Resident Engagement Specialist

Affordable Homes & Communities (AHC); Baltimore (MD); On-site; USD 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Flexible working hours

Paid vacation and sick leave

Job summary

A vibrant non-profit organization is seeking a community-oriented individual to foster resident empowerment and engagement in Baltimore, Maryland. The ideal candidate should have experience in social services program design and case management, emphasizing collaboration and community needs. This role involves connecting residents to resources and maintaining accurate program records. The organization offers a comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare, retirement contributions, and professional development opportunities.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years of case management experience.
• Exceptional attention to detail in tracking resident interactions.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, diverse environment.

Responsibilities

• Connect residents with community resources.
• Coordinate social, community-building, health, and educational programs.
• Focus on eviction prevention and housing stability.

Skills

Cross-cultural competency

Strong organizational skills

Technical literacy

Adaptability

Education

Bachelor’s degree in social work or relevant discipline

MSW preferred

Tools

HUD-compliant Case Management Software

Microsoft Office

Job description

Overview

AHC (Affordable Homes & Communities) is a mission-driven, non-profit organization committed to developing affordable, workforce, and mixed-income rental housing in the Virginia, Washington DC, and Baltimore regions. With a resident-centric approach, we manage over 8,000 apartment units in 50+ communities, providing educational programs and social services through our Resident Services team.

Resident Services Goal

Transformational Engagement - Build and sustain healthy, beautiful, and equitable communities with our residents to open doors through which they can create homes, neighborhoods, and the lives they want to live. The four cornerstones of Resident Services programming are Education, Economic Mobility, Health & Wellness, and Community Engagement.

The Role

In this role, you will foster strong, trusting relationships with residents and community stakeholders to promote resident empowerment and engagement. By strengthening resident leadership through training and mentorship, you will help empower residents to take an active role in shaping their communities, identifying needs, creating solutions, and organizing community initiatives. Together, you will build a collaborative and welcoming community. This community is made up of individuals from a variety of cultural, socio-economic, and personal backgrounds, and your approach will ensure that all voices are heard and valued.

You will lead and coordinate programs that align with the core services of Education, Economic Mobility, Health & Wellness, and Community Engagement. This includes organizing workshops and community-building activities that enhance resident well-being and self-sufficiency. You will also provide social services support by connecting residents to essential community resources, such as housing assistance, health services, financial literacy programs, mental health, substance abuse recovery, childcare, and workforce development. As a resource navigator and advocate, you will ensure residents receive timely, effective assistance and support their efforts in creating lasting, positive change. This will include collaborating with external social service organizations to ensure comprehensive service delivery.

For this role, the ideal candidate would be community-oriented with experience in designing and implementing social services and youth programs, coordinating eviction prevention efforts, and leading community events that foster resident engagement and well-being. There is a strong need for social services and teen support in this community. Since it is a working community where many residents are off-site during the day, programming would be most effective in the evenings or on weekends.

Maintaining accurate records and reporting on engagement activities will be key to evaluating program effectiveness, while ensuring services are culturally responsive and meet the diverse needs of all residents.

Flexibility is required to meet residents\' needs, which may include evenings and occasional weekend hours.

Responsibilities

• Connect residents with community resources.
• Coordinate and implement social, community-building, health, and educational services and programs.
• Provide holistic and trauma-informed case management services.
• Focus on eviction prevention and housing stability.
• Identify resident needs and strengths, prioritizing workshops and programs accordingly.
• Maintain positive communication with residents.
• Build partnerships with local Department of Human Services and community partners.
• Recruit and supervise volunteers.
• Documentation requirements:
• • Standards for Success (SfS) Management: Collect and maintain resident-level data to submit the annual SfS Programmatic Report via the HUD portal by the October 30 deadline.
  • Case Documentation: Conduct initial, annual, ongoing functional assessments for residents based on needs; maintain organized, confidential files documenting all referrals, services provided, and resident outcomes.
  • Quality Assurance Liaison: Collaborate with third-party Quality Assurance (QA) professionals to facilitate annual program reviews and ensure the submission of the yearly QA report.
  • Professional Development: Complete 36 hours of initial training within the first year (if new) and maintain 12 hours of annual Continuing Education Units (CEUs) as required by HUD.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in social work or relevant discipline; MSW preferred.
• Minimum 2 years of case management experience.
• Technical Literacy: Proficiency with HUD-compliant Case Management Software (e.g., AASC Online, FamilyMetrics).
• Data Integrity: Exceptional attention to detail in tracking resident interactions to meet federal audit and "Standards for Success" data element requirements.
• Cross-cultural competency.
• Baseline knowledge of trauma and trauma-informed practices.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, diverse environment.
• Adaptability to changing priorities.
• Strong organizational skills in communications, program planning, data collection, and reporting.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office; database experience preferred.

Working at AHC

The Resident Services Team may work remotely on Fridays. Flexibility is required to meet programming needs outside normal business hours.

AHC offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage; a health reimbursement account (HRA) for eligible employees; employer-paid life insurance; employer-paid short- and long-term disability coverage; health and dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSA); a 403(b) retirement plan with employer matching and discretionary contributions; voluntary benefits such as pet insurance, life and AD&D, identity theft, and legal coverage; transit and cellphone stipends; free parking; mental health support including an Employee Assistance Program (EAP); paid federal holidays, including time off during Christmas week; paid vacation and sick leave; and professional development opportunities.

AHC is a drug-free workplace. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check and drug screening.

AHC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable federal, state and local law.