Housing Specialist

Salem Housing Authority Housing Specialist

This is a Salem Housing Authority position, which is a separate employer from the City of Salem.

Make an impact:

Do you have experience in housing programs and processes? Are you a dedicated professional who is efficient, detail-oriented, and passionate about making a difference in your community?

Our Housing Specialists play a vital role in serving more than 350 low-income households receiving rental assistance through the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys working with a diverse population in a fast-paced, mission-driven housing agency committed to serving the community.

Learn and grow:

The Housing Authority values its employees and supports their professional growth and career development. We take pride in promoting a healthy work-life balance and are committed to fostering an environment where employees can collaborate with diverse individuals, explore innovative ideas, and continue expanding their skills and capabilities.

What you will do:

The successful candidate will be detail-oriented and proficient in computer applications. This individual will work closely with clients to complete initial, interim, and annual certifications of household income and composition. The Housing Specialist prepares client files, serves as a liaison to landlords, authorizes Housing Assistance Payments, and explains program rules, regulations, policies, and procedures. Responsibilities also include managing a caseload, determining program eligibility and rent subsidies, and ensuring all files comply with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations.

Additional information on job responsibilities:

• Ability to process, review, and proofread documents accurately and efficiently.
• Experience working with federally assisted housing programs.
• Experience in rental property management.
• Strong landlord/tenant relations, counseling, and mediation skills, particularly when working with low-income families and elderly populations.
• Ability to effectively manage an assigned caseload.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Ability to interpret and clearly explain program processes, policies, and procedures.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment and sound decision-making skills.
• Ability to calculate client income and compare it to program income limits to determine eligibility for assistance.
• Ability to determine client eligibility and the appropriate level of assistance while ensuring compliance with program rules and regulations.
• Ability to type a minimum of 40 words per minute.

What can we offer you for all your hard work?

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your family.
• Paid vacation and sick time in accordance with City policies.
• Competitive pay.
• Employer-paid PERS contribution of 6%.
• Opportunity for voluntary pre-tax contributions to a 457b account.
• Health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts.
• Voluntary long-term care.
• Employee wellness program.
• Employee assistance program.
• Work Schedule is Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:30a.m. to 4:30p.m.
• Our team employees work from the office at 360 Church ST SE, Salem. This is subject to change based on business needs.
• SHA offers a comprehensive and equitable base salary within the listed range based on your experience, skills, and education. We encourage you to clearly describe how you meet the minimum qualifications and essential attributes in your application materials. Learn more about Equal Pay.

What are the minimum qualifications?

• Must pass the pre-employment background check.
• Depending on area of assignment, you may need to pass the pre-employment drug test (including marijuana).
• Must have an Oregon Driver license and have a driving record that meets the SHA's driving standards.
• Bachelor's degree from a college or university program in business administration, public administration, or a related field depending on area of assignment; and one year of professional administrative level experience involving review, analysis, and preparation of recommendations, development of administrative policies, procedures and systems, or an Associate degree with three years of experience in federally assisted housing programs, low-income housing, rental property management, landlord/tenant relations counseling, and mediation skills; or any combination of education, experience, and training that demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skills, and abilities as listed, and ability to perform the essential job functions.
• Depending on the area of assignment, you may have to pass a criminal background check necessary to obtain Criminal Justice Information System clearance and Law Enforcement Data System certification within 30 days of hire (clearance must be maintained throughout employment).
• Industry standard certifications may be preferred depending on area of assignment.

What you will bring along (Not required to apply):

• Public Housing and/or Section 8 Housing Specialist Training and Certifications preferred.
• Bilingual proficiency preferred.

About us:

Salem Housing Authority and the Urban Renewal Agency are separate municipal corporations. The Agency contracts with the City for services and the Authority is led by the Director of Housing within the Urban Development department.

Salem Housing Authority's mission is to assist low- and moderate-income families to achieve self-sufficiency through stable housing, economic opportunity, community investment, and coordination with social service providers. This is a great opportunity to help positively impact your community. Come work in a positive and supportive work environment that enforces a safe workplace, has a culture of team work and communication, promotes the organizational values of workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and actively promotes an environment respectful of living and working in a multicultural society.

Salem is the second largest city in Oregon and the capital city. Centrally located in the Willamette Valley, Salem is 49 square miles in size and extends across to counties, Marion and Polk. The community has well-established neighborhoods and carefully preserved historic buildings with wide diversity and a family-friendly ambiance. The city is home to nearly 180,000 residents. For a full community profile detailing demographics and housing statistics, visit the City of Salem website.

The City of Salem organization has eight primary departments: Community Services, Finance, Fire, Enterprise Services, Legal, Police, Public Works, and Community Planning and Development. Several departments also have functional divisions within their department. The City of Salem employs roughly 1,350 talented and dedicated staff members and works collaboratively with five labor unions.

Where can I find out more about the position?

Go to the menu option for Class Specifications and search for Admin Analyst HA.

If you would like to learn more about the Salem Housing Authority, please visit our website at

How can I apply?

The City of Salem and Salem Housing Authority invites individuals of all diverse communities and backgrounds to apply for our available job opportunities as we strive to provide the best service to everyone. The City of Salem is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all and has a culture that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe that by welcoming differences, encouraging new ideas and views, listening to, and learning from each other, we are better able to serve the community.

To apply, click on the green "Apply" button to complete your application. Hiring managers do not have access to view resumes as part of the application review process. Please ensure that the details of your application, including work history, demonstrate how you meet the qualifications for the position.

Click here to fill out the Section 3 Employment Preference Form (Download PDF reader) (Download PDF reader) and submit with your employment application.

Applicants that meet the minimum qualifications as outlined above but not selected for this position may be placed on an eligibility list, and candidates may be hired from the list. Eligibility lists are valid for six months. The City will send email notifications to eligible candidates about potential hiring opportunities so please ensure your email settings accept our system generated email notifications.

You may subscribe for automatic notification of job openings at the City through the Job Interest Cards –sign up today! For more information about employment at the City of Salem, please visit our website at