NY HELPNo

AgencyHomes and Community Renewal

TitleSpecial Assistant (Planner)

Occupational CategoryOther Professional Careers

Salary Grade23

Bargaining UnitPS&T - Professional, Scientific, and Technical (PEF)

Salary RangeFrom $86681 to $109650 Annually

Employment Type Full-Time

Appointment Type Temporary

Jurisdictional Class Exempt Class

Travel Percentage 10%

Workweek Mon-Fri

Hours Per Week 37.5

Workday

From 9 AM

To 5 PM

Flextime allowed? No

Mandatory overtime? No

Compressed workweek allowed? No

Telecommuting allowed? Yes

County New York

Street Address 641 Lexington Ave

City New York

StateNY

Zip Code10022

Duties Description New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) fosters the creation and preservation of high-quality affordable housing, while working strategically to revitalize neighborhoods and communities throughout the Empire State. Under the leadership of Governor Kathy Hochul and Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas, HCR is a vibrant, innovative agency that integrates and leverages New York State’s housing resources. We have offices in New York City, Albany, Buffalo and Syracuse, and employ a diverse workforce of professionals who are hard-working and committed to serving low- and moderate-income families. Our mission is far reaching, encompassing single and multifamily housing finance, home improvement, rent regulation, housing subsidies, and community development. We partner regularly with a variety of public and private stakeholders.

Achieving this mission requires a wide range of skills and backgrounds in public policy, administration, real estate, architecture, finance, law and many other areas of expertise. We seek to provide a workplace environment that is productive, flexible, accountable, ethical and caring. Our employees are empowered to make a difference where they live and work. We offer competitive pay and a comprehensive benefits package, including paid leave, health, dental, vision, retirement and family-friendly policies.

In July 2023, Governor Hochul signed Executive Order 30 creating the Pro-Housing Communities program, a new system to encourage cities, towns and villages throughout New York State to support housing growth in their communities. Currently, the program requires that an interested municipality submit an analysis of their zoning, a zoning map, and a summary of existing permits. Municipalities that want to support housing but have not seen growth in recent years need to pass a specific Pro-Housing Community resolution. In 2024, the NYS budget added PHC certification to the requirements for specific discretionary state grant funds.

BACKGROUND

HCR seeks to support the PHC program through the Special Assistant position. The PHC Special Assistant will be instrumental in building out the program, expanding on lessons learned so far in the program and laying the groundwork for additional policy recommendations addressing the NYS housing crisis. The Special Assistant may represent the agency at conferences, public events, and one on one meetings with local officials throughout New York State. The role will also include working with our new Data Visualization and Policy Analyst to shape public materials, including the existing dashboard as well as future compilations of the zoning and housing data collected through the program.

JOB SUMMARY

The Special Assistant will serve as a resource to communities who are interested in expanding their capacity to produce and preserve housing, and coordinate with other State agencies on accessing key resources and managing the annual grant cycles. The role will also manage the policy guidance and strategy for technical assistance grants designed to support municipalities who want to expand their housing supply.

DUTIES

• Build on the existing program to develop proactive strategies to grow and improve the program, including but not limited to, developing technical assistance materials on successful tools for increasing housing supply in different contexts, examples of best practices within NYS and throughout the country, and providing opportunities for municipalities to share with each other
• Serve on occasion as the face of the Pro-Housing Communities program in public events, individual meetings with municipal representatives, and various other stakeholders
• Expand technical assistance capabilities for the participants in the program
• Liaise with Governor’s office staff to provide updates and information about program status
• Prepare and maintain both internal and public materials related to the program, including presentations, fact sheets, web materials, talking points for Commissioner and senior staff remarks, etc.
• Research and advise on housing supply policy issues overall, including overlap with land use, environmental issues, infrastructure needs, and political challenges
• Using existing and future data collected through the Pro-Housing program to further develop statewide map(s) and data analysis on permitting practices

Minimum Qualifications .
• Bachelor’s degree in public administration, public policy, city/urban planning, real estate, or a related field or equivalent work experience. Master’s degree preferred.
• A minimum of 3 years’ experience in a program or project management role or similar coordination experience
• Demonstrated ability to work with cross-functional programmatic teams.
• Excellent oral, written, and communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex ideas for unfamiliar audiences
• Exceptional problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to quickly and clearly synthesize information while showing an exceptional ability to use data to make decisions.
• Ability to work in a flexible, fast paced, mission driven environment.
• Must be a NY State resident or able to relocate to NYS

This job description is not intended to be all inclusive and employee will be expected to perform other reasonably related duties as assigned.

Additional Comments When applying please follow the instructions below:

Please provide a current resume, cover letter, AND proof of required degree (either diploma or transcript indicating conferring of degree), if interested in this position. Please clearly outline how you meet the minimum qualifications in your cover letter. Please note the vacancy ID in the subject line of your email when applying. If you are applying from Indeed, please indicate the location of the position and paste the job duties into your reply.

Your required educational credentials must have been awarded by an educational institution accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the United States (U.S.) Department of Education/Secretary of Education. If awarded by an institution outside of the U.S. and its territories, you MUST provide independent verification of equivalency when applying. A list of companies that provide these services (fees must be paid to the company you choose) can be found at: http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm.

The salary range for this position is $86,681 - $109,650 plus location pay of $4,000.

It is essential that candidates clearly and concisely indicate exactly how they meet the above minimum qualifications in their resume/email submission. Failure to show how you meet the minimum qualifications above may result in disqualification and removal from consideration.

NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) is committed to fostering a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Our work would not be possible without the diverse backgrounds, experiences, ideas, and abilities of our employees. HCR is committed to developing a workforce which represents the diverse population of New York State. HCR embraces a diverse and inclusive work environment by encouraging all individuals, including those with disabilities, to apply to open positions at the agency.

What we offer:
•Exciting opportunity to be part of New York’s resurgence to greatness;
•Extensive benefits package including paid leave, excellent health, dental, vision and retirement benefits;
•Promotional opportunity for dedicated professionals.

Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.

Name HR

Telephone

Fax

Email Address job.opportunities@hcr.ny.gov

Address

Street 38-40 State St

Hampton Plaza

City Albany

State NY

Zip Code 12207

Notes on ApplyingWhen applying please follow the instructions below;

Please provide a current resume, cover letter, AND proof of required degree (either diploma or transcript indicating conferring of degree), if interested in this position. Please clearly outline how you meet the minimum qualifications in your cover letter. Please note the vacancy ID in the subject line of your email when applying. If you are applying from Indeed, please indicate the location of the position and paste the job duties into your reply.

It is essential that candidates clearly and concisely indicate exactly how they meet the above minimum qualifications in their resume/email submission. Failure to show how you meet the minimum qualifications above may result in disqualification and removal from consideration.