Housing Counselor (Coney Island)

NHS Brooklyn; New York (NY); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS Brooklyn is looking for a Housing Counselor to coordinate one-on-one sessions, evaluate each client’s situation, and prescribe a plan of action to support homeownership and prevent foreclosure. In this role, you will assist the Marketing Coordinator to develop outreach strategies that connect at-risk individuals with NHS services and resources in New York.

The counselor provides counseling, maintains records, prepares program reports, and stays informed about regulations affecting homebuyer

Qualifications

• Counseling clients to assess housing needs and prescribe action plans.
• Coordinate one-on-one sessions and family outreach.
• Develop and deliver education materials and seminars.
• Prepare regular program reports and maintain client records.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate one-on-one counseling sessions on homeownership and foreclosure prevention.
• Assist in marketing/outreach to identify and inform potential clients.
• Develop curricula and materials for education classes and workshops.
• Maintain up-to-date client files and prepare status reports for funders.
• Ensure clients obtain documentation and access to NHS services.

Skills

Counseling

Customer service

Public outreach

Data reporting

Program coordination

Job description

The Housing Counselor coordinates one-on-one counseling sessions to evaluate the client’s situation and prescribes the pertinent plan of action. Assist the Marketing Coordinator to develop and implement marketing and outreach strategies to identify victims of or potential victims of predatory lending and foreclosure and make them aware of the available services at NHS.

Provides customers with counseling services:

Assists customers through the process of owning a home or preventing foreclosure; provides counseling establish permanency or otherwise; coordinates individual counseling sessions. S/he provides program and financial stability homeownership counseling services to customers as requested by his/her supervisor.

Facilitates seminars/workshops. Identifies clients who would utilize NHS’ services; develops curricula and prepares educational materials for customers and staff. Prepares regular program-related reports for the supervisor or director. Is a source of information for customers about budgeting needs. Collects budget and financial information from clients and creates a system that customers can utilize to improve financial stability.

Assists the customers in understanding and obtaining pertinent information and documentation about homeownership, foreclosure prevention, insurance and rental services, and acts as a liaison between customers and the various service providers.

Maintains monthly reports or provides other reports as requested by his/her supervisor.

Provides post-purchase counseling to ensure that the customer continues to meet homeownership responsibilities to prevent foreclosure and homelessness.

Attends workshops and regular training and stays up-to-date on the regulations and issues impacting the home buying and the foreclosure prevention process.

Provide tenant related counseling to ensure that customers receive housing assistance

Must be fully certified as a Full-Cycle Lending counselor within 12 months of employment.

Coordinates individual counseling sessions, lectures, classes, seminars, workshops, and club meetings pertaining to NHS Programs:

Assists the Directors, and others as required by NHS management, to develop curricula, prepare materials and identify instructors for education classes, seminars and clubs.

Informs clients, lending institutions, NHS of Brooklyn Staff, NHS of Brooklyn Board of Directors and its committees about Homeownership and foreclosure education initiatives. S/he disseminates information on a timely basis and keeps accurate records of all correspondence.

Provide comprehensive case management services to all clients including intake assessment, benefit assessment, goal setting, long-term case plan development, individual money management, tenant education, advocacy and referrals.

Marketing and Outreach Strategies:

Communicates with social service agencies, public officials, community and business groups, and lending institutions regularly to develop good public relations with customers through information received from banks realtors and real estate attorneys.

Identifies locations where the target populations reside. S/he initiates surveys and compiles pertinent data and information.

Analyzes data and makes recommendations; reports to management on issues relating to customer needs, market segmentation and program development.

Assists the Director and his/her immediate supervisor in developing and actively implementing strategies to market Foreclosure Prevention Program, Tenant Services and other homeownership services to target population. S/he facilitates specific seminars/presentations in house, at neighborhood offices and other community areas.

Is a network for information about buying, maintaining and insuring a home:

Stays current on the issues that are important to home buyers and home owners including credit, features of alternative mortgage products, homeowners’ insurance and foreclosure prevention.

Stays current on the issues of tenants in New York City

Knows the various NHS programs and loan products and can explain them in one-to-one counseling sessions and/or group presentations.

Maintains up-to-date records, and tidy customer files with current information on the status of all individual counseling sessions and loan applications. S/he can provide this information in report format on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, and must have well prepared file available at the moment’s notice. S/he must be able to provide customer files and customer names, at the request of his/her supervisor for review by funders or for use in NHS’ marketing. S/he will provide information to the NHS staff responsible for generating status reports and/or enter the relevant information into the computer on a timely basis.

Customer Service:

Assists in other areas as requested by his/her supervisor.

Attends NHS staff and team meetings and other meetings as needed.

Assists on other projects and assignments as needed.

Attends seminars and other training as scheduled by the office supervisor and participates in NHS mandatory requirements, including examinations, for the position.

Housing Counselor is expected to adopt and promote the core organizational and interpersonal values; meet internal and external deadlines on reporting and contractual obligations and meet and exceed internal/external customer expectations.

Housing Counselor is expected to establish, develop and maintain relationships of high quality designed to acquire cooperation, access to information, sponsorship of ideas.