Administrator, Bureau of Housing, Homeless & Hunger, Allegheny County               L0241

This is responsible professional and administrative work administering the housing, homeless and hunger programs for the Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS).

The employee in this class is responsible for administering the county's centralized housing, homeless and hunger administrative functions for the DHS and serves as the primary point of contact with regard to issues in these programs.

Work involves monitoring the activities of the county's homeless programs including emergency shelter programs, case management programs, bridge/transitional housing projects, including those for individuals with substance abuse disorder and homeless persons; administering the county's centralized administrative component of the State Food Purchase Program and the Emergency Food Assistance Program; coordinating the county's yearly hunger and nutrition initiatives; assisting in the coordination and administration of the Human Services Development Fund (HSDF); and overseeing the ongoing programmatic functioning of specific housing, hunger, and poverty related service programs.

Work also involves interaction with appropriate State departments and offices; developing and updating the county's continuum of housing services for low income persons and special housing populations; administering the summer/lunch program for low income families; coordinating and collaborating with DHS staff to establish and maintain a comprehensive human service array of housing and related service options; and ensuring adherence to all applicable program regulations and requirements.

Supervision is exercised over a professional and technical staff.

Work is performed with considerable independence under the direction of the Deputy Director, Office of Community Services, and is reviewed through conferences, evaluation of reports and recommendations, and results attained.

Examples of Work:

Administers the County's centralized Housing, Homeless and Hunger administrative functions and monitors activities of County homeless programs, including emergency shelter programs, county-wide homeless case management programs, bridge/transitional housing projects including those for individuals with substance abuse disorder and projects for homeless persons.

Administers the County's centralized administrative component of two County hunger programs - the State Food Purchase Program and the Emergency Food Assistance Program.

The State Food Purchase Program provides for the direct purchase of food and its transport, storage and repackaging in order to assist in alleviating local hunger.

The employee operates the program through the local food bank and its food assistance agencies; and provides for the distribution of government commodities as a supplement to the State Food Purchase Program.  

Coordinates the County's yearly Hunger and Nutrition Initiatives; interacts with the Allegheny County Departments of Development, Human Services and the local hunger and foundation groups including the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, Just Harvest, Hunger Services, Network, Lutheran Social Services and the Pittsburgh Foundation Administrator, Bureau of Housing, Homeless & Hunger, Allegheny County.

Assists in the coordination and the administration of the Human Services Development Fund; coordinates and collaborates with the Administrator, Bureau of Employment and Training Services and the Administrator, Bureau of Family and Community Services to ensure maximum benefit to the Department and to all eligible participants.

Oversees the ongoing programmatic functioning and monitoring of specific housing, homeless, hunger and poverty related service programs funded through Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare's (DPW) Human Services Development Fund (HSDF) including: Community Human Services Corp., Safe-A-Life Program, Urban League's Housing Assistance Program and the Urban League's Public Housing Improvement Program.

Interacts with those State departments and offices regulating the above mentioned programs.

This includes the DPW - Office of Social Programs, the Department of Health - Office of Drug & Alcohol Programs (ODAP) and the Department of Agriculture.

Responsible for development and appropriate updates to the County's continuum of Housing Services for low income persons and special housing populations; plans, coordinates, reviews and works with providers of housing for low income populations; plans, coordinates and is responsible for submission of applications, grants, and program funding for federal, state, foundation and other funding opportunities.

Administers the summer/lunch program which benefits low-income families.

Coordinates and collaborates with Central Office Managers to identify the need for new and/or modified housing options for the homeless and internally and externally advocates for their development, including the preparation of work plans and funding arrangements based on client needs and identification of service gaps.

Coordinates and collaborates with the Bureaus of Policy & Planning and Evaluation and Research to maintain specific components of, and facilitate long term planning for the development and establishment of a comprehensive human-service array of housing and related service options.

Ensures adherence to all program regulations and requirements of the aforementioned program through the direction and supervision a subordinate professional and technical staff.

Required Knowledges, Skills and Abilities:

Knowledge of the principles and practices of program planning, development, coordination and monitoring relating to community housing, homeless and hunger programs.

Knowledge Federal and State legislation relating to housing, homeless and hunger programs.

Knowledge of Federal, State and local policies, practices, rules and regulations related to housing, homeless and hunger programs.

Knowledge of policies, practices, methods and procedures involved in contract negotiation and program implementation.

Knowledge of current social, economic and health problems and available resources related to housing, homeless and hunger programs.

Ability to interpret rules, regulations, policies and procedures and provide technical assistance to public and private sector providers.

Ability to review, evaluate and analyze proposals, plans, operations and contracts.

Ability to conduct studies of needs assessments for program development or expansion.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with officials of contract agencies, community organizations, County, State and Federal officials and agency staff.

Ability to plan, organize and direct the work of a subordinate professional and technical staff.

Ability to make clear and pertinent statements orally and in writing and to speak effectively in public.

Minimum Experience and Training:

Five years of progressively responsible experience in housing, hunger, homeless, poverty related service program or other social service program, including three years in an administrative or supervisory capacity, and a bachelor's degree;

Or

Any equivalent combination of experience and training.

Commonwealth Equivalent PSG ST09