Description

ORGANIZATION: SHELTER, Inc. is an independent, community-based non-profit organization created in 1986 to lead Contra Costa County's effort to eliminate homelessness.

MISSION: To prevent and end homelessness among low-income, homeless, and disadvantaged families and individuals by providing housing services, support and resources that lead to self-sufficiency.

JOB TITLE: Housing Navigator

WORK LOCATION: Concord, Fairfield or Sacramento

STATUS: Non-exempt/Full Time

TEAM: Property and Housing

REPORTS TO: Housing Navigator Manager

SUPERVISES: None

PURPOSE of ROLE: This position is responsible for tenant education, land lord outreach, development and maintenance of an inventory of housing units for participants, as well as assisting participants with creating an individual service plan for housing self-sufficiency.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

TENANT EDUCATION

• Facilitate and/or conduct group and individual tenant training sessions, as assigned by supervisor, on topics including but not limited to:
  • How to review and respond to available housing leads
  • Prepare rental resume and references
  • Free credit reports
  • Negotiation with prospective landlords
  • How to complete a rental application and address barriers to tenant selection
  • Tenant Rights
  • Fair Housing and Reasonable Accommodation
• Provide assessments of each client and create individual housing case plans including written recommendations for housing needs

LANDLORD OUTREACH & HOUSING SEARCH SUPPORT

• Locate and build relationships with landlords who are willing to SHELTER, Inc. participants and promote the SHELTER Inc. brand by maintaining positive relations through professional conduct and appropriate follow up.
• Provides support for referrals to appropriate housing, identifying vacancies based on needs and availability, assisting with scheduling apartment viewings, submitting rental applications, and follow-up with property owners.
• Negotiate rental agreements with landlords, conduct housing inspections, and assist participants with review of lease agreements and move-ins.
• Match landlord qualifications with participant needs.
• Assist in assuring housing meets habitability standards.
• Assure appropriate documentation is in order for facilities considered for participant placement.
• Maintain collaborative working relationship with other community service providers.
• Assist staff at outside partner agencies as programs may require.

SERVICE COORDINATION

• Maintain liaison with vendors.
• Participate in program staff meetings, case conferences as needed.
• Maintain communication with SHELTER, Inc. support services staff on housing placement status and assessment of participants ability to secure housing.
• Participate in monthly house meetings with residents in transitional housing with services and housing staff to work on transition housing plans as needed.
• Acts as a liaison between landlord and tenant as needed.
• Attend outside meetings and conferences as directed.
• Represent Agency internal and external customers.
• Ensures that all participant files are maintained, accurate, and current.
• Maintain documentation and tracking of housing search referrals.
• Participate in departmental and agency-wide meetings.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

EXPECTED PROFICIENCIES:

• Must be familiar with or can work with re-entry, special needs & homeless populations
• Property, asset and mathematic skills
• Analytical and problem-solving skills
• High attention to detail and strong organizational skills with the ability to perform multiple functions simultaneously in a timely manner
• Ability to work well with individuals from diverse socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds
• De-escalation and conflict resolution skills a must
• Ability to use good judgment and work independently
• Ability to interpret and apply complex, sometimes competing regulatory/contractual requirements
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Ability to organize meetings, manage group processes and facilitate schedules/logistics
• Quality control - demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness, monitors own work to ensure quality and applies feedback to improve performance
• Maintains the highest standards of confidentiality with all records, including organizational and individual information

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Knowledge of the Bay Area, Fairfield or Sacramento housing market with a focus on Contra Costa, Solano and Sacramento Counties
• Computer proficiency (Microsoft Word, Outlook and Excel)
• Training and presentation skills
• Database software experience
• Must have strong administrative and office skills
• Ability to add, subtracts, multiply and divide, using whole numbers, fractions, and decimals Including ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent
• Experience working in diverse settings with people across all socio-economic spectrums and a wide variety of personalities and roles - staff, residents, local agencies, contractors, lenders, etc.
• Access to reliable personal transportation required, including a DMV record that permits driver to be insured under SHELTER, Inc.s automobile coverage
• Must successfully pass a criminal background check

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Two years experience working in affordable housing or supportive housing environment
• Working knowledge of landlord-tenant, fair housing, Section 504, ADA, Section 8, with ability to comprehend HUD manuals, regulatory agreements
• Knowledge of rental subsidy programs (HUD Project Base Section 8, Housing Choice Voucher, Tax Credit, Shelter Plus Care, HOME, etc.)
• Experience in placement assistance in low-income subsidized or supportive housing arrangements
• Experience working with persons with physical and/or mental health disabilities
• Experience CLARITY or other HMIS software systems
• REAC and HQS training
• Bilingual English/Spanish

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described below 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 talk and hear. The employee is often required to sit and use their hands and fingers to handle or feel objects. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

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 of this job.

There are no unusual environmental conditions. Typically, the noise level in the work environment is quiet.

Benefit Package Includes

• 18 days of Paid Time Off to start, stepping up to 25 days over 8 years (vacation, sick, personal)
• 15 paid holidays including your birthday!
• Tuition reimbursement
• Medical insurance Fully paid employee coverage of at least three plans and 50% of dependents premium (Kaiser, Sutter Health and Anthem Blue Cross)
• Dental Fully paid employee coverage and 50% of your dependents premium
• Vision Fully paid employee coverage and 50% of your dependents premium
• Flexible spending account
• Group term Life insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment Fully paid employee coverage
• Long-term disability insurance Fully paid employee coverage
• Employee Assistance Program
• Voluntary Pet Insurance through Wishbone Pet Insurance
• Voluntary Aflac insurances
• 403b Retirement Plan with matching contribution

Qualifications

Salary : $27 - $31