Program Director, Affordable Housing

Job Summary

Enterprise is seeking a Program Director to manage its Affordable Housing Preservation Program in Detroit. The ideal candidate will be an experienced, creative practitioner with cross-disciplinary expertise in real estate finance and affordable housing.

In Detroit, there is an urgent need for preservation of both regulated and naturally occurring affordable housing (“NOAH”) units. These units are at risk of becoming unaffordable due to expiring affordability restrictions and/or pressure to convert to market-rate rents, and many are at risk of severe physical obsolescence. As part of its Multifamily Affordable Housing Strategy released in early 2018, the City of Detroit’s Housing and Revitalization Department (HRD) has committed to the goal of preserving 10,000 affordable housing units by 2023.

Enterprise has been selected by HRD to serve as the Preservation Partnership Team Lead for the implementation of the Multifamily Affordable Housing Preservation Strategy. The Preservation Partnership Team will deliver a pipeline of affordable housing preservation projects and implement action plans to preserve the affordability of those projects.

The Preservation Program Director will be responsible for leading the Preservation Partnership Team, which includes multiple organizations, and will be responsible for the overall success of the work. The position reports to the VP and Detroit Market Leader.

Enterprise Community Partners is a national organization with offices throughout the country. Enterprise believes that opportunity begins when people have a safe, healthy, and affordable place to call home. It grows with access to good schools, jobs, transit, and healthcare. Over the last four years, Enterprise’s Detroit Market team has been working with local government agencies, affordable housing developers, CDCS, and other partners to increase access to opportunity through systems improvements and transformational changes to policy, programs, and investment strategies. Our major initiatives promote housing stability through the preservation and production of affordable housing and tenant protections, as well as cross-sector approaches to advance economic mobility, health and wellbeing, and sustainability. All our work is guided by Enterprise’s commitment to racial equity and mission of creating and expanding access to opportunity through quality affordable housing in thriving communities.

Job Responsibilities

• Convene and manage intergovernmental group to guide the delivery of the Multifamily Affordable Housing Preservation Strategy. This will include logistics such as agenda creation, invitations, meeting locations, etc.
• Develop a prioritization framework for both regulated and NOAH multi-family properties.
• Create a preservation database of multi-family and NOAH properties.
• Develop strategies for targeted interventions that address each risk type. Interventions will include technical assistance, policy recommendations, energy retrofitting and cost reduction programs.
• Identify willing partners and develop formal action plans with the support of identified Enterprise teams/departments.
• Collaborate with public agencies to align funding support for prioritized projects. This will include the development of a comprehensive list of sources of public funds that can be used for preservation.
• Develop a resource network to support the implementation of the action plans.
• Implement and monitor action plans and report back to key stakeholders and intergovernmental group; revise strategies and actions plans on an ongoing basis based on results of earlier interventions.

• Work with tenant rights organizations to ensure the resident voice and perspective is embedded in the development and implementation of action plans and that each action plan is responsive to resident needs.
• Ability to work on other assignments as needed

Qualifications

• Graduate degree with preference for graduate degree or at least eight (8) years of relevant work experience; graduate degree may substitute for up to two (2) years of experience.

• Expertise in affordable housing development and/or finance.
• Experience managing a new program and coordinating with external partners.
• Knowledge of Detroit and Michigan’s current social, economic, and political landscape as it relates to affordable housing.
• Experience with real estate finance.
• Excellent computer skills, including Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
• Sound judgment and ability to identify and analyze typical work situations and develop solutions.
• Able to work in a very collaborative and often fast-paced environment and must be able to engage in and manage simultaneous projects.
• Ability to work with a diverse group of stakeholders and provide culturally competent service to clients.
• Ability to work independently, solve problems and take responsibility for moving tasks forward with minimal supervision.
• Flexible work style and ability to adapt to evolving work program in a growing office.
• Experience and/or knowledge of interdisciplinary collaboration among public-private sector partnerships.

Additional Information

Desired Characteristics for Candidates:

• Lived experience and/or service that informs worldviews and/or perspectives about creating social equity across race, ethnicity, language, social class, gender, sexuality, religion, disability, and other dimensions.

• Strong judgment, ability to identify and analyze complex situations and develop solutions is required.
• Can operate independently to successfully handle new or difficult situations and environments.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with excellent project management skills.

• Experience working with diverse range of communities and people.
• Real estate experience preferred