Affordable Housing Compliance Manager – LIHTC, HUD & HOME

Affordable Housing Compliance Manager

Reports To: Compliance Director
Position: Full-Time
Department: Affordable Housing Compliance / Property Management
Portfolio: Nebraska, Iowa & South Dakota

J & M Property Management is seeking an experienced and highly knowledgeable Affordable Housing Compliance Manager to join our growing property management organization.

This position will serve as a key technical resource for J & M's affordable and conventional multifamily portfolio and will be responsible for ensuring assigned properties operate in accordance with applicable federal, state, local, investor, lender, and company requirements.

The ideal candidate will possess advanced working knowledge and current professional certifications in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC/Section 42), HUD/Section 8, and HOME programs, along with significant hands-on experience reviewing and approving applicant and resident certification files.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

1. Affordable Housing Application Review & Approval

Serve as a primary compliance reviewer and technical resource for affordable housing applications within the assigned portfolio.

Responsibilities include:

• Review prospective resident applications for compliance with applicable affordable housing program requirements.
• Determine household eligibility under LIHTC, HUD/Section 8, HOME, and other applicable affordable housing programs.
• Review household composition and eligibility.
• Verify appropriate income limits based upon program, property, household size, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Review income calculations for wages, self-employment, Social Security, pensions, retirement income, child support, recurring contributions, and other applicable income sources.
• Review asset calculations and income from assets.
• Review student status and applicable student-rule requirements.
• Review citizenship or eligible immigration documentation when applicable to the governing program.
• Review required third-party verifications and supporting documentation.
• Review applicable deductions, allowances, and adjustments under HUD programs.
• Verify correct rent limits, utility allowances, tenant rent calculations, and subsidy calculations when applicable.
• Review Tenant Income Certifications and related certification documentation.
• Identify missing, inconsistent, outdated, or insufficient documentation.
• Communicate required corrections to property teams.
• Provide final compliance approval before move-in when required by company policy or program requirements.
• Maintain accurate documentation supporting compliance decisions.

2. Annual & Interim Recertifications

Manage and support the resident recertification process throughout the assigned affordable housing portfolio.

Responsibilities include:

• Review annual recertifications for completeness and accuracy.
• Review interim recertifications when required by the applicable housing program.
• Monitor upcoming certification deadlines.
• Work with property teams to prevent overdue recertifications.
• Review changes in household composition, income, assets, student status, and other eligibility factors.
• Verify continued program eligibility.
• Review rent and subsidy calculations.
• Review changes resulting from updated income limits, rent limits, utility allowances, or regulatory guidance.
• Ensure certifications are completed within required program timelines.
• Assist property teams with difficult or unusual household circumstances.
• Review and approve corrections to previously completed certifications when appropriate.
• Monitor late, incomplete, or problematic recertifications and escalate material compliance risks to the Compliance Director.

3. LIHTC / Section 42 Compliance

Serve as a subject matter resource for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program within the assigned portfolio.

Responsibilities include:

• Maintain working expertise regarding Internal Revenue Code Section 42 and applicable compliance-monitoring requirements.
• Review initial tenant certifications and applicable recertifications.
• Monitor applicable income and rent limits.
• Monitor utility allowances and required implementation dates.
• Understand and monitor applicable minimum set-aside elections.
• Understand and administer properties utilizing the Average Income Test, when applicable.
• Monitor unit designations and applicable income restrictions.
• Review student eligibility requirements.
• Monitor Available Unit Rule requirements.
• Monitor Vacant Unit Rule requirements.
• Review transfers involving LIHTC households.
• Assist with acquisition/rehabilitation, lease-up, and newly placed-in-service properties when applicable.
• Assist in maintaining compliance throughout the required compliance and extended-use periods.
• Review tenant files in preparation for state agency, investor, syndicator, lender, or other compliance audits.
• Assist in responding to findings and correcting identified deficiencies.
• Maintain appropriate compliance documentation and audit trails.

4. HUD / Section 8 Compliance

Provide technical support and oversight for properties participating in applicable HUD and Section 8 programs.

Responsibilities may include:

• Applicant eligibility.
• Waiting-list administration.
• Tenant selection requirements.
• Income determination.
• Asset verification.
• Rent calculations.
• Initial certifications.
• Annual recertifications.
• Interim recertifications.
• Household composition changes.
• Unit transfers.
• Lease requirements.
• Assistance termination requirements.
• Enterprise Income Verification (EIV), where applicable.
• HUD-50059 processing and review, where applicable.
• Tenant Rental Assistance Certification System (TRACS) requirements, where applicable.
• Housing Assistance Payment requirements.
• Applicable HUD notices, handbooks, and regulatory guidance.
• Management and Occupancy Review preparation.
• Responding to compliance findings and corrective-action requirements.

5. HOME Program Compliance

Maintain expertise regarding HOME-assisted rental housing requirements applicable to J & M's portfolio.

Responsibilities include:

• Review initial tenant eligibility.
• Review required income determinations.
• Monitor HOME income limits.
• Monitor HOME rent limits.
• Review annual income recertifications.
• Monitor applicable affordability-period requirements.
• Review utility allowances where applicable.
• Monitor unit designation and occupancy requirements.
• Assist with HOME compliance reviews and monitoring.
• Maintain required tenant and property documentation.
• Assist property teams in correcting HOME compliance deficiencies.

6. Market-Rate Application Review & Approval

In addition to affordable housing responsibilities, the Compliance Manager will assist with the review and approval of market-rate applications within their assigned portfolio. A full job description will be provided. 

7. Team Training & Development

A major responsibility of this position is to increase the compliance knowledge and capability of J & M's operational teams.

8. File Auditing & Quality Control- a full job description will be provided. 

Establish strong quality-control practices throughout the assigned portfolio.

9. Regulatory & Agency Compliance- a full job description will be provided. 

Maintain current knowledge of regulatory requirements affecting J & M's affordable housing portfolio.

Specialized experience with affordable housing programs and compliance requirements in Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota is strongly preferred.

10. Fair Housing & Resident Selection Compliance

Ensure that application, certification, and leasing practices are administered consistently and in accordance with applicable requirements.

Responsibilities include:

• Maintain strong knowledge of Fair Housing requirements.
• Promote consistent application of tenant selection criteria.
• Assist teams with reasonable accommodation and reasonable modification processes as appropriate to the role.
• Understand applicable VAWA requirements for covered housing programs.
• Review waiting-list and applicant-selection procedures where applicable.
• Help ensure that documentation supports consistent and defensible leasing decisions.
• Immediately escalate potential Fair Housing or other significant regulatory concerns to the Compliance Director and appropriate leadership.

11. Compliance Reporting & Portfolio Management

The Compliance Manager will be assigned a portfolio of properties and will be accountable for the compliance performance of that portfolio.

Responsibilities include:

• Maintain certification and recertification tracking.
• Track outstanding application approvals.
• Monitor overdue or upcoming compliance requirements.
• Maintain property-specific compliance calendars.
• Track audit findings and corrective actions.
• Provide regular compliance-status reporting to the Compliance Director.
• Identify high-risk properties or recurring compliance issues.
• Recommend corrective-action plans.
• Participate in portfolio and operational meetings.
• Collaborate with Regional and Property Managers regarding compliance performance.
• Maintain organized electronic compliance records.

Required Qualifications

Candidates should possess:

• Minimum 5 years of affordable multifamily housing compliance experience preferred, with substantial hands-on experience reviewing and approving tenant files.
• Demonstrated expertise in LIHTC/Section 42, HUD/Section 8, and HOME compliance.
• Current professional certifications demonstrating expertise in the required affordable housing programs.
• Experience performing initial certification and recertification reviews.
• Advanced knowledge of income and asset calculations.
• Experience reviewing affordable housing applications for eligibility.
• Experience training property management or leasing professionals.
• Strong knowledge of Fair Housing requirements.
• Experience with regulatory audits and compliance reviews.
• Ability to interpret complex regulations and translate them into understandable operating procedures.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple properties, deadlines, and competing priorities.
• Strong computer skills and experience with property management/compliance software.
• Ability and willingness to travel to properties throughout the assigned portfolio as needed.

Required / Preferred Certifications

Candidates must possess recognized professional certifications demonstrating competency in the primary programs administered by the portfolio.

Highly desirable credentials include certifications such as:

• HCCP – Housing Credit Certified Professional
• SHCM – Specialist in Housing Credit Management
• TCS – Tax Credit Specialist
• C3P – Certified Credit Compliance Professional
• COS – Certified Occupancy Specialist
• CPO – Certified Professional of Occupancy
• Appropriate HOME Program compliance certification or documented HOME compliance training

Equivalent nationally recognized certifications demonstrating advanced competency in LIHTC, HUD/Section 8, and HOME compliance may be considered.