Housing and Community Development Specialist III (Open and Promotional)

The Department of Housing is a catalyst for increasing access to high-quality affordable housing for households earning a variety of incomes and supporting related community development activities so that housing and robust services exist for people of all income levels and ages in San Mateo County. The Department consists of two divisions, Housing and Community Development (HCD) and the Housing Authority of the County of San Mateo.

The San Mateo County Department of Housing is looking for smart, committed professionals to join our team. If you are passionate about helping to solve one of the most critical issues facing communities across the country the lack of safe, decent, affordable housing for all, including those who are the most vulnerable, we’d love to learn more about you. We are looking for candidates with experience in affordable housing development and/or finance or other aspects of community development. This is a fast-paced position with opportunities for learning new skills, working collaboratively with a dynamic team, and taking the lead on projects and programs. You would be joining a diverse team that works effectively together to achieve our shared vision to ensure that people of all income levels, ages, and abilities in San Mateo County have access to a place to call home.

HCD is recruiting for a Housing and Community Development Specialist III. Reporting to the HCD Supervisor, the Housing and Community Development Specialist III will engage in a variety of functions aimed at increasing the supply of affordable housing throughout San Mateo County and forging partnerships to address critical housing needs. The Specialist position will have job duties with a focus on managing, as the subsidy lender, affordable housing development projects from predevelopment through permanent conversion.

The Specialist may also have the opportunity to work on activities that are more programmatic in nature and will require the Specialist to provide a variety of program support services, including drafting template loan documents, preparing Notices of Funding Availability (NOFAs), evaluating project proposals and underwriting, and understanding and applying relevant federal, state, and local regulations. Finally, the Specialist will also have the opportunity to collaborate with city housing staff, the Housing Authority of the County of San Mateo, and other County agencies providing essential services and resources for vulnerable populations targeted by the new construction affordable rental housing projects financed by HCD.

The Ideal Candidate will have: 

• A Bachelor's degree in a relevant field.

• An intermediate to advanced understanding of the complexities of housing development, land use, and affordable housing financing issues.

• An intermediate to advanced understanding of affordable housing finance and underwriting and/or experience in managing and oversight of one or more affordable housing projects.

• Three years of progressively advanced skills and experience with affordable housing lending and/or development as project manager.

• Strong program and project management skills.

• Mastery of federal and state housing finance programs such as Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) and understanding of the role of local subsidy lending in this financing system.

• Knowledge of programs for facilitating and subsidizing low- and moderate-income housing.

• Experience in community outreach and partnership development.

• A positive attitude and sense of humor.

• An ability to embrace change with initiative, flexibility, and enthusiasm.

• Demonstrated experience in drafting complex legal documents and agreements tasks, including preparing initial drafts of loan documents. 

• Effective oral communication skills, including high-stakes negotiations and public speaking. 

NOTE: The eligible list generated from this recruitment may be used to fill future extra-help, term, unclassified, and regular classified vacancies.

The HCD Specialist's project management duties may include, but are not limited to:

• Administering financial investment of federal, state, and local funding in the development of affordable housing primarily through the administration of affordable housing lending on behalf of San Mateo County, which includes evaluation of proposals, underwriting of development budgets, financing plans, and operating pro forma projections. This work will also include preparing and negotiating loan and contract documents, monitoring the progress of funding recipients from predevelopment through construction completion and lease-up and the conversion to permanent financing. The HCD Specialist will represent the Department in construction and permanent loan closings.

• Negotiating contract and/or loan terms with nonprofit and for-profit developers of affordable housing, outside vendors, consultants, or organizations and oversight of all monitoring, compliance, and evaluating fiscal and legal liability of same.

• Supporting the Department’s applications for funding to federal, state, and other funding to re-lend to affordable housing developments.

• Assisting the Housing Supervisor in the development and administration of the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) and Request for Proposal (RFP) to solicit proposals from vendors, community-based organizations, and developers of affordable housing and permanent supportive housing. This includes review of all proposal materials, familiarity with program budgets and affordable housing project development budgets, financing plans and operating pro forma projections to determine the project feasibility and ultimately make funding recommendations for the allocation of funds from the County's Affordable Housing Fund (AHF), funded largely by Measure K sales tax proceeds.

• Developing and administering housing and community development programs which support affordable new construction, acquisition of existing affordable housing, and rehabilitation, as well as community and public services contracts, public facilities funding and minor home repair.

• Design, develop, and implement compliance, monitoring, and asset management systems for affordable housing loans, community facility loans/grants, and non-profit grants to ensure compliance with local, State, and Federal regulations, including environmental reviews, prevailing wage requirements, long-term affordability as set forth in regulatory agreements, and other requirements imposed by the funding.

• Managing the assets of the Department's loans and grants portfolio and providing analysis and recommendations in response to requests to subordinate, refinance, or restructure existing DOH loans.

The HCD Specialist's programmatic support duties may include, but are not limited to:

• Managing a portfolio of grantees including negotiating contracts, processing requests for payment, and reviewing quarterly and/or annual progress reports.

• Monitoring the performance of grantees and writing performance reports as needed.

• Conducting due diligence reviews on applications for community development and public services, housing grants and loans, and coordinating with consultants on final staff recommendation reports.

• Preparing funding recommendations, memos, resolutions, and supporting materials that will go to the Board of Supervisors.

• Interpreting, explaining, and directing the enforcement of all applicable standards, codes, and regulations.

• May represent the Department of Housing at meetings of the County Board of Supervisors.

• Preparing detailed written reports, policies, procedures, and contracts.

Education and Experience:
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to qualify is:

Knowledge of:

• Programs and financing sources for facilitating and subsidizing low and moderate housing.

• Federal and state housing initiatives and programs.

• Principles and practices of public administration, community outreach and partnership-building, and effective communication with the public.

• Basic land use and zoning concepts.

• Project planning, budgeting, scheduling, supervision and monitoring.

• Statistical methods and data collection, tabulation, and analysis.

Skill/Ability to: 

• Negotiate and draft the terms of loan documents and other complex legal documents for review and approval by the County Attorney’s Office.

• Manage and coordinate multiple complex projects and activities.

• Meet deadlines and finish work products within appropriate time frames.

• Prepare funding applications and performance reports.

• Evaluate affordable housing development loan applications, manage project schedules, construction draw requests, and monitor compliance, progress, and evaluate performance.

• Negotiate scope-of-work and other individualized components of contracts.

• Identify problems and propose solutions.

• Express ideas effectively, orally and in writing.

• Work effectively with the public, developers, city housing teams, and community groups.

• Make presentations to committees, special purpose groups, and the general public.

Open & Promotional. Anyone may apply. Current County of San Mateo and County of San Mateo Superior Court of California employees with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, or extra-help/limited term position prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score.

Responses to the supplemental questions must be submitted in addition to our regular employment application form. A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for the required employment application and supplemental questionnaire.

The examination process will consist of an application screening based on the candidates' application and responses to the supplemental questions (weight: pass/fail). Candidates who pass the application screening may be invited to a panel interview (weight: 100%). Depending on the number of applicants, an application appraisal of education and experience may be used in place of other examinations, or further evaluation of work experience may be conducted to group applicants by level of qualification. Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination. All examinations will be given in San Mateo County, California, and applicants must participate at their own expense.

IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the "Apply" button. If you are not on the County's website, please go to https://jobs.smcgov.org to apply.

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE
Final Filing Date: Tuesday, November 3, 2026, 11:59 PM PST
Application Screening: November 16 - 20, 2026
Civil Service Panel Interviews: December 8 and/or 9, 2026

About the County
San Mateo County is centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose, and the East Bay. With over 750,000 residents, San Mateo is one of the largest and most diverse counties in California and serves a multitude of culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse communities.

The County of San Mateo, as an employer, is committed to advancing equity in order to ensure that all employees are welcomed in a safe and inclusive environment. The County seeks to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community. We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply. Eighty percent of employees surveyed stated that they would recommend the County as a great place to work.