Housing Specialist

Responsibilities

• Covers development and maintenance of links with reliable landlords, brokers, and realty agencies.
• Maintains an updated database of available resources.
• Guides clients and staff on housing-related issues.
• Affords assistance in securing and maintaining permanent, affordable housing for clients.
• Collaborates with case managers on client cases.
• Inspects apartments to ensure compliance with city, state, and local standards.
• Interviews candidates to assess suitability for housing placement.
• Identifies and addresses barriers to housing, such as language, substance abuse, and appearance.
• Advocates on behalf of participants to secure housing subsidies like Advantage NYC, Section 8, FEPS, etc.
• Maintains tracking forms for placements and provides accurate reports.
• Affords support in developing housing plans for clients.
• Affords assistance in facilitating Open Opportunities for Residents (OOR) processes.
• Affords assistance in reconciling placements and verifying non-advantage placements.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or Equivalent.
• Six Months to One Year of comparable housing or real estate experience working with the NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS) or other similar city-operated organizations.
• Willingness to participate in CPR and First Aid training.
• Willingness to travel in the community to view available apartments with program participants.
• Available to work a flexible schedule as needed in response to participant and staff needs.
• Computer literacy including proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and EHR.
• Experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.