Awake Overnight Housing Support Worker

Ywca; Toronto; On-site; CAD 49,000 - 67,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Vision & Dental

Life Insurance

Pension Plan

Vacation & Holidays

Professional Development Support

Job summary

YWCA Toronto is seeking an Overnight Housing Support Worker to assist tenancy in a 120-unit permanent housing site. You will deliver crisis prevention, trauma‑informed supports and harm reduction with a feminist, inclusive lens.

Role requires crisis intervention, group facilitation and collaboration with security and management to ensure safe overnight operations and effective tenant services.

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree or equivalent in social work or related field (Cases for Equivalency considered)
• 1–3 years in housing/shelter, direct service with vulnerable populations
• Strong crisis intervention and conflict mediation skills
• Ability to develop and facilitate groups; leadership within communities

Responsibilities

• Support tenancy through eviction prevention in a complex housing setting
• Provide crisis prevention, intervention and counseling for women and gender-diverse tenants
• Monitor tenants’ health and wellbeing and report to caseworkers
• Coach tenants in conflict resolution and mediation
• Provide case management follow-up and referrals for health, harm reduction, counselling
• Conduct safety assessments and identify resource needs for tenants
• Apply trauma-informed practices and support security during overnights
• Collaborate with Manager on community development and capacity building
• Maintain accurate documentation of services provided

Skills

Crisis intervention

Conflict mediation

Independent work

Group facilitation

Anti-oppression framework

Trauma-informed care

Education

Bachelor of Social Work

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Employment Type: Full-Time, Permanent

Position Status: Vacant

Work Hours: 35 hours per week (Thursdays and Fridays @ 9pm - 9am Saturdays 9pm - 8am)

Salary: $57,888 annually (Level 6), plus comprehensive benefits

Location: 389 Church Street Toronto, Ontario M5B 2E5

Internal Application Deadline: Friday, September 18, 2026

External Application Deadline: Monday, September 21, 2026

JOIN OUR TEAM

Join YWCA Toronto, where intersectional feminism, community voices, and social justice drive lasting change. We welcome women and gender diverse people of all identities into a workplace rooted in equity, collaboration, and inclusion.

The Overnight Housing Support Worker (HSW) is responsible for supporting tenancy through: Eviction prevention activities in a complex permanent housing environment, developing and implementing community safety initiatives and offers a range of services and supports to tenants through a trauma-informed, harm reduction and Anti-oppression (AOP) lens that meets the wellness needs of the tenant community.

With in-depth knowledge in the area of trauma supports, this role performs a variety of functions to support the health and safety, social and mental well-being of tenant’s onsite, and facilitates in partnership with security personnel the overall effective operation of the building on the overnights. The HSW role acts as a resource to staff and tenants and is responsible for providing a full range of services which includes mental health and addiction supports, monitoring the activities of tenants and visitors, assessing and responding to potential crisis situations, maintaining building common areas and supervising the property.

ABOUT YWCA TORONTO – HOUSING SUPPORT PROGRAM, CHURCH STREET

YWCA Toronto Church Street facility includes 120 units of permanent housing. The Case Worker is responsible for providing case management support to women and gender diverse people including: individuals with complex mental health issues and who are chronically homeless or at risk of homelessness; individuals transitioning from provincially-funded institutions and service systems such as hospitals or prisons; Indigenous women/two-spirit people. The program goals include housing stabilization, harm reduction, and health promotion. Individual and group support assists tenants to identify and build the skills required to address the barriers they experience in their lives and to maintain their housing.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Uses effective eviction prevention measures to assist tenants to assume and maintain their tenancy obligations;
• Provides crisis prevention, intervention and counseling for women and children and gender diverse people to respond to crisis in ways that support individual and community well-being;
• Monitor and update caseworkers on tenants’ health and wellbeing;
• Models and coaches’ tenants to use conflict resolution and mediation skills to support positive relations between tenants;
• Provides case management follow-up supports, and referrals in the areas of health and wellness, harm reduction, counselling, income and food security;
• Conducts health and safety assessments, and identifies tenants’ issues/resources;
• Demonstrates and maintains knowledge of relevant legislation regarding housing services, Child Welfare, the dynamics of gender violence, substance use and mental health, and effective support strategies;
• Applies trauma informed practice knowledge, stays current and demonstrates skill in the area of trauma support and acts as a resource to security staff and tenants during the overnight;
• Working with the Manager, participates in the team as a specialist in the area of innovative community development and capacity building with marginalized and mixed communities;
• Ensures accurate, timely documentation of program and tenant support initiatives.

QUALIFICATIONS

• General knowledge of an academic or technical discipline normally acquired through the completion of an undergraduate degree (example: Bachelor of Social Work) (Cases for Equivalency will be considered);
• 1-3 years directly related experience working in a housing/shelter setting in a direct service setting with children, youth and adults who experience impacts of poverty, homelessness/ violence/trauma, mental health/addictions, or concurrent disorders;
• Excellent crisis intervention and conflict mediation skills, with ability to remain calm in crisis;
• Proven experience working independently, developing and facilitating groups;
• Demonstrated experience in cultivating leadership within groups and developing dynamic and innovative programming;
• Supportive counseling and group-work approach that is flexible, client-centered and strengths-based
• working knowledge of harm reduction principles and practice;
• knowledge of community resources and supports focused on trauma;
• Working knowledge of the Residential Tenancies Act, Housing Services Act, and Ontario Human Rights Code
• Ability to deliver culturally sensitive services;
• Strong knowledge and understanding of community resources;
• Working knowledge of Microsoft office suite;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills;
• Demonstrated understanding and proven ability to work from Anti-oppression, Trauma Informed, Harm Reduction, and feminist frameworks.

WHAT WE OFFER:

• Comprehensive Medical, Vision, and Dental Coverage
• Life Insurance and Long-Term Disability Benefit
• Multi-Sector Pension Plan: Employer's contribution of 5.75% and Employee Contribution of 3.25%
• Time off: Starts with 20 Vacation Days, 1.5 Days Per Month Sick Leave, 12 Paid Holidays, Health Promotional Days and 4 Float Days
• Other Benefits: Child Care Benefits, Maternity/Parental Leave Supplementary Employment Benefits, Educational/Sabbatical Leave, and Financial Assistance for Professional Development

Please note: A vulnerable sector police reference check is required by the successful candidate prior to hiring. YWCA Toronto is a unionized workplace. Staff are represented by CUPE Local 2189. This position is within the Bargaining Unit. For internal applicants, this position is secondable.

Posting Date: September 09, 2026

YWCA Toronto transforms lives. As the city's largest multi-service women's organization, we help women and gender diverse people escape violence, move out of poverty and access safe, affordable housing.

We work tenaciously to break down barriers that hold women and gender diverse people back from achieving equality.

Vaccination Policy: In accordance with YWCA Toronto's COVID-19 Vaccination Policy, all YWCA Toronto employees, students and volunteers are strongly encouraged to obtain all COVID-19 vaccinations and booster doses as recommended by Toronto Public Health

Please note: A vulnerable sector police reference check is required by the successful candidate before hiring.

YWCA Toronto promotes the principles of anti-oppression and adheres to the tenets of the Ontario Human Rights Code. We encourage applications from women and gender-diverse people of all races, ethnic origins, religions, abilities and sexual orientations.

YWCA Toronto provides accommodation during all parts of the hiring process, upon request, to applicants with disabilities. If contacted, please advise us if you require any accommodation. While we thank all candidates for their interest, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

YWCA Toronto may use AI-supported tools to assist with parts of the recruitment process; all hiring decisions are made by people and guided by our commitment to equity and fairness.

YWCA Toronto is a Scent-Sensitive Workplace.