Program Integrity Specialist

About HPD :

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) is the nation’s largest municipal housing preservation and development agency.

Its mission is to promote quality and affordability in the city's housing, and diversity and strength in the city’s neighborhoods because every New Yorker deserves a safe, affordable place to live in a neighborhood they love.

HPD is entrusted with fulfilling these objectives through the goals and strategies of Housing Our Neighbors : A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness, Mayor Adams’ comprehensive housing framework.

HPD is committed to reducing administrative and regulatory barriers and make investments to tackle New York City’s complex housing crisis, by addressing homelessness and housing instability, promoting economic stability and mobility, increasing homeownership opportunities, improving health and safety, and increasing opportunities for equitable growth.

Your Team :

The Office of Housing Access and Stability ( HAS ) consists of the divisions of Housing Opportunity, Tenant and Owner Resources, Housing Stability, Budget and Program Operations, and Program Policy and Innovation.

The mission of the office is to ensure fair, efficient, and transparent access to affordable housing. The Office provides subsidies, placement services, and tools that connect New Yorkers to affordable housing and ensures vulnerable households in subsidized housing have the support they need to be safely housed.

Housing Access is committed to expanding housing choices, affirmatively furthering fair housing, and stabilizing the financial health of buildings.

The Division of Program Policy and Innovation (DPPI) will provide support across the Office of Housing Access and Stability (HAS) to coordinate policy development and analysis, support implementation of new rules and regulations, monitor program integrity and compliance, manage the selection of contracts for project-based rental assistance and improve outcomes for program participants beyond affordable housing.

The Project-Based Selection Team will be responsible for working with different areas of HPD to select and enter into project-based voucher and NYC 15 assistance contracts.

Your Impact :

The Program Integrity Specialist will be responsible for performing research on Section 8 Clients who may be committing program violations, the results of which may lead to termination of their subsidy.

The selected candidate may perform field work to interview and observe clients to determine the nature of the program violation.

In addition, the selected candidate will work closely with various units in the Division to ensure that Section 8 voucher recipients are truly eligible for assistance.

They will review and research evidence / documents to analyze the facts and make recommendations on findings. This is done by performing extensive research via various search engines such as Equifax, Lexus Nexus and other available tools needed to perform the job.

This position does require field work on an as needed basis.

Your Role :

The candidate may have to interview Section 8 clients, management agents and landlords to ascertain information provided is accurate.

They will be responsible for tracking, monitoring sensitive information, and generating reports.

Key responsibilities are :

• Manage, develop and implement methods and practices to prevent and detect program abuse, noncompliance, and willful violations of HPD’s Section 8 program rules by applicants, owners and tenant families.
• Conduct investigations, including but not limited to interviews of witnesses, Section 8 staff, tenants, and owners; inspection of units;

and review of applicable files and documents.

• Navigate existing third-party resources in investigations of allegations of fraud.
• Conducted periodic staff trainings on fraud and abuse detection and prevention.
• Develop and implemented pro-active programs to prevent, detect and investigate fraud and abuse in the Section 8 program.
• Present investigation findings in writing and orally to interested internal and external entities.
• Conduct Individual conferences with subjects of investigations to provide an opportunity for the person to respond to any evidence of fraud collected.
• Participate in Appeals hearings to represent the agency if any recommendation for termination results in an informal hearing process.

Necessary skills :

• Excellent Communication Skills (both orally and in writing)
• Organization and great attention to detail
• Strong Customer Service Focus
• Computer Proficiency
• Section 8 or other Rental Subsidy experience a Plus
• Research and investigation skills
• Experience in investigation and using investigation resources like Lexis Nexis, the Welfare Management System, Criminal Justice Systems

Minimum Qualifications

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.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs.

For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at class "jobad-residencyRequirement">

Residency RequirementNew York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County.

To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.