Project Manager, HomeFirst Program

The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) oversees housing standards across all 3.7 million homes in New York City.

As the nation’s largest municipal housing agency, HPD is responsible for building and preserving affordable housing, protecting tenants from harassment and displacement, and holding landlords accountable across the five boroughs. Under Commissioner Dina Levy and the Mamdani Administration, HPD is pursuing an ambitious housing agenda focused on the needs of New York’s tenants. With a broad set of tools including standards enforcement, tenant resources, and the creation of new affordable housing, HPD is committed to making New York City a more affordable place for renters and homeowners alike.

The Office of Development leads the agency's effort in implementing the Mayor's Housing Plan. This is achieved in close collaboration with HPD colleagues and other City and state agencies.

The Division of Homeownership Opportunities and Preservation (HOP) within the Office of Development creates and preserves affordable homes to facilitate generational wealth-building, maintain housing quality, and address the legacy of discrimination, segregation, and concentrated poverty. We do so by providing financial assistance to low- and middle-income homeowners, limited equity cooperatives, and community land trusts. Programs within the Division include:

• The HomeFirst down payment assistance program, which provides financial assistance towards down payment and closing costs for first-time homebuyers,
• The Affordable Neighborhood Cooperative Program (ANCP), which works to rehabilitate distressed city-owned occupied multi-family properties to create affordable cooperatives for low- and moderate-income households,
• The Open Door Program, which funds construction of cooperative and fee simple buildings to low, moderate- and middle-income families,
• Small Homes Rehab, which works to rehab existing public sites and privately owned 1-4 family homes to create affordable homeownership opportunities for low-income residents,
• The Plus One Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) program that finances ADU conversions in small homes,
• HomeFix and Project Help programs provide access to affordable low- or no-interest and potentially forgivable loans and grants for home repairs as well as resiliency or energy efficiency improvements to eligible owners of one- to four-family homes in New York City in partnership with nonprofit organizations,
• And special initiatives including Community Land Trusts, the Community Restoration Fund, and other projects designed to support long-term affordable homeownership opportunities through New York City.

The Division of Homeownership Opportunities and Preservation seeks a Project Manager to support the work of the HomeFirst Program. The HomeFirst Program provides qualified first-time homebuyers with up to $100,000 toward the down payment or closing costs on a 1-4 family home, a condominium, or a cooperative within New York City.

The Project Manager will be responsible for the management of project applications, liaising with program servicer partner agencies, and collaborating across various HPD departments to support the operations of the program. The Project Manager will be required to understand local and federal funding regulations. This role will also perform specialized administrative functions under the supervision of the HomeFirst Program Director and the Deputy Director.

• Processing loan application packages by reviewing mortgage and supporting documentation for accuracy, consistency and completeness.
• Performing required due diligence to verify the eligibility of the applicants’ household income, HomeFirst housing inspection report and HomeFirst loan amount, in addition to assessing the primary mortgage underwriting to ensure compliance with HomeFirst Term Sheet and program guidelines.
• Liaising with loan servicers, lenders and counseling partners to obtain missing or updated application documents in order to maintain application package integrity, quality control and compliance.
• Submitting completed and pre-approved application package to Program Director, or Deputy Director, or designee for final approval.
• Organizing, filing, maintaining and tracking of homebuyer files in the pre and post-closing phases, within the HomeFirst Client Management System including assistance with the transfer and/or archiving of program files.
• Performing data entry for homebuyer projects in HUD Disbursement and HPD Works and other internal tracking systems, and generate other ad hoc reports, as assigned.
• Preparing and routing program end loan/enforcement documents to the Program Director, Legal and Executive Office for sign-off.
• Coordinating with loan servicers and bank attorneys to ensure executed enforcement documents are promptly delivered to the project closing, recorded and returned to HPD, post-closing.
• Performing consistent monitoring and follow-up with appropriate parties to ensure document filings/recordings are made with City Register.
• Drafting homebuyer project briefings and memos, property research, homebuyer file compliance audits, loan servicing-related requests and attending meetings.
• Conducting other administrative duties and special projects as assigned.

The ideal candidate will have experience in a collaborative environment, possess strong organization and communication skills, be detail-oriented, and be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite.

Preferred skills bulleted

• Excellent verbal and written communication and strong interpersonal skills, strong analytical, organizational, and quantitative skills.
• Strong facility with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other presentation software is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and manage multiple projects in a timely manner and be a team player.
• Experience working with homeownership programs and/or program implementation experience.
• Knowledge of affordable and/CRA mortgage lending programs

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and two years of full-time, satisfactory professional experience in urban planning, analysis, coordination and/or development of housing projects or programs; or

2. Graduate study from an accredited college or university in the field of urban studies, city planning, real estate development, public administration, public policy, finance, community organization, architecture, or urban design, may be substituted for up to one year of the required experience on the basis of 30 credits for one year.

However, all candidates must have at least a baccalaureate degree and one year of the experience described in "1" above.

COMMUNITY COORDINATOR - 56058

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties described above; or

2. High school graduation or equivalent and six years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties as described above; or

3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least one year of experience as described in "1" above.

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.