Housing Specialist

Position Summary

The Housing Specialist will engage all eligible aging-out participants in the program. The Housing Specialist will provide housing search and supportive services to promote participants' self-sufficiency, integration into the community, and permanency in housing. The Housing Specialist will perform administrative tasks involved in the review and maintenance of a caseload of the program’s participants.

Essential Duties

• Understand and promote the organization’s Mission, Vision, and Core Values to ensure alignment with organizational policies and procedures.
• Provide housing search and supportive services to promote participants' self-sufficiency, integration into the community, and permanency in housing.
• Work with youth who are aging out of foster care to submit all forms of housing applications by age 19.
• Administer tasks involved in the review and maintenance of a caseload of the program’s participants.
• Aid youth to apply for permanent housing by helping them obtain Section 8 vouchers, apply to the NYC affordable housing lottery, etc.
• Check in on the youth’s application status and follow up with NYCHA and supportive housing as needed.
• Accompany youth to visit supportive housing residences, when needed.
• Provide mediation and advocacy with property owners on the youth’s behalf to develop a workable plan to obtain and or maintain housing.
• Serve as an ongoing liaison between property managers and participants as well as between participants and neighbors.
• Provide information and referral assistance regarding available support from appropriate social service agencies and/or community programs.
• Provide proactive follow-up home visits to ensure stability and further progress towards self-sufficiency; this includes support, advocacy, reducing isolation, listening, problem-solving, and identification of resources to assist with the reintegration of participants in the community.
• Collect and report program data into an evolving, Care 4 and Connection data management system.
• Collaborate with other service providers inter/intro agency.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Two years of relevant housing services experience preferred.
• Bilingual Spanish Speaker Preferred.

Key Competencies

• Experience working with vulnerable youth including aging-out foster care or court-involved youth.
• Strong Microsoft Office suite skills preferred.