Housing Acquisition Specialist

Job Location: Sacramento

Salary: $25.48 / hour

Organization Overview

Founded in 2004, Brilliant Corners provides innovative housing and housing-related services to California’s most vulnerable individuals, with an emphasis on those transitioning from, or at risk of, homelessness or institutionalization. We develop, own, and manage multi-family supportive housing and licensed residential care homes. We implement a broad array of scattered-site, one-on-one supportive housing, and clinical case management programs through partnerships with developmental services, homeless services, veterans’ services, and health care sectors.

In short, we do good work.

We have offices statewide with a staff of passionate people. While we are growing rapidly, we are also selective: We’re seeking inspired, talented people who want to be effecting profound change and who have fun doing it.

Department Summary

The Brilliant Corners’ Housing Services Team is nationally recognized for its ability to secure scattered-site and project-based housing within tight rental markets. We use robust landlord engagement strategies, including financial incentives, to secure community-based units for vulnerable populations. Our participants include people exiting institutions, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and people experiencing homelessness. We pair landlord engagement with tenancy-centered services using a customer-service approach to ensure shared success for our participants, property providers, case management partners, and funders. This collaborative approach is instrumental in ending cycles of homelessness and institutionalization for hundreds of people in the San Francisco Greater Bay Area and thousands of people across California.

Program Summary

The Sacramento Flexible Housing Pool (FHP) is a new countywide initiative led by Brilliant Corners in partnership with the Sacramento County Department of Homeless Services and Housing (DHSH). The program provides a centralized system to help individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness quickly access and maintain permanent housing.

In its first year, FHP will serve at least 250 households prioritizing adults experiencing homelessness who also live with serious mental illness (SMI) or substance use disorder (SUD). Through rental subsidies, housing navigation, tenancy supports, and landlord engagement, FHP connects people to stable housing while offering the supports needed to prevent returns to homelessness. By braiding multiple funding streams, including CalAIM, BHSA, PATH CITED, and others, FHP is designed to grow over time into Sacramento County’s primary rehousing pathway, ensuring equitable access to housing and long-term stability for the community’s most vulnerable residents.

Position Summary

Housing Acquisitions Specialists are integral members of the FHP team, specializing in securing market-rate rental units throughout Sacramento County. The team is recognized for providing innovative vacancy solutions for landlords. Using a dynamic set of program incentives (i.e. reduced vacancy loss via holding agreements, a competitive rental subsidy, reduced turnover costs via damage mitigation funding, etc.), the Housing Acquisitions Specialist serves as a one-stop-shop for landlords to fill their vacancies. This role is ideal for organized, personable professionals who are passionate about advancing housing solutions within a collaborative, team-oriented environment.

Requirements

Position Responsibilities

• Identify and secure appropriate rental housing throughout Sacramento County.

• Identify and pursue leasing opportunities via phone, online channels, social media, face-to-face engagement, and canvassing.

• Market and network FHP program incentives to prospective landlords, property managers, and associations.

• Conduct housing quality inspections following established checklists and program guidelines, and report findings; advise stakeholders of any deficiencies to correct and resolve violations.

• Provide unit hold and leads information to Housing Coordinator team and facilitate the successful lease up of acquired units.

• Provide and maintain account management, provide continuous support to property providers, nurture repeat business opportunities, facilitate communication.

• Maintain and update thorough and accurate lead/property data within the internal database system (Salesforce).

• Collect data and assist in preparing reports related to acquisition activities; follow established procedures and templates to support program tracking.

• Other duties as assigned by program management.

Professional Experience

• Experience in leasing, real estate, property management, supportive housing, Sacramento County rental markets, city planning/public policy, subsidy programs or sales highly desired

• Possession of a Housing Quality Standards (HQS) certification is a plus, but not required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

• Strong interpersonal skills

• Ability to utilize critical thinking skill, follow established procedures, good organizational and record-keeping skills, and apply problem-solving skills within clearly defined guidelines

• Willingness to travel and make multiple visits in the community

• Access to reliable transportation, possession of a valid California driver’s license, a clean driving record, and automobile insurance

• Ability to tactfully support communication and coordination between landlord and tenant

• Basic computer knowledge, MS Word, and Excel (moderate to strong) required; PowerPoint preferred

• Flexibility required regarding scheduling and prioritizing of tasks

Core Competencies

• Customer Focus: Is dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external stakeholders; gets first-hand client information and uses it for improvements in products and services; acts with clients in mind; establishes and maintains effective relationships with all stakeholders and gains their trust and respect.

• Organizational Agility: Knowledgeable about how organizations work; knows how to get things done both through formal channels and the informal network; understands the origin and reasoning behind key policies, practices, and procedures; understands the cultures of organizations.

• Time Management: Uses their time effectively and efficiently; values time; concentrates their efforts on the more important priorities; gets more done in less time than others; can attend to a broader range of activities.

Organizational Values

• Humanity: Putting people first: We are committed to meeting people where they’re at, honoring their dignity, diversity, and experience.

• Community: Building a better future: Sustainable housing solutions are fostered through partnership, collaboration, and human connection.

• Ingenuity: Innovating for transformation: Systems-change requires relentless determination, thinking outside the box and challenging the status quo.

Certificates, Licenses, Registration

A valid, clean CA driver’s license and a personal insured vehicle are required.

Travel Requirements

Travel throughout Sacramento County with approximately 50% of the time spent in the community.

Housing Acquisitions Specialist are required to drive approximately 60% - 80% of the time on a monthly basis according to business needs. Travel may consists of a few visits a month into the office for meetings, trainings or for work related tasks as well as frequent community visits in the San Francisco, Greater Bay area and possibly Solano county area to view properties and meet with landlords and leasing agents.

Physical Requirements

Candidates should have physical mobility for tasks such as standing, bending, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, twisting, and walking on uneven surfaces. They should be capable of performing stationary tasks like sitting for up to 6 to 8 hours a day. Additionally, candidates should be able to lift,