goals; create, implement, and evaluate initiatives supporting federal, state, and local housing and economic-development programs; plan, assign, empower, and coordinate the work of professional, paraprofessional, and clerical staff to achieve high performance; exercise sound judgment on sensitive or high-impact matters, consulting with executive leadership as appropriate before final decisions; demonstrate initiative, accountability, and professionalism in all interactions, representing the City of Tampa effectively at meetings, conferences, and public events; write and speak clearly and succinctly in varied communication settings; build and maintain cooperative relationships with City officials, staff, financial institutions, nonprofit partners, and the public; set clear objectives and measures, and monitor progress and results; interpret and apply statutes, rules, and regulations relevant to redevelopment and housing programs.

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree in urban planning, public or business administration, real estate, economics, or related area and five (5) years of experience relating to land acquisitions, housing rehabilitation, loan processing and contract administration, including three (3) years of supervisory experience.

Possession of a valid drivers' license required.

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