Housing Specialist

Community Housing Innovations Inc; Wading River (NY); On-site; USD 47,000 - 57,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

2 personal days

Health insurance

Dental and vision plans

Flexible spending account

401(k) retirement plan

Life insurance

Employee Assistance Program

Monthly trainings

Job summary

Community Housing Innovations (CHI) is seeking a full-time Housing Specialist for our Wading River location. You will ensure participants receive services to locate, acquire, and maintain permanent housing, with regular client meetings, unit inspections, and coordination with housing authorities.

You will build relationships with landlords, DSS, and service providers to support high-quality housing options.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in human services or related field preferred.
• Two years’ experience in homelessness or housing preferred.
• Excellent verbal and written communication; English required; Spanish a plus.
• Basic computer skills: MS Windows, MS Office, internet usage.

Responsibilities

• Assist clients in locating housing within their budgets and provide referrals and advocacy services.
• Develop and maintain a housing resource network (realtors, landlords, Section 8, etc.).
• Collaborate with DSS, property owners/brokers, and service providers; conduct face-to-face client meetings at least monthly.
• Inspect living spaces and document needs; prepare and submit reports to funding agencies and CHI.

Skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

English fluency

Spanish bonus

Education

Bachelor's degree in human services

Tools

MS Windows

MS Office

Internet usage

Job description

WHO IS CHI?Community Housing Innovations (CHI) is a not-for-profit housing and human services organization that aims to support social and economic independence. Our vision is to end generational poverty and foster upward mobility by ensuring that all families and individuals live in quality housing, have a home of their own, and a job to support them. We believe quality, affordable housing is the foundation for prosperity, personal fulfillment, and success.WHAT DO I NEED?Education: Bachelor’s Degree in human services or related field preferred.Experience: Two years’ experience working in a related field such as homelessness or housing preferred.Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Proficiency in English required, bi-lingual (Spanish) is a plus.Computer skills: Basic competency in MS Windows, MS Office, and internet usage.Math Skills: Ability to formulate simple financial budgets.Physical Performance: Ability to make home visits (walk distances, climb several flights of stairs, etc.)Reasoning Ability: Ability to prioritize, make appropriate decisions and judgment calls.Other Skills: Ability to relate to the underserved, homeless and disabled populations. Ability to work independently or as part of a team, be highly organized, assume responsibility, work well under pressure, meet deadlines, multitask, be flexible, and maintain a high level of attention to details.ANYTHING ELSE?Salary: $25.04 per hour, approximately $52,080 annuallyOvertime availableOpen shifts: Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.WHAT WILL I BE DOING?CHI is looking for a full-time Housing Specialist for our Wading River location. You will be responsible for ensuring that all program participants are provided with the services necessary to locate, acquire, maintain, and retain permanent housing and are living in well-maintained units. This is accomplished by performing the following functions:Adhere to and enforce program regulations, policies, and procedures. Ensure that all clients are receiving quality services that are in compliance with the program.Assist clients in locating housing within their specified budgets.Provide information, referrals, and advocacy services for local and out of state housing.Develop and maintain a resource network for referrals as related to housing including realtors, landlords, housing complexes, and Section 8 offices.Collaborate with DSS, property owners/brokers, and other service providers.Responsible for face-to-face meetings with clients – frequency is dependent on client and program needs, but no less than once a month.Inspect living spaces regularly in accordance with OTDA and local district policy.Evaluate, document, and inform supervisor of site needs.Assist with building positive relationships between clients and property owners or representatives.Responsible for collecting and reviewing housing logs, housing packets, housing program enrollment, and DSS paperwork.Provide knowledge to clients in maintaining permanent housing.Submit all internal and external reports in a timely and correct manner as required by funding agencies and/or CHI (housing logs, unit inspection sheets, progress notes, as required by DSS).Complete unit inspections and assist in bi-weekly extermination.Accompany clients to housing appointments, inspections, etc. when needed.WHY CHI?CHI employs a team of hard-working, compassionate people who want to give back to others in their community. We are proud to offer:Paid time off2 personal days awarded annuallyHealth insurance and health reimbursement accountDental and vision plansFlexible spending accountAFLAC supplemental insuranceVoluntary plansDependent Care Spending AccountWorking Advantage- Employee Perks401(k) retirement planLife insuranceEmployee Assistance ProgramMonthly trainings and career development plansEqual Employment Opportunity Employer (EEOE)Community Housing Innovations, Inc. (CHI) respects diversity and is an equal opportunity employer that 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. Community Housing Innovations is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion.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.