Housing Program Assistant

• Educational Incentive for completion of an associate degree (2.5%), bachelor's degree (3.5%), OR graduate degree (5%).
• Annual Leave Redemption:  The ability to "cash in" or redeem up to 100 hours of Annual Leave per year. A candidate selected for this position will earn 208 hours per year, increasing to 288 hours after 5 years of service.
• Deferred Compensation:  401(k) Shared Savings Plan and/or Section 457 Plan, with up to a 3% match on your 401(k) contributions.
• Health Plans:   You are afforded an annual flexible credit allowance for purchasing medical, dental, and/or vision insurance from a group of authorized plans.
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Pre-tax benefit towards eligible medical, dental and vision care expenses.
• Pension Plan:  Participation in the County's defined pension plan, which has reciprocity with CalPERS.
• Bilingual Incentive:  Proficiency levels by exam are $.69 per hour (Level I), $1.00 per hour (Level II), or $1.32 per hour (Level III).
• Holidays - 12 paid days per year, which includes a scheduled floating holiday.

The Organization

The Community Development Division reports to the County Executive Officer. The Community Development Division staff members serve to advise decision makers and pursue programs and policies, primarily with grant funds, for the diverse needs of Ventura County’s residents, with a focus on lower-income and vulnerable populations. The work in this unit follows housing first policies and best practices in order to provide facilities, services, and housing for no income and low to moderate income residents through partnerships with agencies and organizations that serve these populations.

The housing team facilitates the development and preservation of affordable housing with a focus on vulnerable populations, including those experiencing homelessness or facing barriers to housing. Staff members in this unit manage an increasing number of grants from a variety of funding sources, overseeing all aspects of grants management. This team strives to support its mission to promote safe, sanitary housing for all members of society, by administering federal, state, and local housing funding on behalf of the County and multiple cities, and by pursuing innovative solutions to overcome housing challenges in one of the most expensive housing markets in the nation. Additionally, the division is responsible for development of regional planning documents, preparing reports, and ensuring compliance with cross-cutting regulatory requirements.
 
The Position
Under direction, the Housing Program Assistant is responsible for supporting the preparation, processing, and management of funding documents, ensuring compliance with financial regulations, and coordinating various tasks related to housing program reporting, budget tracking, and project monitoring.
 
The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Knowledge of federal and state funding, specifically related to housing and housing development (HOME, CDBG, LIHTC, etc.)
• Experience with grants management
• A background in affordable housing development or property management
• Strong organizational skills

The Program Assistant is a Management-represented classification and is not eligible for overtime compensation.
 
The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill present and future regular, temporary, fixed-term, intermittent, and extra-help vacancies for this position only. There is currently one (1) Regular vacancy within the County Executive Office.

• Assists with the preparation of required reports, including the Annual Action Plan and Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER).

• Enters data into HUD’s Integrated Disbursement and Information System (IDIS) for both the Annual Action Plan and CAPER.

• Reviews and processes funding draws, ensuring expense eligibility, obtaining necessary signatures, preparing Requests for Funds, creating vouchers in IDIS, and following up on payment status with the fiscal department.

• Monitors contracts for services to ensure compliance and performance standards are met.

• Processes vendor invoices, ensuring costs are eligible for payment according to program guidelines.

• Assists with the preparation of affordable housing project close-out documentation, ensuring all required paperwork is submitted and processed accurately.

• Prepares and submits reports to HUD and HCD, ensuring compliance with program requirements.

• Reviews and organizes project files, ensuring that all documentation is readily accessible and properly maintained.

• Conducts on-site monitoring of funded projects, ensuring documentation meets program and compliance standards.

• Performs other duties as assigned

These are entrance requirements to the examination process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list. 

EDUCATION, TRAINING and EXPERIENCE: Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be some administrative support experience, coupled with some experience related to housing programs. 

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENT:

• Basic skill in Word and Excel
• Excellent written communication skills must be demonstrated in the completion of the employment application and supplemental questionnaire
• Experience with grants and contract management

DESIRED:

• Knowledge of federal funding processes and regulations associated with HUD’s HOME Investment Partnerships programs and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• Knowledge of federal funding processes and regulations, particularly those associated with affordable housing and homelessness.
• Knowledge of HUD’s Integrated Disbursement and Information System (IDIS) and the procedures for entering and tracking program data within the system.
• Knowledge of grant and contract management practices, including document review, funding draws, and ensuring compliance with eligibility requirements.
• Knowledge of affordable housing development processes, including project close-out documentation and reporting requirements.
• Knowledge of project file management and organizational practices to ensure proper documentation and accessibility.
• Knowledge of budgeting and expense tracking
• Skill in organizing and managing time effectively
• Skill in paying close attention to detail
• Skill in effective communication
• Skill in using Microsoft Office Suite
• Skill in navigating and utilizing online systems, such as HUD’s IDIS, for entering and managing funding data.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Ability to manage and prioritize tasks
• Ability to analyze and interpret funding guidelines and documentation
• Ability to monitor and assess funded projects
• Ability to support the completion of close-out documentation

FINAL FILING DATE: Applications must be received by County of Ventura Human Resources in Ventura, California, no later than 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. 

To apply online, please refer to our website at www.ventura.org/jobs. If you prefer to fill out a paper application form, please call (805) 654-5129 for application materials and submit them to County of Ventura Human Resources, 800 South Victoria Avenue L-1970, Ventura, CA 93009. 

Applicants must provide sufficient information under the Education/Work experience portion of the application and supplemental questionnaire in order to determine eligibility. A resume may be attached to supplement your responses in the above-referenced sections; however, it may not be substituted in lieu of the application. 

NOTE: If presently permanently employed in another "merit" or "civil service" public agency/entity in the same or substantively similar position as is advertised, and if appointed to that position by successful performance in a "merit" or "civil service" style examination, then appointment by "Lateral Transfer" may be possible. If interested, please click here (Download PDF reader) for additional information. 

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE – qualifying: All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this examination at the time of filing. The supplemental questionnaire may be used throughout the examination process to assist in determining each applicant's qualifications and acceptability for the position. Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire may result in the application being removed from consideration. NOTE: Resumes and other attachments to the application itself will not be utilized during the application evaluation. 

APPLICATION EVALUATION – qualifying: All applications will be reviewed to determine whether or not the stated requirements are met. Those individuals meeting the stated requirements will be invited to continue through the screening and selection process. 

ORAL EXAMINATION - 100%: A job-related Oral Examination will be conducted to evaluate and compare participating candidates' knowledge, skills, and abilities in relation to those factors which job analysis has determined to be essential for successful performance of the job. Candidates must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list. 

If there are three (3) or fewer qualified applicants, an oral examination will not be conducted. Instead, a score of seventy percent (70%) will be assigned to each application, and each applicant will be placed on the eligible list. Candidates successfully completing the examination process may be placed on an eligible list for a period of one (1) year. 

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: A thorough pre-employment, post offer background investigation which may include inquiry into past employment, education, criminal background information and driving record is required for this position. 

For further information about this recruitment, please contact Michelle Antonetty by e-mail at Michelle.Antonetty@ventura.org or by telephone at (805) 477-7260. 

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: The County of Ventura is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

Salary : $73,368 - $102,726