Housing Specialist

Job Title: Housing Specialist (Lilac Meadows)

Reports to: Housing Program Coordinator

Hours: Full Time (M-F, 8-5), (occasional Saturday or Sunday availability required)

Pay Rate: $21.65 - $25.70

Compensation: 100% paid medical and dental insurance, AD&D, short and long term disability insurance, holidays and paid leave

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Location: Lilac Meadows (Family Shelter)

Want to help make a difference? Our Just Future counters the forces that keep people and communities in poverty by building relationships and assets that create opportunity - today and for future generations.

We partner with people and communities impacted by poverty so they can achieve long-term housing and economic security. We invest in affordable housing and community assets that contribute to strong, inclusive neighborhoods. We advocate with our community for policies and investments that expand housing and economic opportunity, eliminate wealth inequality and end poverty.

East Portland/East Multnomah County, Oregon is our home and the heart of our investments, advocacy and programs.

Our Just Future envisions vibrant, healthy neighborhoods where all people can share in the security, hopes and advantages of a thriving, supportive community.

Our Just Future operates as a nimble, financially strong organization driven by our passion, strategic goals and guiding principles.

Diversity, inclusion and equity are fundamental values for Our Just Future, both internally and externally. HSI has an Anti-Oppression Diversity Committee, which serves as a sounding board for new internal policies and procedures to make sure that we’re taking into account diversity and inclusion. It also helps with diversity-related projects, such as coordinating staff diversity trainings and providing ongoing input into our equity work.

Our Just Future is working to end homelessness and poverty in our community because everyone deserves a safe place to call home.

What Our Just Future Can Offer You: We offer a comprehensive array of benefits in support of your physical, emotional and financial well-being. A few highlights:

• Employer paid premiums for employee health insurance.
• Generous paid time off, 13 paid holidays, a floating birthday holiday and the ability to maintain a great work/life balance.
• Employer paid premiums for short-term and long-term disability insurance and life insurance.
• Access to an employee assistance program.

• Flexible spending accounts for health and for dependent care.
• Professional development opportunities, including employee driven committees and monthly optional staff workshops.
• Access to wellness initiatives and resources including things such as walking groups, yoga classes, workshops on stress management, self-care and healthy living.
• Opportunity to contribute to a 401k retirement plan with a 2% employer match after three months of employment.
• Six weeks of sabbatical leave for every seven years of consecutive employment with the agency.

SUMMARY

Provide housing search support and temporary rental assistance and supportive services to vulnerable, homeless families in order to secure safe and stable housing. Work with families to identify their natural supports and explore housing options. Build working and collaborative relationships with landlords and other agencies in the community to help facilitate viable and appropriate housing options and resources for participants.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential

• Perform housing intakes with homeless families and set housing goals with them based on their strengths and barriers.
• Conduct in-depth strength-based assessment with families to identify housing and work history, physical/emotional health, legal issues, debt, social support, strengths, struggles, and available resources.
• Assist families with housing search including helping them to overcome barriers to housing, assisting with application process, letters of explanation and requests for reasonable accommodation where applicable.
• Perform housing inspections.
• Work collaboratively with a broad diversity of homeless families including people of all races, nationalities, languages, ages, abilities and families of all configurations.
• Monitor families’ progress and needs. Provide ongoing supportive services for families pursuant to their respective assessments and plans, as appropriate.
• Use creativity and resourcefulness to ensure that families are aware of all community resources available for them and advocate with other service providers for the needs of families as appropriate, which may include, but are not limited to, housing stability, counseling services, and legal services.
• Facilitate budget discussions with families to formulate and implement a plan that allows them to successfully manage financial resources, provide for current needs, pay down debts where possible, and plan for the future.
• Work with property managers to resolve any issues arising from the tenancy of families on your caseload.
• Maintain accurate, complete, up-to-date documentation of service activities using Our Just Future procedures, forms, and data reporting systems. Submit paperwork in a timely manner.

• Keep current on regional housing laws, renter’s rights, including Fair Housing.
• Provide support to families who are recipients of Housing Vouchers. Act as a liaison between the family and Home Forward and landlords with the required paperwork to complete the voucher process.

Secondary

• Assist with establishing and maintaining relationships with community partners make recommendations for additional partners as needed, including landlords and motel owners.
• Assist with creating and implementing a ‘wrap-around’ service model for shelter participants.
• Participate in staff meetings and staff trainings as needed.
• Assist with triage of shelter participants.
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

The successful candidate must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge and abilities required.

Knowledge of:

• Development and implementation of client centered service planning.
• Trauma Informed Care, Assertive Engagement, and other best practices models of consumer engagement.
• Local and regional housing markets, basic landlord tenant laws and tenant rights.
• Social and economic issues creating poverty, working successfully with practices and techniques related to people with low income to achieve greater self- sufficiency.
• Community resources and agencies providing social services needed by the homeless population.

Ability to:

• Coordinate delivery of housing support services with Community Programs Managers, Family Shelter Managers and staff.
• Empower and support homeless and low income persons in life choices and change.
• Partner with participants to identify their strengths, needs, options and effective solutions.
• Non-judgmentally elicit information and help problem solve around sensitive issues including, but not limited to, alcohol and drug use, domestic violence, child abuse, mental health, and criminal background.
• Plan and collaborate delivery of services.
• Knowledge of, and/or willingness to learn and apply an Assertive Engagement model of providing services and incorporating Trauma-Informed principles to services rendered.
• Work cooperatively with all volunteers and staff.
• Develop and maintain cooperative and productive working relationships within Our Just Future, public and private agencies, landlords and participants.
• Be culturally sensitive and competent when working with diverse populations.
• Prepare and maintain clear, accurate, complete and timely records and reports.
• Maintain strict confidentiality and professional boundaries with all households served.
• Understand and follow complex written and oral instructions, rules and procedures.
• Work independently and be a vital and contributing part of a team.
• Complete paperwork, documentation and data requirements in a timely manner.
• Maintain accurate and organized files with required documents.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's Degree in social service/social sciences field with at least six (6) months case management and/or housing assistance experience; or any combination of education and work experience in social services and/or poverty/homelessness issues or related topics totaling one year.
• At least one year experience developing and/or implementing individualized service plans.
• Experience with crisis intervention and/or Assertive Engagement.
• Bi-lingual fluency preferred but not required.
• General computer, word processing and spreadsheet skills.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; sit; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and distance vision.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

TRANSPORTATION

Possession of a valid driver’s license, clean driving record and reliable transportation required. Vehicle insurance coverage limits must be $100,000 bodily injury liability for one person, $300,000 bodily injury liability for all people in an accident and $100,000 property damage liability.

TO APPLY

Please have resume with cover letter and contact information for three professional references ready upon applying. Letters of reference are not necessary, simply the names, job titles, relationship, and contact information of people who can provide a professional reference. This position is open until filled. Please no phone calls.