Temporary Racial Equity Jobs (NOW HIRING)

About the Community Economic Defense Project (CEDP) & CED Law

Our Mission

We partner with low-income and working people to build economic and racial equity. We do this by confronting economic abuse and investing in community wealth. We use an ever-evolving set of legal, economic and advocacy tools to challenge and dismantle unjust systems, building quickly towards a world where all people have what they need to live and thrive.

Our Organization

The Community Economic Defense Project (CEDP) is a Colorado-based nonprofit. Launched in 2020 as the COVID-19 Eviction Defense Project, our organization was formed to keep our neighbors housed during the pandemic. Working with clients, we built a deeply integrative approach to eviction, foreclosure, and homelessness prevention that centers the legal and financial needs of housing-insecure families and uses a variety of tools to keep them housed.

Our team now serves more than 1,000 people per month, bringing together housing lawyers, economists, data analysts, policy-experts, organizers, and technologists to serve our clients. We have served more than 68,000 low-income Coloradans across 54 counties, distributing more than $280 million in emergency assistance.We have also contributed to the passage of major legislation to prevent eviction, stop economic abuse, and make credit and life-saving medication cheaper. CEDP's model has been cited as a best practice by the White House and HUD in 2022-2023, think tanks like the Urban Institute, and in the media.

Building on our work to stop evictions, CEDP has further expanded its integrated services model to include disaster response, predatory towing, debt collection, benefit access & navigation, long-term rental assistance, and homelessness response. Similar to CEDP's work on rental housing, these efforts offer a continuum of care that includes navigation and advisory services, targeted payments, legal support, and the ability to participate in advocacy.

More about the Temporary Benefit Enrollment & Digital Equity Specialist Role:

CEDP's Benefit Enrollment Program is a well-established, organization-wide service that supports clients across all programs, as well as walk-in clients and referrals from trusted community partners, in accessing critical public benefits such as SSI, SSDI, SNAP, other income supports as well as digital equity tools and services.

The Temporary Benefit Enrollment and Digital Equity Specialist provides hands-on, client-centered guidance through complex application processes, from documentation and submission to ongoing follow-up, while coordinating closely with housing, legal, and case management teams to align benefits with broader stability goals.

Through strong partnerships with community organizations and public agencies, the role helps address systemic barriers and improve access to resources. Given that only about 29% of SSI/SSDI applicants are approved initially and fewer than 40% ultimately receive benefits, this role is essential in strengthening application outcomes and ensuring clients have the support needed to secure and maintain the benefits they are eligible for.

In this role you will:

• Provide in-person support at the Colorado Springs CEDP Office at least 2 days a week or as needed
• The role involves conducting client intake assessments to determine eligibility for both internal and external services. These services include, but are not limited to, rental assistance (such as Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance and Colorado Emergency Rental Assistance), housing counseling, utility assistance, and eviction prevention
• Provide trauma-informed assessments and individualized benefit planning, helping clients navigate SSI, SSDI, SNAP, and related supports
• Facilitate access for eligible participants in the Digital Equity Grant programs to vital digital tools and educational resources, including but not limited to cell phones and laptops
• Guide clients through the full application process, including documentation gathering, submission, and ongoing follow-up
  
• Educate clients on eligibility, timelines, and how multiple benefits interact to support overall stability
• Maintain consistent engagement with clients to ensure progress and prevent application drop-off
• Coordinate with internal teams and external partners to deliver integrated housing, legal, and financial support
• Advocate on behalf of clients with benefit agencies to resolve issues, delays, or denials. In cases where applications are denied, connect clients with our Benefits Attorney for legal assistance
• Document all services and outcomes in HMIS/CRM systems, ensuring compliance and audit readiness
• Track application statuses, deadlines, and recertifications to prevent interruptions in benefits
• Stay current on policy changes and contribute to program improvements, SOPs, and quality assurance efforts
• Ensure equitable, culturally responsive service delivery, including outreach, language access, and support for high-barrier populations
• Other duties as assigned
  

Position Requirements:

• A minimum one year of experience in assisting clients in applying for public benefit programs, with a specific focus on SSI, SSDI, SNAP, and tax benefits
  
• Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish is required
• Available at least 2 in-person days a week, at the CEDP Colorado Springs office, working closely with office support staff to ensure clients receive services where they need them most
• Ability to work collaboratively with people of diverse personal and professional backgrounds with a focus on social, racial justice, and equity
• A flexible work style that allows for rotation between the CEDP office and community clinics with partner organizations, offering accessibility and convenience to clients
• A social work background is a plus, expertise in the application and enrollment processes for these programs, including the required documentation and eligibility criteria, preferred
• Demonstrated dedication to providing exceptional client service, with a focus on assisting households in need of public benefits
  
• Proven ability to test and learn from processes and develop new program procedures in a startup environment that requires rapid adaptation to change with minimal supervision
• Proficiency in managing and organizing sensitive documentation, both medical and household-related, to support benefit applications
• Strong technical skills, including the ability to navigate an agile environment
  
• Organizational skills and attention to detail to manage a caseload
• Knowledge and experience handling requests for additional information and communication with the Social Security Administration (SSA) preferred
• Capacity to make referrals to other agencies and organizations to provide clients with supplementary services that may be required
• Eagerness to collaborate with local partners and engage in CEDP's community engagement strategies, actively working to integrate enrollment services into community resource networks for maximum client benefit
• Strong commitment to empowering clients, a thorough knowledge of public benefit programs, and the ability to navigate complex application processes, all while fostering a sense of community engagement and support

Additional Details:

• Candidates must reside in Colorado, ideally within the Colorado Springs area. The position includes competitive pay, flexible time off, benefits package (including medical, dental, vision), and 401(k).
• A base salary of $63,354 a year, plus a $1,000 per year hybrid salary adjustment
  
• All employees receive a technology stipend of $720 per year
• Employees who utilize two languages or more at work are eligible for a $2,000 salary differential per year added to the salary grade listed above. Language assessment will be conducted by the organization as a requirement to receive the differential
• This is a temporary position starting October 1st, 2026 with an anticipated end date of December 31st, 2026
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis but must be received by August 7th, 2026
• The estimated time to complete the recruitment process will be by August 21st, 2026
  
• As in-person work is required, all employees at CEDP & CED Law are expected to maintain current vaccination status in keeping with CDC recommendations.
• CEDP is an equal opportunity employer, committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.