Housing Development Planner

The Housing Department works to promote and maintain the socioeconomic diversity of the city by managing and implementing the City’s efforts to meet the housing needs of low-, and moderate-, and middle-income residents, managing affordable housing programs, and developing initiatives to preserve and expand the City's stock of affordable housing.

The Housing Department works closely with the Community Development Department (CDD), the planning agency for the City of Cambridge. CDD’s mission is to foster a livable, sustainable, just, and equitable community. The Housing Department and CDD engage and collaborate with community partners, other government agencies, and residents to make Cambridge a desirable place to live, work, learn, play, and innovate.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Under the supervision of the Senior Manager for Housing Development, the Housing Development Planner will be an essential member of the 5-person affordable housing development and preservation team whose work involves creating and preserving affordable housing in Cambridge.

The work of the Housing Development Planner will be varied but will be focused on working with local affordable housing developers to move projects through all phases of development. The Housing Development Planner will work both independently as well as collaboratively with other members of the development and preservation team, and with other City staff, non-profit and private housing developers, Cambridge Housing Authority, other housing advocates and service providers, neighborhood groups and residents.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Working with affordable housing developers and owners to use city resources to create new affordable housing.
• Identifying and analyzing new affordable housing development opportunities.
• Assessing project feasibility and financing needs, including site assessment, proposed City funding, permitting and entitlement plans, design concepts, and overall consistency with City housing goals.
• Evaluating requests for City funding for affordable housing including underwriting development pro formas, analyzing operating projections and financing plans, and preparing financial analyses and funding recommendations.
• Managing funding commitment, loan closing, and disbursement processes.
• Maintaining familiarity with federal, state, regional, and local housing programs, policies, and regulations; analyzing and ensuring compliance with applicable requirements.
• Identifying and examining new and creative financing and housing production strategies.
• Maintaining, collecting and assembling data on assisted developments; preparing reports on program achievements and outcomes to assist with program evaluation and policy development.
• Providing technical assistance to development sponsors and property owners; providing information to residents and community groups.
• Assisting with other City housing programs and special projects as needed, participating in outreach efforts to publicize the City’s housing programs.
• Performing other duties as required.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

The Housing Development Planner should be a self-motivated, detail-oriented professional who is ready to work as part of a team to preserve and create affordable housing for residents. We seek candidates with a strong commitment to equity and respect, both in the provision of services and in the workplace.

Essential Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with 7 years of experience in affordable housing finance and/or development, or comparable professional experience.

• A Master’s degree in real estate finance or development, urban planning, economics, or a related field may be substituted for 2 years of work experience.

• Experience and expertise in affordable housing finance and/or managing development of affordable housing.

• Experience with real estate finance and affordable housing capital subsidy programs (e.g. LIHTC, HOME), including familiarity with supportive housing.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent organizational and time management skills; ability to manage and prioritize workloads, multi-task and meet deadlines while working in a fast-paced environment.
• Self-motivated and detail-oriented; capacity to work independently, and to work collaboratively and cooperatively with colleagues.
• Ability to exercise good judgment and focus on detail as required by the job.
• Strong computer skills including proficiency with Microsoft Office software (Outlook, Word, Excel) and familiarity with or ability to master other software applications, programs and data systems relevant to the job.
• Ability to develop, research, analyze, interpret and communicate written program guidance, requirements, and regulations.
• Ability to understand and navigate zoning requirements and familiarity with green building/sustainable development practices, programs, and resources.
• Ability to prepare, analyze, interpret and summarize complex financial projections.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral; ability to communicate with people from all backgrounds in a courteous, compassionate, and professional manner.
• Commitment to anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion. The City of Cambridge's workforce, like the community it serves, is diverse. Applicants must have the ability to work and interact effectively with individuals and groups with a variety of identities, cultures, backgrounds and ideologies.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Knowledge of local, state and federal affordable housing programs and requirements.
• Experience reviewing and understanding legal documents
• Knowledge of the Cambridge community

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Work requires ability to access, input, and retrieve information from a computer. Work involves occasional evening meetings, travelling throughout the city, driving, walking, and climbing stairs. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: Work involved is primarily indoors in a professional office setting, public meetings to discuss and gather comments on housing development plans, studies, etc., and visits to housing and building sites, some of which may be under construction. This position may be eligible for a hybrid work schedule (in-office and remote) under the City’s Telework Policy, depending on operational needs.

BENEFITS SUMMARY:

• Competitive health, dental, and vision insurance.

• Vacation and Sick leave eligible.

• Sick Incentive Pay Eligible.

• 3 Personal days.

• 14 Paid Holidays.

• Management Allowance, $2700 year.

• City employee transportation benefits (T-Pass reimbursement, Bluebikes membership, EZRide Shuttle)

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

Please upload the following documents to complete your application:

• Resume
• Cover Letter