Housing & Consumer Counselor/Mediator

UpSide413; Pittsfield (MA); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Berkshire County Regional Housing Authority (BCRHA) is seeking a housing counselor to provide housing/legal counseling to tenants and landlords, with an emphasis on preventing foreclosures and maintaining stable housing. The role involves interaction with clients, understanding tenant/landlord law, and collaboration with state and local programs.

The candidate should have a bachelor's degree (preferred) or equivalent experience, along with strong communication skills and the ability to work in a

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred; may be substituted for 2 years of relevant work experience.
• At least 2 years experience in non-profit social services programming or related field.
• HUD Housing Counselor Certification (Preferred but must be able to obtain within 3 months of hire).
• Knowledge of current tenant/landlord law (Preferred).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to work with diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to operate in a fast-paced environment; proficient with computers and related technology.
• Mediation experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide housing/legal counseling to tenants and landlords with goal of preserving/stabilizing tenancies.
• Provide foreclosure prevention services to assist homeowners in maintaining homeownership.
• Provide consumer advocacy through Berkshire Consumer Services Program.
• Conduct informal mediation/negotiation between tenants and landlords to maintain or obtain housing.
• Prepare periodic program and statistical reports for funding sources.
• Deliver educational workshops and community outreach to state, local, and community organizations.

Skills

HUD Housing Counseling

Tenant/Landlord communication

Bilingual (preferred)

Proficiency with computers

Education

Bachelor's degree (preferred)

Tools

Client management systems

Job description

Please submit Cover Letter and Resume Please note: This position

requires you to study for and successfully pass the HUD housing

counseling exam. Candidates do not need to be certified prior to hire.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES 1. Berkshire County Regional Housing Authority

(BCRHA) is a public agency operating for the benefit of all citizens.

Personnel shall conduct themselves in a manner respectful of all clients

and shall adhere to BCRHA\'s mission and goals. Personnel shall act in

such a way as to create a positive image of the Agency. 2. Personnel

will act in a professional manner while relating to BCRHA staff, clients

business contacts seeking to resolve differences or complaints through

appropriate agency procedures. 3. All personnel are responsible for

adherence to BCRHA personnel policies, including the prevention of

conflict of interest, misuse of funds, or abuse of trust and are

responsible for reporting known misconduct to an Executive Officer. 4.

All personnel shall respect the legal and moral rights and privacy of

confidential information due all clients and are responsible for

upholding BCRHA\'s affirmative action policies. PRINCIPLE DUTIES -

Report to and work in cooperation with the Director of Housing, Legal,

and Consumer Services to ensure program quality assurance and

furtherance of BCRHA\'s mission. - Provide housing/legal counseling to

tenants and landlords/property managers with the goal of

preserving/stabilizing tenancies. - Housing/Legal Counseling is the

process of helping a client to make a decision. A part of this process,

the person providing housing/legal counseling will typically give their

opinion about a matter, which will typically be based upon legal

precedent (the law), economic, social, and other considerations. -

Provide foreclosure prevention services to assist homeowners in

maintaining homeownership or exploring softer landing options. - Provide

consumer advocacy to consumers filing complaints against businesses

through the Berkshire Consumer Services Program/Local Consumer Program,

working in cooperation with the Massachusetts Attorney General\'s

Office. - Conduct informal mediation / negotiation between tenants and

landlords, neighbors, property owners, managers, other agencies, etc. to

assist clients to maintain, stabilize, or obtain permanent housing. -

Implement court-connected mediation services during summary process

eviction sessions. - Maintain and continuously develop a strong

knowledge of housing/consumer law and community resources by attending

relevant trainings/continuing education. - Establish an understanding of

and relationships with community resources. - Participate in regular

staff meetings and work cooperatively with the Program Director and

other team members. - Complete up-to-date and accurate client files and

program statistics in the organization\'s Client Management Systems. -

Prepare accurate periodic program and statistical reports for relevant

funding sources. - Provide educational workshops and community outreach

to state, local, and community organizations and agencies. - Other

duties as assigned. QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED - Bachelor\'s degree

preferred; may be substituted for 2 years of relevant work experience -

At least 2 years experience in non-profit social services programming or

related field REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES - HUD Housing

Counselor Certification (Preferred but must be able to obtain within 3

months of hire). - Knowledge of current tenant/landlord law

(Preferred). - Communicate and deal effectively with people from diverse

backgrounds. - Operate in a fast-paced environment. - Demonstrated

proficiency in both oral and written communication. - The knowledge and

ability to use computers and related technology efficiently. - Prior

Mediation Experience (Preferred). BILINGUAL STRONGLY PREFERRED A RESUME

AND A COVER LETTER ARE REQUIRED UPON SUBMISSION.