Housing Policy Coordinator

The employee is responsible for coordinating multiple aspects of affordable housing policy efforts involving the Housing Division of the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development under the direction of the Director of Housing.

Essential Functions:
The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.
•    Research housing issues to inform development and advancement of local and state housing policy initiatives.
•    Assist in implementing current and new housing strategies and policies.
•    Present policies, initiatives and relevant data to the Council as necessary.
•    Serve as liaison to Condominium Review Board and continue implementation of Condominium Conversion Ordinance as adopted in July 31, 2019. 
•    Prepare the annual report for the Condominium Review Board.
•    Manage approval process for organizations to qualify to serve as a City designee in instances when a tenant decides not to exercise their right of first refusal under the Condominium Conversion Ordinance, and the City decides it does wish to exercise that right through a qualified designee.
•    Interact regularly Somerville homeowners and tenants, attorneys and law firms, City Council, as well as Somerville organizations and agencies. 
•    Collaborate with colleagues in the Office of Housing Stability as well as other OSPCD divisions and other City departments to develop and implement current and new housing policy initiatives.  
•    Serve as Project Manager for relevant programmatic and/or research efforts.
•    Serve as liaison to Somerville Community Land Trust. 
•    Familiarity with virtual meeting platforms.  
•    Assist with other Housing Division work as applicable and needed.
 

Education and Experience:
Bachelor’s degree and five (5) to seven (7) years’ experience; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Master’s degree in housing, management, policy, or related field highly preferred.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skills:
Knowledge: Solid grounding in and knowledge of housing issues; familiarity with affordable housing issues especially useful.

Abilities: Ability to meet and deal with the public effectively and appropriately; ability to handle problems and emergencies effectively; ability to communicate clearly, both orally and in writing; ability to operate a computer; ability to maintain confidential information; ability to maintain, manage, and organize records; ability to work independently and set priorities

Skills: Excellent organizational skills; excellent data processing skills in the use of personal computers and office software including word processing, internet and spreadsheet applications. Multilingual skills in Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole and/or Nepali preferred.

Work Environment:
The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements.  Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant.  Employee may be required to work beyond normal business hours in response to attend evening meetings or complete work assignments.  

Physical and Mental Requirements:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions.

Physical Skills:
Few physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing.  May also be some occasional lifting of objects such as office equipment and computer paper (up to 30 lbs.)

Motor Skills:
Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a telephone, personal computer and/or most other office equipment including word processing, filing and sorting of papers. 

Visual Skills:
Visual demands require constantly reading documents for general understanding and analytical purposes.

Send your resume and cover letter to:

City Hall Personnel Office
93 Highland Avenue
Somerville MA 02143
Fax: 617-666-4426
TTY: 1-866-808-4851
Email: employment_opportunities@somervillema.gov

City of Somerville residents are especially encouraged to apply.

The City of Somerville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or any other protected category. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities free of charge, upon request.

Individuals with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication, written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures, in order to access the programs and activities of the City of Somerville or to attend meetings, should contact the City’s ADA Coordinator, Nancy Bacci, at 617-625-6600 x2250 or NBacci@somervillema.gov.