Housing Solutions Specialist II (Closes 8/3)

About the role

If hired for this position, you would be an employee of our partner agency, Community Family Advocates, working onsite at Allegheny County DHS. This position sits in the Office of Community Services within the Allegheny County Department of Human Services as part of the Housing Solutions Team.

Responsibilities

• Supporting individuals successfully transitioning out of emergency shelters
• Providing technical assistance to internal DHS housing focused teams
• Collaborating with community partners to increase access to affordable housing opportunities for individuals experiencing homelessness in the emergency shelter system
• Working directly with individuals to establish connections with housing opportunities
• Providing guidance and collaboration with other members of housing focused teams at DHS
• Maintaining an expanding database of available and accessible housing opportunities as well as the requirements to determine eligibility for interested individuals
• Serving as a liaison between participating landlords, property managers, participants, and housing program staff
• Ensuring eligible households are prepared and equipped to transition successfully into permanent, affordable, and stable housing by completing needed referrals, connecting to available resources, and providing access to needed tangible household goods
• Providing direct assistance to help resolve housing crises
• Completing assessments, as appropriate, for homeless housing services & supports relating to homeless services
• Advocating on the household’s behalf and when appropriate, assisting the household to empower itself to advocate on its behalf
• Connecting individuals experiencing homelessness to housing opportunities through community partners and internal DHS teams
• Engaging individuals in a way in which they are comfortable
• Building partnerships and engaging in positive collaboration with a wide range of individuals and organizations
• Tracking supports provided
• Participating in team meetings, trainings, and other related events as a resource specialist representing DHS
• Identifying and communicating opportunities to improve processes and services, including need trends and gaps in service for continuous improvement
• Assisting the Housing Solutions Team Supervisor with tasks as needed

Requirements

• Strong knowledge of local, state and federal housing resources and how to access them
• Knowledge of local resources to help stabilize housing situations, such as mediation, utility, and rental assistance programs
• Experience conducting searches for affordable housing
• Knowledge of tenants’ rights and responsibilities
• Strong interpersonal and relationship building skills in a direct service environment
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal
• Ability to build partnerships and engage in positive collaboration with a wide range of individuals and organizations
• Strong organizational skills, problem solving skills, and judgement
• Demonstrated ability to work successfully in culturally diverse settings with diverse populations

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a field of study related to social services
• -OR-
• Bachelor’s degree in a field of study related to social services with at least four (4) years’ experience of field work related to social services
• -OR-
• An equivalent combination of education and experience which meets the required knowledge, skills and abilities