Director of Housing and Community Development

Company Description

THE CITY:

The City of Newton is a wonderful place to live and work. Newton has safe and attractive neighborhoods, an excellent public school system, an active community life, multiple transportation systems, proximity to Boston and a well-managed and financially strong City government. The City of Newton has a population of approximately 88,900, with 32,600 housing units and occupies a land area of 18.3 square miles. Newton is principally suburban-residential in character. Unlike many other communities that are established around a single Main Street or downtown, Newton is comprised of thirteen distinctive villages. Newton has a diversified economic base with approximately 4,700 establishments employing approximately 79,500 people. Newton is special in many ways. It is home to a variety of private secondary and post-secondary schools including a portion of Boston College, Lasell University, William James College, Hebrew College, and the UMass Amherst – Mount Ida Campus. The longest stretch of the Boston Marathon runs through the City, including the well-known Heartbreak Hill. Newton-Wellesley Hospital, part of the Mass General Brigham health care system, serves as an important partner to the City. In September 2018, Newton was again ranked #1 in Massachusetts as the best place to live and #12 in the U.S.

OUR GOVERNMENT:

Newton has what is known as a “strong Mayor” form of government with the Mayor having the executive and administrative powers of the City. The legislative branch is comprised of 24 City Councilors. Mayor Ruthanne Fuller was sworn in on January 1, 2018 after serving on the City Council. She ran on a platform of providing Newton’s children with a top-notch education in an inclusive environment where empty nesters, seniors, young families, and people of diverse incomes can live together in vibrant villages and neighborhoods. Mayor Fuller is committed to keeping Newton safe, improving the city’s infrastructure, addressing climate change, providing excellent and responsive city services, and fostering art, culture and community life. The first female Mayor of Newton, she is a tireless advocate for all the city’s residents and is committed to making sure the city is welcoming, inclusive and diverse. The City of Newton was evaluated by Moody’s Investors Services in February 2020 and assigned its highest rating of AAA. Newton was thus well-positioned to weather the pandemic and economic downturn.

AS AN EMPLOYER:

The City of Newton believes that its employees are its greatest asset. To that end, we are committed to supporting our employees by providing competitive wages and growth, a comprehensive benefits package which includes a defined municipal pension plan, quality health and dental insurance plans, generous paid leave benefits, paid holidays, and access to supplemental benefits such as deferred compensation, short term disability plans, flexible spending accounts, and other employee benefits. We also provide access to an Employee Assistance Program and access to employee training and professional development opportunities. We continuously work to review and expand upon our benefit offerings. We encourage you to visit our Human Resources Department website to learn more about our organization and benefits which are available to our employees. And as always, you are encouraged to reach out to our dynamic HR Team by emailing hr@newtonma.gov.

Human Resources Diversity Statement

We recognize our workforce is a source of strength that is vital to our ability to effectively serve the City of Newton’s diverse community. We will:

• Actively recruit, develop, and retain a diverse and talented workforce.
• Proactively address discrimination through education and in partnership with other departments and leaders.
• Serve as a role model to celebrate and nurture diversity.
• Foster inclusion by staying curious and clarifying assumptions.
• Evaluate and develop policies and practices that reflect the diverse nature of our workforce.
• Build and strengthen accountability at all levels to support diversity efforts.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• 457 Deferred Compensation plans
• Metro Credit Union
• Verizon Wireless discount
• Employee Assistance Program
• Generous paid leave time benefits and paid holidays.
• City Retirement (Mandatory)
• Direct Deposit
• Opportunity to serve the public and join a dynamic team of dedicated employees

Job Description

The Director of Housing and Community Development is responsible for oversight and administration of all federal funds received by the City of Newton for Housing and Urban Development, as well as management of the staff of the Housing and Community Development Division of the Department of Planning and Development. The Director must be able to assess the available resources, both in staffing and funding, and develop programs and assign responsibilities within the department in a way that leverages all resources to create the optimal outcomes to benefit the community at large. Annual resources from HUD include approximately $3.6 million in CDBG, HOME and ESG funds The Director must ensure all projects and programs are implemented in a timely manner and in compliance with HUD requirements and all other applicable laws.

Essential Functions:

(The essential functions or duties listed are intended only as illustrations of the various types 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.)

In carrying out this mission, the Director is responsible for the general management and outcomes related to the following programs in the division:

• CDBG, ESG, and HOME Consortium funds, with current annual allocation of $3.6 million, including updating and implementation of administrative policies and procedures, budgeting and program accounting, loan collection and accounting, and project planning, implementation, and monitoring
• WestMetro HOME Consortium 13 communities for which the City currently receives and administers $1.7 million. The Director acts as Chair of the Consortium.
• Provide management and direction towards implementation of affordable housing projects including development of units targeted towards chronically homeless.
• HUD Reports, oversees creation of the Five-year Consolidated Plan, Annual Action Plan, Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report, and the Analysis for Impediments to Fair Housing Choice
• Annual budget for Housing and Community Development Division staff and programs for presentation to the Planning and Development Board, including assistance with preparation of annual Department budget for presentation to City Council.
• Finances and accounting, working with the Fiscal Manager and Grant Compliance & Accounting Coordinator to oversee accounting for the expenditure of funds, which includes weekly payments for eligibility and drawdowns from IDIS for program expenditures; monthly and quarterly reconciliations between the City’s MUNIS finance system to the IDIS system on a weekly and quarterly basis.
• Newton Community Development Authority, Acting as Secretary to this independent urban renewal and redevelopment authority under MGL Ch. 121B; approving and signing mortgage discharges, partial releases, subordination agreements, and UCC terminations for housing rehabilitation and economic development loan programs on behalf of the NCDA
• Grants administration, including grants to support housing and community development activities in the City, contract approvals, grant agreements, mortgages, notes, purchase orders, and payments for all administered grant programs.
• Technical Assistance to sub-grantees and City as a whole.

Secondary Elements

• Work with other City staff to plan and implement projects, as well as compile and analyze data.
• Attend and participate in Department and other meetings and special events, and serve on assigned committees, task forces, as appropriate to achieve goals.
• Stay abreast of housing and community development field.
• Develop recommendations to City Council on zoning matters related to affordable housing.
• Perform other duties as required or directed.
• Attend and participate in Department and other meetings and special events.

Minimum Entrance Qualifications:

(To perform successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions.)

Education, Training and Experience: This leadership position for the Division which oversees expenditure of the City’s federal funds requires knowledge of CDBG, HOME, and ESG programs, laws, and operations, and requires good interpersonal skills, the ability to motivate and lead others, and communicate well both orally and in writing. master’s degree in planning, public administration, housing administration, community development or related field preferred and a minimum of 8 years’ experience in housing, community development and/or planning, with at least 3 years in a supervisory or management capacity, including 3 years’ experience with Community Development Block Grant and HOME or other federal housing or community development grants. Competence with personal computers, including Microsoft Office is mandatory. Experience with HUD’s IDIS system is preferred. A strong commitment to public service is required.

Physical requirements/work environment

(The physical demands described here represent those requirements 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 essential functions.)

Work is performed under typical office conditions; the noise level is quiet to moderate at most times. Essential functions are regularly performed without exposure to adverse environmental conditions.

Operates computers, printers, facsimile machine, copier, calculator, telephone, and standard office equipment.

Has frequent contact with other City departments, current employees, and vendors/service providers.

Has access to all department-level confidential information, which requires the application of appropriate judgment, discretion, and professional office protocols.

Errors in judgment or omissions could result in considerable confusion and delay, have a continuing adverse effect on the department’s ability to deliver services, be costly to correct and cause significant adverse public relations.

Tasks require the ability to exert light physical effort in sedentary to light work, which may involve some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials of light weight (5 - 10 pounds). Tasks may involve extended periods of time at a keyboard or workstation. Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate sounds and visual cues or signals. Some tasks require the ability to communicate orally. Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or control the actions of equipment, machinery, tools, and/or materials used in performing essential functions.

Performance Standard

Employees at all levels are expected to effectively work together to meet the needs of the community and the City through work behaviors demonstrating the City’s values. Employees are also expected to lead by example and demonstrate the highest level of ethics.

(This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the job change.)