Housing Specialist

Community Housing Innovations, Inc.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 50,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous paid time off

Health insurance and HRA

Dental and vision plans

Flexible spending account

401(k) retirement plan

Life insurance

Employee assistance program

Monthly trainings and career dev plans

Job summary

Community Housing Innovations, Inc. (CHI) is a not-for-profit housing and human services organization dedicated to ending generational poverty by helping families live in quality housing and gain independence. This role focuses on ensuring program participants receive services to locate and maintain permanent housing.

The position involves landlord outreach, housing leads and applications, and thorough completion of subsidy program paperwork, with a schedule in Brooklyn, NY.

Qualifications

• Education and experience: High school diploma required; bachelor’s degree in human services or related field preferred.
• 1–2 years of experience in a related field assisting people with homelessness and obtaining permanent housing.
• Knowledge of NYC housing resources and experience with NYC/NY State agencies and programs.

Responsibilities

• Adhere to and enforce program regulations, policies, and procedures; ensure clients receive quality services.
• Assist clients in locating housing within their budgets.
• Provide information, referrals, direct service and advocacy for the local housing pool.
• Develop and maintain a network for referrals related to housing, realtors, landlords, and Section 8 offices.
• Be familiar with NYC and NYS housing subsidy programs and affordable housing.
• Collaborate with DHS, property owners, service providers, and shelter case managers to assist families in ILP and program requirements.

Skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Bilingual Spanish (a plus)

Customer service

Education

High school diploma

Bachelor’s degree in human services or related field (preferred)

Tools

MS Word

Excel

Outlook

Internet

Job description

About CHI

Community Housing Innovations (CHI) is a not‑for‑profit housing and human services organization that supports social and economic independence. Our vision is to end generational poverty and foster upward mobility by ensuring all families and individuals live in quality housing and have a job to support them. We believe quality, affordable housing is the foundation for prosperity, personal fulfillment, and success.

What CHI Offers

• Generous paid time off
• Personal and sick days
• Health insurance and health reimbursement account
• Dental and vision plans
• Flexible spending account
• AFLAC supplemental insurance
• Dependent care spending account
• Commuter transit and parking account
• Working Advantage – employee perks
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Life insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Monthly trainings and career development plans

Job Summary

Responsible for ensuring that all program participants receive the services necessary to locate, acquire, maintain, and retain permanent housing. Provide landlord outreach and advocacy, housing leads and applications. Is knowledgeable about and accurately completes applications for housing subsidy programs.

Compensation & Work Hours

Pay: $24.04 an hour (≈ $50,003 annually) – FLSA: Non‑exempt, eligible for overtime.

Schedule: Tuesday 11am‑7pm, Wednesday‑Saturday 8am‑4pm (Sunday and Monday off).
Alternate schedule: Sunday‑Monday, Wednesday‑Thursday 9am‑5pm, Tuesday 11am‑7pm (Friday and Saturday off).

Location: Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, NY.

Job‑related Duties – Essential Functions

• Adhere to and enforce program regulations, policies, and procedures, ensuring all clients receive quality services in compliance with the program.
• Assist clients in locating housing within their specified budgets.
• Provide information, referrals, direct service and advocacy services for the local housing pool.
• Develop and maintain a resource network for referrals related to housing, realtors, landlords, housing complexes, and local Section 8 offices.
• Be familiar with NYC and NYS housing subsidy programs, supportive housing options, SROs, and affordable housing.
• Collaborate with DHS, property owners, other service providers, and shelter case managers to assist families in fulfilling ILP and program requirements.
• Mediates between clients and property owners or representatives.
• Collect and review housing logs and inform case managers of any concerns related to documents.
• Complete housing packets and Shelter Supplement Program paperwork.
• Submit all internal and external reports in a timely and correct manner as required by funding agencies and/or CHI.
• Complete progress notes, referrals and update clients’ CARES case.
• Maintain charts, files, and housing paperwork in an orderly fashion.
• Always maintain clinical appropriateness.

Qualifications

Education and experience: High school diploma required; bachelor’s degree in human services or related field preferred. 1–2 years of experience in a related field assisting people with homelessness and obtaining permanent housing.

• Working knowledge and insight into NYC housing resources, including experience helping people find affordable housing and working with different NYC and NY State agencies and programs that facilitate permanent housing goals.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Proficiency in English required; bilingual Spanish is a plus.
• Computer skills: Basic competency in MS Word, Excel, Outlook and the Internet.
• Math skills: Ability to formulate simple financial budgets.
• Physical performance: Ability to make home visits (walk distances, climb several flights of stairs).
• Reasoning ability: Ability to prioritize, make appropriate decisions and judgment calls.
• Other skills: Ability to relate to underserved, homeless and disabled populations; work independently or as part of a team; highly organized; assume responsibility; work well under pressure; meet deadlines; multitask; be flexible; maintain a high level of attention to detail.
• Equal Employment Opportunity Employer (EEOE).

Community Housing Innovations, Inc. (CHI) provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants, and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, partnership status, veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. This commitment applies to recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, compensation, training, assignments, benefits, employee activities, termination, access to facilities, and programs, and all other terms and conditions of employment as well as general treatment during employment.