Homelessness Prevention&Diversion Naviga

POSITION SUMMARY

The Family Homelessness Prevention and Diversion Navigator provides short-term, intensive housing stabilization and homelessness prevention services to families with children who are at risk of losing their housing. Working within UpSide413's Housing Consumer Education Center (HCEC) referral network, the Navigator helps families access housing resources, develop stabilization plans, resolve housing barriers, and avoid entry into the Emergency Assistance (EA) shelter system.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Report to and work in cooperation with the Program Director and Executive Director and other Center Staff to ensure program quality assurance and advancement of the mission of the Center.
• Provide intensive short-term case management and service coordination tailored to the family's housing needs and related pathways. This will include frequent contact (often multiple contacts per week early in the engagement), home visits or community-based meetings when needed, and consistent coordination with partner systems.
• Develop a stabilization plan with families that identifies immediate risks, short-term housing options, and concrete steps to prevent shelter entry. The plan will include a clear timeline, assigned responsibilities, and a prioritized set of interventions.
• Typical stabilization activities in the first two weeks should include the following:
• Contacting landlords or hosting households to negotiate time, repayment, or a tenancy preservation agreement.
• Coordinating mediation through UpSide413's Housing Mediation Program when disputes or communication barriers are driving eviction risk.
• Determining preliminary eligibility for RAFT and HomeBASE, and initiating applications where appropriate.
• Deploying flexible financial assistance when time-sensitive barriers threaten immediate displacement and other resources are unavailable or insufficient.
• Coinciding immediate housing search steps when tenancy preservation is not possible, including a housing barriers analysis.
• Connecting the family to internal and external services that reduce destabilizing risk factors, such as benefits access, childcare supports, behavioral health services, and/or employment resources, including training and education programs.
• For families facing active eviction proceedings, navigators will coordinate with UpSide413's court-connected staff and Community Legal Aid when appropriate and will ensure that the family has access to housing counseling, mediation support and TPP services, if eligible.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

• Bachelor's degree in Human Services, Social Work, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Experience in case management, housing services, or homelessness prevention.
• Strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse populations and Community Partners.
• Bilingual English/Spanish Preferred.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Intermediate computer skills: proficiency with email, Microsoft office, Access based programs and ability to learn new computer programs.
• Excellent oral, written, and organizational skills.
• Excellent phone and video-conferencing skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to maintain and nurture relationships with partners and funding agencies.
• Ability to manage large caseload with multiple priorities.
• Ability to work independently, utilize sound judgment in making decisions, and appropriately incorporate guidance from supervisors.
• Sensitivity to cultural and socioeconomic diversity.