POSITION: Housing Specialist
REPORTS TO: Executive Director of Residential Services
CLASSIFICATION: Full Time
STATUS: Salaried Non-Exempt
General Description: The Housing Specialist provides assistance, information and support to participants throughout the residential programs in an effort to find safe, appropriate housing of participants’ choice, using subsidies and/or other available resources to maintain residential stability. The Housing Specialist promotes participants’ self-sufficiency, integration in the community and permanency in housing.
Key Areas of Responsibility:
· Assesses participants' eligibility in determining their housing and service needs.
· Identifies and seeks to eliminate housing barriers including performing budget counseling.
· Assists participants with the search for available properties and negotiating terms on behalf of participant.
· Collaborates with government agencies, community organizations and property owners.
· Develops, cultivates and maintains housing resources which includes establishing relationships with landlords and brokers.
· Ensures that participants understand their rights and responsibilities as tenants.
· Investigates and resolves client and landlord issues.
· Provides information and refers participants to additional support programs or services.
· Transports participants as deemed necessary, including but not limited to open
· houses/apartment viewings and/or lease signings.
· Prepares and maintains daily logs, records, activity documentation and reports and issues residency letters, as needed.
· Understands and adheres to program rules and restrictions.
· Manages a caseload that consists of participants from multiple sites/different boroughs.
· Conducts weekly site visits to program sites, meeting with the identified participants and property managers.
· Hosts on-site housing-ready workshops.
· Assists with the closure of cases.
· Completes pro-active follow up home visits to ensure stability and further progress towards self-sufficiency; this includes support, advocacy, reducing isolation, listening, problem solving and identification of resources to assist with reintegration of participants in the community.
Education:
· Bachelor’s Degree in a human services, social work or related field.
· Minimum of 3-years' experience as a Housing Specialist with homeless and/or underserved populations.
Skills & Abilities:
· Knowledge and belief in the “Housing First” philosophy and strategies.
· Knowledgeable about the New York City housing market, entitlement programs, social service agencies and community services, including current housing subsidies and public benefits programs.
· Knowledge of regulatory standards and property management.
· Good communication, interpersonal and listening skills.
· Strong analytical, mediating and negotiation skills.
· Excellent organizational and case management skills with ability to manage multiple caseloads from different sites.
· Sensitive to intersectionality, different cultures, housing equality and a demonstrated ability to work within a social/racial justice framework.
· Creative thinker/adaptive personality.
· Commitment to empowering others to solve their own problems.
· Conviction about the capacity of people to grow and change.
· Ability to establish and set appropriate limits with persons served to help them gain skills and confidence.
· Ability to work collaboratively with other personnel and/or service providers or professionals.
· Capacity to maintain a role to empower participants and to intervene appropriately to meet service goals.
· Bilingual preferred.
· Working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word and Excel).
· Knowledge of Foothold Technology/AWARDS software system a plus.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $47,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Schedule:
Ability to Relocate:
- Bronx, NY 10474: Relocate before starting work (Required)
Work Location: In person