Housing Resource Specialist

Connections For The Homeless, Inc; Evanston (IL); On-site; USD 48,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Job summary

Connections for the Homeless in Evanston, IL is seeking a Housing Resource Specialist to connect individuals and families with housing resources. The role focuses on case management for housing placement, counseling, and liaising with housing authorities and landlords to promote stability.

The position requires strong administrative and interpersonal skills, a solid understanding of harm reduction, and experience with HMIS data management.

Qualifications

• Deep understanding of harm reduction and trauma-informed care and the impact of mental illness on individuals and families.
• Strong administrative skills, ability to multi-task, and attention to detail.
• Able to work independently and with diverse populations.
• Good speaking, writing, and interpersonal skills.
• High level of computer literacy and data entry skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide case management specific to housing placement for participants seeking housing assistance.
• Conduct housing counseling and screenings to identify appropriate housing intervention.
• Advocate and liaise with Housing Authority Cook County (HACC), SRN, and other housing institutions.
• Build and maintain relationships with landlords and housing providers.
• Provide tenant rights and fair housing counseling and refer to legal resources as needed.
• Mediate between landlords and participants to resolve tenancy issues.
• Assist with subsidized and affordable housing applications and certifications.
• Refer participants to other Connections services to maintain housing stability.
• Assist with credit counseling and repair for participants.
• Maintain participant files in HMIS, respond to referrals, and prepare reports.
• Engage participants and explain Connections for the Homeless services scope.
• Attend agency and prevention-related meetings and represent the organization externally.

Skills

Harm reduction

Trauma-informed care

Administration

Multi-tasking

Attention to detail

Independent work

Interpersonal skills

Computer literacy

Data entry

Tools

HMIS

Job description

• Location 2121A DEWEY AVE,EVANSTON, IL, 60201-3057,United States
• Base Pay $24.40 / Hour
• Employee Type FT Non-Exempt
• Required Degree NONE
• Manage Others No

Description

Summary of Position:

The Housing Resource Specialist is responsible for connecting individuals and families with housing resources, who are in unstable housing situations or at-risk of homelessness. The Housing Resource Specialist works with both affordable and market rate housing partners and solutions.

Specific Duties:

• Provide case management specific to housing placement for participants seeking housing assistance.
• Do housing counseling and conduct housing assessment screenings with participants to identify appropriate housing intervention (market rate housing; affordable/subsidized housing,HACC waitlists, SRN, etc.)
• Serve as an advocate and liaison between participants and Housing Authority Cook County (HACC), Statewide Referral Network (SRN), and other affordable housing institutions.
• Build and maintain relationships with landlords and affordable housing providers and works on a team that maintains a housing database.
• Provide tenant rights and fair housing counseling to participants. Refer participants to legal resources as needed.
• Mediate between landlords and participants to resolve issues impacting tenancy.
• Coach participants through application process with landlords and assist with subsidized and affordable housing application and certification process as needed.
• Refer housing participants as needed to other Connections services (mental health, prevention, etc.) to maintain housing stability and increase overall quality of life.
• Support participants in credit counseling and repair.
• Maintain participant files in HMIS,respond to referrals, prepare reports and ensure other required documentation is completed in a timely manner.
• Effectively engage potential participants and explain the scope of services provided by Connections for the Homeless.
• Attend agency and Prevention related meetings; conferences; and trainings and represent Connections for the Homeless on external committees as assigned
• Represent agency values and vision.
• Adhere to the Code of Conduct and Core Values of Connections for the Homeless.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

The following qualifications are requirements for the position:

• Deep understanding of principles of harm reduction and trauma-informed care, and the impact of severe mental illness on individuals and their families
• Strong administrative skills, ability to multi-task, and good attention to detail
• Able to work independently and with diverse populations
• Good speaking, writing, and interpersonal skills
• High level of computer literacy and data entry skills

The following qualifications are desirable:

• Experience with providing diversion, homeless prevention services, or case management
• Experience working with a hybrid schedule
• Experience with client databases (Homeless Management Information System/ HMIS, etc.)

Other requirements:

• Must be able to pass a criminal background check and submit to or provide evidence of a recent test for tuberculosis

Summary

For nearly 40 years, Connections for the Homeless has served and catalyzed our community to end homelessness, one person at a time. Each year we provide eviction prevention, shelter, and housing services to 4,000 people from across north suburban Cook County. Beyond providing direct services we also operate a robust advocacy and community organizing program to address the root causes of homelessness. The COVID pandemic accelerated our growth in the depth and breadth of services we offer and the organizational infrastructure to sustain this highly impactful organization. Connections is a radically reshaped organization deeply committed to demonstrating our core values in all relationships with participants, colleagues, donors, partners, and volunteers.

Join our dedicated team at Connections for the Homeless, where we blend a commitment to making a difference with a competitive rewards package. Our full-time employees enjoy a range of benefits, consciously crafted through an equitable lens, to support their well-being and professional growth.

At Connections for the Homeless, we recognize that supporting our employees is essential in achieving our mission. We are ready to invest in you as you make a difference in our community. We can't wait for you to join us!