Temp Tenant Organizer (Law Project)

Goddard Riverside Community Center; New York (NY); On-site; USD 58,000 - 82,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent health and dental benefits

Generous vacation, personal and sick‑s

days

Job summary

Goddard Riverside Community Center is seeking a temporary Law Project position in New York City to organize tenants on the west side of Manhattan, including Harlem, and advocate for housing rights. The role involves coordinating with tenants, negotiating with landlords, and supporting legal actions to improve living conditions.

Responsibilities include organizing campaigns, testifying before bodies, and assisting in case preparation, with a salary range of $57,680 to $82,238.29 and full-time

Qualifications

• HS Diploma or equivalent required.
• Fluency in spoken and written Spanish, French or Mandarin preferred.
• Organizing experience in tenants’ rights preferred.
• Demonstrated commitment to social justice work.
• Ability to manage individual caseload, building-wide organizing and campaign work.

Responsibilities

• Organize SRO and apartment tenants on the west side of Manhattan, including Harlem; assist and advocate for tenants with housing issues.
• Negotiate with landlords; mobilize tenants for demonstrations, rallies and forums.
• Provide support in court cases by preparing reports or giving testimony.
• Testify before legislative bodies and engage with elected officials.
• Fulfill administrative responsibilities including reporting on organizing efforts and case disposition.

Skills

Organizing experience

Advocacy

Writing and research

Spanish

French

Mandarin

Education

HS Diploma or equivalent

Job description

Intro/Program Description: The Goddard Riverside Law Project provides free legal representation and organizing support to low-income individuals, families, and groups of tenants in the west side of Manhattan to preserve affordable housing and improve living conditions. Law Project staff consists of tenant organizers and attorneys who work with individual tenants and tenant groups, educate tenants about their rights, and work in coalition with other community groups on citywide campaigns. The Law Project assists tenants living in single room occupancy (SRO) and apartment buildings with solving a wide array of housing-related problems, including eviction, harassment, rent overcharge, illegal lockouts, lack of heat and hot water, and other poor building conditions. This is a temporary position expected to last three to six months.Schedule: Monday – Friday, 10:00am – 6:00pm Full-time Hourly (35 hrs/week)Salary Range: $57,680-$82,238.29Candidates must have the required qualifications to be considered for the position. The salary offer will be based on the candidate’s number of years experience in the exact or comparable position and additional preferred qualifications will be taken into account.Roles, Responsibilities, and Essential DutiesOrganize SRO and apartment tenants on the west side of Manhattan, including Harlem; assist and advocate for tenants with issues or problems around housing issues; negotiate with landlords; mobilize tenants for demonstrations, rallies and forums; advocate with and on behalf of low-income tenants with different entities, including governmental agencies; assist in developing organizing strategy. Assist tenants with social work issues that are a hindrance to maintaining their housing.Organize tenants at a building-wide level to address issues vis-à-vis the tenants’ landlord, including outreach, conducting know-your-rights trainings, facilitating meetings, etc.Take leadership roles with our tenant membership in city-wide campaigns to promote the preservation and production of affordable housing; advocate for enhanced enforcement of city codes regarding physical condition of buildings; resist passage of excessive rent increases; and other issues that may arise concerning affordable housing.Provide support in court cases, as required, by preparing reports for or giving testimony in court or otherwise assisting in the representation of tenants, providing translation assistance where appropriate, assisting tenants to file pro se actions against their landlords concerning bad conditions.Testify before legislative bodies; conduct outreach to community leaders and elected officials; participate in efforts to reform housing policy.Fulfill administrative responsibilities, as required, including reporting on organizing efforts and results, and preparing records of intake and case disposition, inspections, meetings, and personnel mattersQualifications/ Educational RequirementsH.S Diploma or equivalent required.Fluency in spoken and written Spanish, French or Mandarin also preferred but not required.Organizing experience, preferably in the area of tenants’ rights preferred.Demonstrated commitment to social justice work.Ability to manage individual case load, building-wide organizing and campaign work.Good writing and research skills.Familiarity with housing issues.Physical Requirements:Visiting tenants and door-knocking in buildings, which includes climbing stairs, and attending outdoor events as needed.Work Environment:Office work; tenant buildings; actions, rallies and other events that may be outdoors.Compensation:Salary is competitive with NYC public interest salaries following a UAW union scale and based on experience.Generous package of vacation, personal and sick days.Excellent health and dental benefits.We are committed to building an inclusive workplace community grounded in respect for differences. We support hiring a broadly diverse team of qualified individuals who will contribute to our organizations.Goddard Riverside and Isaacs Center provide equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of duties and responsibilities that will be required of this position and title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be requested to perform job related task other than those specifically presented in this description. This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.