Housing Specialist - Washington, United States - Community of Hope

Community of Hope

Verified Company

Washington, United States

2 weeks ago

Posted by:

Mark Lane

beBee recruiter

Description

:

Housing Specialist

Are you excited about a new opportunity? Do you have a passion for working with underserved families and individuals in DC? Are you mission-driven to help towards ending homelessness? Well, look no further At Community of Hope, we have worked diligently to improve health and end family homelessness to make Washington, DC, more equitable. We believe everyone in DC should have access to good healthcare, a stable income, and home, and hope If you are ready to make a positive difference in the community, this position is for you

At COH, we strive for:

Caring for Families. Improving Lives. Leading Change**
Our Approach and Values:

We
care for families by providing direct services with a focus on prevention, healing, and wellness.

We
improve lives by building on families' strengths, honoring their choices, and taking a whole-family, multi-generational approach.

We
lead and advocate for system change to address the effects of historical and current racial inequities on health outcomes and housing opportunities.

We
embrace the diversity of our community, welcome all voices and perspectives, and treat everyone with respect, compassion, and integrity.

We
strive for excellence in all that we do, implement evidence-based practices, measure our outcomes, and use this knowledge to continuously strengthen our work.

Position Summary:

The Housing Specialist is responsible for researching and compiling vacancies, as well as coordinating and providing services to help families identify, obtain, and retain housing.

In this role, you will work closely with all Housing Program Directors to provide information, guidance, and coordination for all housing program staff to strengthen housing placement and retention efforts.

_ Salary - Indeed provides its own estimated salary calculator and is not affiliated with COH's range. The salary for this position starts in the low 50's and is based on education and experience._

Highlighted Duties and Responsibilities:

Supports case managers in keeping families stably housed by working with local agencies and landlords or identifying other options as needed;
Conducts ongoing research to compile available units and distribute among all Housing Program staff for dissemination to clients
Provides housing related advice, consultation and guidance to all case managers to better assist families, including but not limited to, topics related to tenancy problems, late payments, lease violations, DC Housing Codes, tenant rights, landlord rights, and landlord/tenant court processes.
Reviews previous housing histories of families and identifies possible barriers to obtaining and retaining housing; works with family and case manager on decreasing barriers
Coordinates with case managers to assist their clients with housing search, supports clients in viewing units in collaboration with case manager, advocates with landlords on behalf of clients, negotiates prices with landlords and facilitates the leaseup process.
Provides support to landlords to help them better serve clients via community resources, referrals to educational events, and seminars as needed.
In coordination with case managers, works closely with external agencies and advocates on behalf of clients for social and financial services to help families maintain their housing.
Consults with legal services staff regarding actions taken in order to prevent evictions as needed.
Makes referrals for health and emotional wellness services to Community of Hope's clinics as appropriate.

Requirements:

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required.
Minimum of two years' experience working in housing/homelessness field preferred.
Minimum one year experience working with landlords or connecting individuals to housing required. Minimum three years' experience working with landlords or connecting individuals to housing required if no degree.
Strong interpersonal and organizational skills.
Knowledge of local housing continuum and program requirements preferred.
Some knowledge of fair housing and tenants' rights preferred.
Ability to work flexible hours as needed to accommodate client and program schedules required.
Experience working with people experiencing homelessness and/or living in poverty strongly preferred.
A valid driver's license and regular access to a car, as well as proof of auto insurance, required for staff working in scattered site housing programs.

At COH, we understand the toll that the Covid-19 pandemic has taken on the workforce, which is why we prioritize the following well-being and work-life balance-centered benefits:

Remote work opportunities are available for many of our roles, promoting a culture of worklife balance.
8hour workdays, which include a paid lunch
11.5 paid company holidays, 1 personal floating holiday, 15 days of paid vacat