HRC Specialist

About Community Housing Network

Community Housing Network (CHN) is a nonprofit organization committed to providing homes for people in need through proven strategies of homeless prevention, housing assistance, affordable housing development, community education, advocacy, and referrals.  Since 2001, CHN has served as the leading housing resource nonprofit organization in southeast Michigan and serves thousands of families and individuals annually who are facing homelessness, people with disabilities, low-income households, and other vulnerable Michigan residents. 

Community Housing Network is Opening Doors and Transforming Lives through a work environment dedicated to empowering a work/life balance success through our Core Values: Inclusion, Integrity, Innovation and Passion.  

CHN is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and connectedness which includes:

• Creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace to provide better services for participants and staff. 
• Utilizing a trauma informed approach to build rapport with vulnerable populations. 
• Making educational resources available related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, all the while providing a platform for conversation.

Community Housing Network provides excellent employment opportunities with competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package. All full-time employees enjoy a rich package of benefits including:

• Health Insurance
• Dental
• Vision
• Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• 401k
• Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Products: Aflac, Short Term Disability Insurance, Life Insurance
• Generous Vacation and Medical Leave Time

Community Housing Network is an equal-opportunity employer recognized by the Detroit Free Press as a Top 100 Workplace and honored as a Crain’s Cool Place to Work. 

Housing Resource Center (HRC) Specialist

Department: Community Programs

Reports to:   HRC Supervisor

Employment Status Classification: Full Time Hourly; Non-Exempt

Salary Range: $16.00 - $17.00 per hour

Job Description Summary:

Our Housing Resource Center (HRC) is a one-stop-shop to help people with their housing needs. 

As a trained Housing Resource Specialist, you will conduct a screening asking callers about their current housing situation. Their responses will guide you through the screening process to recommend options connecting the caller to the programs and resources that may be able to assist them in resolving their housing crisis. Such programs will include:

• Community resources and programs that provide housing assistance.
• Affordable housing options.
• Information on subsidized housing and other long-term housing options.

As a full-time position you will be working a schedule of 40 hours per week between the hours of 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday.

Essential Functions:   

• Conduct a screening via telephone or in person for individuals in housing crisis.   
• Assess the caller’s needs to provide appropriate referrals and resources, related to eligibility.  
• Assist potential program participants in completing applications for appropriate housing options. 
• Enter details of the call into a secure database such as Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and/or Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Portal.
• Schedule follow up appointments as appropriate for eligible individuals.
• Represent the HRC and Community Housing Network in the community.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Successfully complete required trainings enabling you to enter independently in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) utilized to record data for screening and working with clients at Community Housing Network.
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Computer skills with Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, Outlook and the Internet.                                                                                                                            
• Enjoy working in a team environment and developing professional relationships with other departments and community partners.
• Demonstrate the CHN Core Values of Inclusion, Integrity, Innovation and Passion in all interactions. 
• Must possess excellent interpersonal and telephone communication skills.

Travel:

The position has the opportunity to represent CHN in out of office meetings and community events on occasion and would require the use of your personal automobile.

Reliable transportation, possession of a valid driver’s license, and maintenance of automobile insurance coverage that meets organization coverage limit requirements. (BodilyInjury $100,000 each person and $300,000 each occurrence and Property Damage of $100,000 each occurrence.).

Work Environment and Physical Demands:

This position requires the ability to work from home with equipment provided by CHN, and the ability to come into the Troy office on Corporate Drive as appropriate and necessary (keeping with COVID safety precautions and knowing that guidelines will change). 

While performing the functions of this job,  the position is both sedentary and at times requires the ability to be active including standing, bending, lifting and/or arranging files and office products and supplies and may require employee to periodically stand on a short step stool to access files.

Disclaimer:

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. This job description may be subject to change, and additional duties or responsibilities may be assigned at any time with or without notice.