Housing Assistant

Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) is seeking a part-time staff person to help people apply for and secure the vital documents they need for housing. This role involves submitting, uploading, and tracking documents, communicating with staff and clients about status, and improving process efficiency to help people enter housing as quickly as possible.

About the role

The Housing Assistant will work at one or more emergency shelters in Allegheny County (primarily in downtown Pittsburgh) and at the Human Services Building. The role requires interacting with staff at these locations and at state and federal offices for document delivery and pickup.

Responsibilities

• Staff “document day” at emergency shelters to assist clients in applying for replacement Social Security cards, Birth Certificates, and PA identification/Driver’s licenses.
• Complete all steps to submit applications, including preparing letters, assembling information packages, scanning/uploading copies, and tracking progress.
• Communicate updates on document status to clients, shelter staff, and program leaders.
• Help clients solve problems related to their documents.
• Identify and address issues that delay document processing, proposing solutions to streamline timelines.
• Act independently in the best interest of the project and clients when necessary.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• High School degree or equivalency.
• Proficiency in the following tasks:
  • Merging PDFs
  • Scanning documents
  • Uploading files
  • Using SharePoint or equivalent to store files
  • Writing clear and accurate emails
  • Using Excel or equivalent
• Two years of office work experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience helping individuals apply for records or submitting complex documents (e.g., COMPASS applications, tax filings).
• Administrative experience.

Ideal Candidate

• Mature understanding of homelessness and respectful of clients, including strong listening skills.
• Sense of urgency in work to minimize delays in securing housing.
• Highly organized, resourceful, and process-oriented.
• Proficient in SharePoint, Teams, and Microsoft Forms for information entry, document uploads, and team communication.
• Comfortable communicating with clients in a warm and respectful manner.
• Detail-oriented to avoid errors that could delay housing.

Pay

$22.00 per hour

Schedule

Part-time, Monday & Friday, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM