Housing Support Worker (HART TH)

House of Friendship; Kitchener; On-site; CAD 30,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A community service organization is seeking a Housing Support Worker to assist individuals experiencing homelessness and addiction in Kitchener. This full-time role involves providing direct support, developing individualized goals, and connecting participants with community resources. Candidates should have a passion for supporting low-income individuals and possess relevant experience in case management. A valid driver's license and police record check are required.

Benefits

Vacation pay

Employee & Family Assistance Program

2 personal days per year

Qualifications

• Passion to support people living on a low income with mental health and addiction challenges.
• 1-2 years' experience in case planning/management.
• Knowledge of supportive housing modalities.

Responsibilities

• Support participants in achieving housing stability and life skills.
• Connect participants with community resources.
• Facilitate community inclusion activities.

Skills

Compassion

Strong documentation skills

De-escalation skills

Understanding of harm reduction

Ability to manage safety and risk

Education

Post-secondary education in a related field

Job description

Overview

At House of Friendship, we believe in what we are doing. We get out of bed each day to make a difference in our community; to walk with and to serve. We are not happy with the status quo. We get energy from ongoing learning and growth. We lead with passion and believe without a doubt that everyone deserves to belong and thrive. We live and breathe our values of Compassion, Inclusion, Justice, Dignity and Hope. And we have fun!

Sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? It is!

The Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub is a newly funded program aimed at addressing critical health and social needs in our community. The HART Hub will support individuals experiencing homelessness and addiction, offering services that include addiction treatment, housing support and collaborative care. The Housing Support Worker will provide tailored supports that assist participants in working towards individualized goals related to health and housing.

Contract position: October 20, 2025 to June 20, 2026.

This is a full-time position, offering 37.5 hours per week. Schedule Wednesday, Thursday, Friday (7:00am-5:00pm) and Saturday (7:00am-4:30pm). Valid G class driver’s license is required. Successful completion of a Police Records Check (Vulnerable Sector) required pre-employment.

Key Responsibilities

• Work as part of an interdisciplinary team to provide direct and indirect support to participants, encouraging housing stability and building life skills
• These supports may include: checks, oversight of pest management protocols, community events, cooking, and other supports as necessary
• Develop, contribute to, and carry out individual resident support plans, including any relevant assessment tools
• Work individually with participants to identify and achieve goals as it relates to their individual support needs
• Facilitate case conference, developing safety plans and long/short term support plans
• Responsible for facilitating community inclusion activities
• Participate in Needle Syringe Program
• Connect participants with supportive community resources, including both clinical and informal supports, facilitating case coordination and case management
• Respond to participant complaints/concerns with care, compassion, and efficiency
• Reinforcing participant’s life skills, including spiritual, social, and coping skills
• Assist with intake and orientation of new participants
• Develop and facilitate relevant group programming
• Complete required documentation in a thorough and timely manner with a focus on maintaining and protecting participant privacy and confidentiality
• Support unit vacancies and turnover
• Follow applicable regulations, policies and procedures
• Work collaboratively with Facilities and landlord, supporting and reporting maintenance needs to ensure upkeep of buildings and participant units
• Complete required safety checks and inspections as assigned
• Attend and participate in all required training to maintain and develop new skills

Job Specific Knowledge/Skills

• Passion to support people living on a low income with support needs including mental health and addiction challenges
• Strong documentation skills
• Ability to manage safety and risk
• De-escalation skills
• Strong understanding of and commitment to harm reduction
• Some knowledge of Motivational Interviewing as well an understanding of mental health challenges would be helpful

Education/Experience

• Post-secondary education (min. 2-year college diploma) in a related field of study
• 1-2 years’ experience in case planning/management with individuals and assisting them in developing life skills
• Knowledgeable in Supportive Housing modalities
• Understanding and knowledge of regional community social services and resources
• Experience supporting group activities

Critical Skills

• Commitment to understand and uphold the mission and values of House of Friendship is expected
• Exemplary emotional intelligence, resilience, communication, conflict management and problem-solving skills required
• Ability to work professionally as a team member with staff, participants and community members
• Experience or strong interest in working with diverse populations including people from various cultural backgrounds, income levels, and sensitivity to their needs
• Experience with and commitment to using an anti-racism, anti-oppressive and trauma informed approach to consultation, program design, evaluations of processes and service delivery
• Must be dependable, professional, flexible, a team player, and have a positive attitude
• Respectful, supportive and engaging approach to persons with physical and/or cognitive disabilities, addictions, mental illness and other life challenges
• Excellent project, timeline and deadline management skills including skills in logistics, planning and detailed record keeping

Compensation

At House of Friendship, we know that our team members are the key to the success of our organization and our ability to provide essential services to the community. In support of our mission and in alignment with our values, House of Friendship is committed to ensuring fair, market competitive, and rewarding compensation practices for all of our team members. We aspire to support our team members to create a great work environment where our team is able to thrive, succeed, and have a positive work experience.

House of Friendship compensation practices including our pay grid, have been developed using documented leading pay practices in the not-for-profit sector including Pathways to Decent Work (Ontario Nonprofit Network) and Ontario Living Wage Network. We value the experience that new team members bring to the organization and have a process in place to review previous related experience for placement on our pay grid.

We value the work that you do with fair pay and benefits:

• Time off includes vacation pay and 2 personal days per year
• Employee & Family Assistance Program

Rate of Pay:

At House of Friendship all compensation ranges are categorized under a series of “grades” and we base our payment structure on internal equity. When determining rate of pay, a candidate’s past related experience will be taken into consideration.

Grade: 5

Min: $27.31

Mid: $31.34

Max: $35.37

Working Conditions

• Travel throughout the region of Waterloo; generally, with House of Friendship fleet vehicles and/or public transit options

• Encountering participants at program sites who may be under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, and/or experiencing symptoms of mental illness can be expected

House of Friendship is open and inviting to qualified candidates with lived experience.

House of Friendship supports justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in our workplace. We strive to be a workplace free of harassment and discrimination and we are committed to removing barriers and being an inclusive, work environment. House of Friendship is a place where each person can bring their true selves and feel that they belong. We aspire to be an organization that is anti-racist and anti-oppressive so that our team, and therefore our community, can truly belong and thrive.

We invite applications from all qualified candidates and actively encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to accessing employment including, but not limited to Indigenous Peoples, members of racialized groups, persons with disabilities, women, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

If you require accommodations to be able to participate fully at any stage in the recruitment process, including applying for this position, please let us know so that we can discuss accommodation options. Accommodations will be provided upon request.

If you are as passionate as we are about serving the community, let’s talk.

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter here:

https://house-of-friendship.hirehive.com/housing-support-worker-hart-th-kitchener-on-efzdma

By end of day October 3, 2025.