Housing Policy Senior Associate/Manager

POSITION OPENING: Housing Policy Senior Associate /Manager  

LOCATION: Washington, DC—Metro Center (Hybrid 2-3 days in office) 

SALARY: Range for this position is 80s- 90s based on experience 

Summary 

Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future (SAHF) envisions a world where every person has a healthy home in a flourishing community. To realize that vision we know that homes must be stable and connected to the things that people need to thrive. We are looking for a new colleague to help us identify and advance policies and practices that create greater housing stability and better life outcomes for people who live in affordable rental housing through service-enriched housing. If you are passionate about finding practical solutions for a more just world and have 3+ years of experience in the practice or policies around affordable housing or human services – keep reading! 

Background 

SAHF is a collaborative of twelve  nonprofit affordable housing providers who own more than 149,000 affordable rental homes across the nation. SAHF members are committed to the long-term affordability, sustainability and expansion of rental housing that makes a difference in people’s lives. SAHF’s staff is a team of 12 people passionate about creating healthy homes and communities for everyone. Our staff have hands-on experience in the operations and transactions around affordable housing and work with our members to use that practice-based perspective to advance the creation and preservation of healthy, sustainable affordable rental homes that foster equity, opportunity, and wellness for people of limited economic resources. 

SAHF and its members are a dynamic team focused on learning from and applying on-the-ground experience to systems change and to advancing more effective and equitable federal policy and practice. We collaborate to expand, innovate and scale business and mission opportunities and policy change. SAHF’s members provide resident services in many of their properties and are deeply committed to identifying those services that can most effectively make a difference in people’s lives. As a collaborative, they are committed to working both independently and together not only on policy that supports the creation and preservation of affordable homes, but also on resident services, housing operations and management, healthy building practices and energy and water conservation. SAHF members are also committed to measuring their impact, leveraging data to evaluate outcomes to foster new partnerships, collaborations and initiatives. Please see our recent Building to Impact report as an example.  

SAHF and its members acknowledge the significant role that decades of housing policy have played in creating and perpetuating racial inequity and recognize that access to healthy, affordable homes for all people is an essential step towards just communities. SAHF’s board has adopted a racial equity pledge identifying six areas where SAHF and its members will focus on advancing racial equity. SAHF members will collaborate in advancing this pledge as they have with other initiatives. Peer to peer exchange among SAHF members and close collaboration within the affordable housing field and across sectors have been key to advancing our mission. 

JOB DESCRIPTION 

This dynamic position on SAHF’s policy team allows for significant independence, strategic thinking, and the opportunity to manage both a peer exchange cohort of affordable housing practitioners and a related portfolio of federal policy issues, including: 

Housing Stability & Economic Mobility: SAHF members are committed to supporting stable healthy homes for residents; and through peer exchange and policy work, SAHF works to identify the policies and practices that help our members support housing stability for residents. This can include rental assistance, resources for resident services, but also work around staffing structures, communications with residents and changes to occupancy rules and lease provisions. In 2023, SAHF convened its Housing Stability Cohort—a unique, interdisciplinary working group of property management, asset management, and resident services leaders--dedicated to identifying both operational solutions and policy recommendations to strengthen housing stability for multifamily housing residents. This position will manage the HSC work as it concludes its 18-month working period, coordinating with SAHF staff and HSC members on sharing out additional resources for the field.  

Resident Services Policy & Funding Models: SAHF’s Outcomes Initiative focuses on how quality affordable housing and often, related services, can contribute to positive outcomes in residents’ lives. SAHF has played a leadership role in identifying strategies to scale and improve the effectiveness of service-enriched housing, including through the development of CORES (Certified Organization for Resident Engagement and Services) – a relatively new initiative to support accountability and performance in service-enriched affordable housing. This position will play a leadership role in identifying opportunities to better leverage resident services and service coordination in federal housing policy and programs to help improve resident outcomes.  

Roles and Responsibilities  

The Policy Senior Associate/Manager will act as the key connection point between the Policy team and the Resident Health and Outcomes team at SAHF. This position reports to the SVP, Policy and will consult regularly with the VP, Resident Outcomes and CORES. The Policy Senior Associate/Manager is expected to interface with peer group members, the SAHF board and members, as well as outside partners and organizations. This position offers the opportunity to deepen skills in policy analysis and advocacy, project management, and report writing. It also provides significant leadership opportunities and an excellent opportunity to interface with leaders and experts in housing and resident services. The Policy Senior Associate/Manager will have the following broad job responsibilities: 

Policy Analysis and Advocacy 

• In consultation with the SVP Policy, research federal housing programs (e.g. Section 8, Section 202, LIHTC) to identify limitations and opportunities to leverage programs and services that improve resident wellbeing and outcomes, including but not limited to resident services coordination, internet connections and virtual services, financial coaching, FSS, health and wellness services and housing stability supports. This work will require an understanding of affordable housing programs and operations. 
• Research federal housing programs and affordable housing practices (e.g. financing structures) to identify policy changes needed to advance housing stability strategies identified in the peer exchange cohort. Develop policy proposals and advocate for these changes. 
• Proactively manage the development of proposals and comments on federal housing policy guidance (HUD, USDA, Treasury letters, notices and handbooks), regulations and legislation to foster housing policies and programs that support service-enriched housing and increase opportunities for resident voice and agency. 
• Support the SVP Policy and VP of Resident Outcomes and CORES in research and advocacy around innovative approaches to financing resident services, including through HHS programs.  
• Support SAHF’s Policy and Resident Outcomes work by collaborating with the Data and Analytics Director and SVP Policy to interpret resident outcomes data in the context of federal housing programs. This includes outreach to SAHF members and partners for better understanding program and practices.  
• Advocate, individually and in coalitions, to advance housing stability and increase, preserve and enhance affordable rental housing programs enhanced with services.  

Project Management, Peer Learning, and Case Studies 

• Serve as primary staff lead of a Housing Stability cohort comprised of approximately 35 practitioners. This includes convening, developing relationships with cohort members and following up as needed to explore issues and solutions identified in peer exchange, and distilling lessons learned to share with external stakeholders.  
• Develop and refine case studies that illustrate strategies used by affordable housing providers to promote housing stability. 
• Participate in CORES review process, leveraging practitioner resident services models to inform policy analysis and advocacy. 

Meeting Planning, Support, Facilitation 

• Primary lead for Housing Stability cohort, including content and agenda setting, and convening logistics. 
• Develop and support presentations for meetings and conferences, to be delivered by other SAHF staff or by the senior associate/manager. 
• Represent SAHF as requested at conferences or meetings. 

The Policy and Program Senior Associate/ Manager will also perform other duties as assigned. 

Qualifications: 

This position requires some experience with affordable housing programs. The ideal candidate will have an understanding of the operation of affordable housing and/or resident services programs. 

• Personal commitment to SAHF’s mission and values, collaboration, and excellent customer service 
• Bachelor’s degree with strong academic credentials required. Master’s degree preferred 
• Three to seven years' work experience in affordable housing development or management, resident services or state or federal policy and/or programs related to affordable housing   
• Work experience in state or federal policy and/or programs related to affordable housing or human services. 
• Familiarity and or experience with affordable housing programs such as the Section 8 project based rental assistance, Section 202 Housing for the Elderly, Section 811, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, the Resident Services Coordinator grant program required. 
• Familiarity or experience with health services programs, including state Medicaid waivers, Home and Community Based Services a plus 
• Strong analytic, project management, organization, and presentation skills 
• Experience planning meetings/convenings where ideas are exchanged and co-created 
• Excellent writer 
• Experience working in coalitions for the purposes of program development and policy advocacy 
• Ability and desire to work in an interdisciplinary team and serve as bridge between policy and practice 

SAHF is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and encourages all candidates, especially those who have been historically underrepresented based on race/ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, socioeconomic status, citizenship status, or religion, to apply. On a daily basis, we are committed to our core values of Respect, Diversity and Inclusion, Collaboration, Stewardship and Integrity. You can learn more about us on our website.  

Submit resumes and cover letters to jobs@sahfnet.org. Due to the volume of applications usually received, we regret that we cannot individually respond to all candidates.