Housing Administrative Assistant

Job DescriptionJob Description

THE ORGANIZATION

The Center for Justice Innovation is a community justice organization that centers safety and racial justice. Since our founding in 1996, the Center has partnered with community members, courts, and the people most impacted to create stronger, healthier, more just communities. Our decades of experience in courts and communities, coupled with our field-leading research and practitioner expertise, help us drive justice nationwide in innovative, powerful, and durable ways. For more information on how and where we work, please visit www.innovatingjustice.org.  

The Center is a 900-employee, $100 million nonprofit that accomplishes its vision through three pillars of work: creating and scaling operating programs to test new ideas and solve problems, performing original research to determine what works (and what doesn’t), and providing expert assistance and policy guidance to justice reformers around the world.

Operating Programs

The Center’s operating programs, including the award-winning Red Hook Community Justice Center and Midtown Community Justice Center, test new ideas, solve difficult problems, and attempt to achieve systemic change within the justice system. Our projects include community-based violence prevention programs, alternatives to incarceration, reentry initiatives, and court-based initiatives that reduce the use of unnecessary incarceration and promote positive individual and family change. Through this programming, we have produced tangible results like safer streets, reduced incarceration, and improved neighborhood perceptions of justice.

Research

The Center's research teams are staffed with social scientists, data analysts, and lawyers who are academically-trained or have lived experience and who conduct research in the U.S. and globally on diverse criminal-legal system and justice issues. Their work includes evaluating programs and policies; conducting exploratory, community-based studies; and providing research translation and strategic planning for system actors. The Center has published studies on topics including court and jail reform, intimate partner violence, restorative justice, gun violence, reentry, sixth amendment rights, and progressive prosecution. The research teams strive to make their work meaningful and actionable to the communities they work with, policymakers, and practitioners.

Policy & Expert Assistance

The Center provides hands-on, planning and implementation assistance to a wide range of jurisdictions in areas of reform such as problem-solving courts (e.g., community courts, treatment courts, domestic violence courts), tribal justice, reducing incarceration and the use of fines/fees and reducing crime and violence. Our current expert assistance takes many forms, including help with analyzing data, strategic planning and consultation, policy guidance, and hosting site visits to its operating programs in the New York City area. 

Center Support

A dedicated support team within the Center ensures the smooth functioning of operations across various domains, including finance, legal, technology, human resources, fundraising, real estate, and communications. Comprising 15% of the organization's staff, these teams provide essential infrastructure support and innovative solutions aligned with the Center's mission and values. 

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Red Hook Community Resilience Corps is an AmeriCorps National Service Program that seeks to make Red Hook a safer, stronger and a more resilient community for individuals over the age of 18. AmeriCorps members are part of our unconventional programs and services throughout the Center that engage residents and promote public safety. Members work directly with community members to provide services and referrals to address needs centered on economic mobility, housing issues and many other areas. Furthermore, members also will perform service projects throughout the neighborhood and by the end of their service year, members will gain the skills needed to plan and execute their own project.

The Housing Resource Center provides different services and support to tenants living in NYCHA and assist them with navigating the court system process and communicating with the landlords. The program provides legal information and referrals to landlord and tenants with housing issues, including court cases, code compliance and rental assistance.

AVAILABILITY
The start date for this full-time position is November 1, 2024, with an end date of October 31,2025. Applicants must be available to commit to serve 35-hours a week, Monday-Friday between the hours of 9am-5pm with occasional evenings and weekends. 

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Help Desk:

• Provide reception coverage for Help Desk in support of staff to ensure incoming residents are greeted, phone calls are answered and voicemails are responded to;
• Conduct intake assessments with walk-in residents collecting contact info, demographics and brief description of housing needs and enter completed intakes into case management JCA database; 
• Assist NYCHA residents in identifying and reporting repair issues in their apartments and buildings using MyNYCHA webpage or CCC hotline to open tickets;
• Coach residents on photo documented repairs as future court evidence if needed;
• Assist NYCHA residents in filling out annual income recertification through the NYCHA Self Service webpage;
• Problem solve computer errors such as forgot username/password, check status, and scan/upload documents for NYCHA residents;
• Assist residents to use AccessHRA to apply for and recertify public benefits from the Human Resource Administration (HRA), including Cash Assistance, One Shot Deal, SNAP and Fair Fares;
• Assist residents in filling out official court forms for Non-Payment and HP repair cases to submit to clerk’s office window;
• Help residents make copies of supporting documents such as rent payments, repair photos, submitted applications, etc.;
• Recommend next steps focused on eviction prevention and obtaining apartment repairs; such as, HRA, Financial Empowerment Center, Right To Counsel legal service providers, etc.; and
• Organize and restock up-to-date display flyers/guides, bulletin boards and children’s activities shelf.

Housing Court:

• Support court attendance phone calls and/or texts to residents with upcoming housing court dates;
• Help residents navigate through the court building during Wednesday housing court proceedings; and
• Perform computer data entry in JCA database recording court stipulations/orders and resident information before and after housing court.

Outreach:

• Support occasional community outreach on topics related to healthy homes and financial literacy to residents of the Red Hook Houses, activities may include door knocking, outdoor canvassing and tabling during community events; and
• Additional tasks as necessary.

BENEFITS OF SERVING 
Our program has a variety of full-time and minimum-time opportunities. Serving is a great way to strengthen your professional network, make a difference within communities and social justice.

During service, you will receive:

• Full-Time members receive a living allowance of $18,700, and an educational award of $7,395 upon successful completion of their term.
• Minimum-Time members receive a living allowance of $1,500 and an educational award of $1,565.08 upon successful completion of their term.
• Childcare and/or health benefits (available to some members)
• Skills-based and professional development training

After service, you will receive: 

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award to use on future educational expenses or to pay back qualified student loans. The value is dependent on length of service. Members 55+ are eligible to transfer their Education Award to a family member.
• Competitive job edge in your job search, including access to a network of over 600 employers of National Service.

QUALIFICATIONS  

• High School Diploma or equivalent; and
• Interest in working with communities and/or service.

The Center for Justice Innovation is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace, and as such, we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, national origin, age, military service eligibility, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other category protected by law. We strongly encourage and welcome applications from women, people of color, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities, as well as individuals with prior contact with the criminal justice system. Our aim is to create a supportive and respectful environment where every individual, irrespective of their background or identity, feels valued and included.

As of February 10, 2023, New York City Executive Order 25 rescinded the requirement of the COVID-19 vaccination for City workers, new hires, and contracted employees. Accordingly, the Center does not require all new hires be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus; however, the Center recommends all staff, interns, and volunteers stay up-to-date on the vaccination.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete an employment eligibility verification document form upon hire. Kindly refer to the job posting for the relevant contact information. If the contact details are not provided, we kindly ask that you refrain from making inquiries via phone or email, as only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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