Job Description About the Agency: The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) promotes quality and affordability in the city’s housing, and diversity and strength in the city’s neighborhoods because every New Yorker deserves a safe, affordable place to live in a neighborhood they love. - We maintain building and resident safety and health. - We create opportunities for New Yorkers through housing affordability. - We engage New Yorkers to build and sustain neighborhood strength and diversity. HPD is entrusted with fulfilling these objectives through the goals and strategies of Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness, Mayor Adams’ comprehensive housing framework. To support this important work, the administration has committed $5 billion in new capital funding, bringing the 10-year planned investment in housing to $22 billion the largest in the city’s history. This investment, coupled with a commitment to reduce administrative and regulatory barriers, is a multi-pronged strategy to tackle New York City’s complex housing crisis, by addressing homelessness and housing instability, promoting economic stability and mobility, increasing homeownership opportunities, improving health and safety, and increasing opportunities for equitable growth. Your Team: The Office of Neighborhood Strategies (ONS) is charged with ensuring that HPD’s development and preservation efforts are guided by meaningful community engagement and coordinated with public investments in infrastructure and services, as put forth in the Mayor's Housing Plan. ONS is composed of two divisions and a cross-divisional unit reporting to the Deputy Commissioner: - The Division of Neighborhood Development & Stabilization (ND&S) leads the agency's commitment to neighborhood planning and strategic preservation through engagement with tenants, landlords, community leaders, and neighborhood stakeholders as we work to enable strong and healthy neighborhoods anchored by affordable housing. - The Division of Planning & Predevelopment (P&P) is central to developing and managing HPD's housing production pipeline from project proposal phases through the land use review and entitlement process, to ensure that HPD's investments contribute to building strong, healthy, resilient neighborhoods in all five boroughs. - The Strategic Initiatives Unit leads special ONS initiatives and provides essential technical, planning, and policy support to staff and the Deputy Commissioner of Neighborhood Strategies. Your Impact: As the Fair Housing Planner for the Neighborhood Planning Unit in the Division of Neighborhood Development and Stabilization, you will work at the intersection of planning, policy, and public engagement to ensure that HPD investments are leveraging and incentivizing other public and private investments to achieve broader community objectives that strengthen the social, economic, and physical health of neighborhoods. The Neighborhood Planning Unit partners with other HPD divisions, City and State agencies, local stakeholders, and community-based organizations to facilitate comprehensive, community-based planning processes; produce neighborhood housing plans and policies; and implement policy-related planning initiatives, including Where We Live NYC. Your Role: Under the direction of the Director and Deputy Director of Neighborhood Planning, you will implement policy and planning initiatives in connection with the City’s obligation to affirmatively further fair housing. In this role, you will help develop meaningful solutions that promote a more just and inclusive New York City. Alongside the other fair housing staff in the Neighborhood Planning Unit and HPD’s Division of Housing Policy, you will advance programs and policies, including Where We Live NYC, that confront discrimination, segregation, and disparities in access to thriving neighborhoods. Where We Live NYC, the City’s 2020 comprehensive fair housing plan, identified goals and strategies to eliminate NYC’s barriers to fair housing. HPD is now working towards an updated 2025 fair housing plan that will include bold new strategies to create opportunity for all New Yorkers. You will also support the Unit’s neighborhood-based planning and community engagement, including sitebased affordable housing developments and areawide plans, like the Jewel Streets Neighborhood Plan. Candidates should have knowledge of or experience with NYC housing policies and programs, land use and zoning, and community engagement. Strong written and verbal communications and project management skills are required. Your Responsibilities: The Fair Housing Planner will be expected to: - Work with Neighborhood Planning Unit’s other fair housing staff and teams across the agency to carry out the obligations and commitments described in the city’s comprehensive fair housing plan, Where We Live NYC, and fair housing assessment, Local Law 167 of 2023. - Develop and carry out citywide and community-based engagement strategies for Where We Live and Local Law 167. - Analyze complex geo-spatial issues, including demographic, housing, and real estate trends and conditions, as well as development and preservation opportunities, to support fair housing policies. - Create clearly articulated and compelling materials, such as presentations, data visualizations, maps, and plain-language explanations of complex policy issues for internal external audiences. - Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders, develop strategies, and produce and implement public reports related to the City’s housing production targets and strategic equity framework defined in Local Law 167. - Conduct public education about fair housing law, planning principles, and the City’s efforts to affirmatively further fair housing. - Build capacity around fair housing within ONS and support other units in integrating fair housing concepts into their projects, policies, and engagement. - Support other NPU initiatives, such as area-wide affordable housing plans and related implementation strategies. - Recruit and manage interns. Preferred skills: 1. Education: Candidates with master’s degrees in urban planning, urban studies, sociology, public policy, law, or political science are preferred. 2. Professional experience: A minimum of two years of professional experience in a related field is preferred. 3. Subject matter expertise: Knowledge of New York City government, housing, and neighborhood development issues (with an emphasis on issues affecting low-income tenants and homeowners), and zoning and land use policy. 4. Mapping and data analysis: Ability to create maps using ArcGIS or similar program; experience using data to improve programs, policies, and processes. Experience with coding and statistical analysis (R, Stata, Python, etc.) a plus, but not required. 5. Communication: Excellent written, graphic, and public speaking skills. Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office applications, including Excel and PowerPoint. 6. Commitment to social justice: An understanding of the historic and systemic causes of social inequities and a proven commitment to undo these wrongs. 7. Community Engagement: Successful experience interfacing with community boards, civic associations, neighborhood groups, and elected officials. Ability to relate to people from different backgrounds and to present information clearly to people from different educational and literacy levels. 8. Project management: Ability to work independently, take initiative, and work effectively with others. Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and manage multiple projects in a timely manner. 9. Policy analysis: Experience conducting policy research and sharing findings in memoranda and reports. 10. Good judgment: Ability to analyze a situation, understand when additional input is needed, resolve issues independently, and escalate when appropriate. Qualifications 1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties described above; or 2. High school graduation or equivalent and six years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties as described above; or 3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least one year of experience as described in "1" above. Additional Information The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.