Housing Program Coordinator

Job Title: Housing Program Coordinator (Chestnut/GWS)

Group/Team: Community Programs for Social Justice/Housing First

Reports to: Community Programs Manager

Hours: Full Time (40 hours/week), generally 8-5 M-F (occasional evening and weekend work required)

Compensation: Starting salary $22.93 - $27.24 per hour ($47,694 - $56,659) DOE

Benefits: Medical, dental, short and long term disability and AD & D insurance, holidays and paid leave.

FLSA Status: Exempt

Location: On site in SE Portland, Our Just Future’ Chestnut Motel Shelter (primary) and Gresham Women’s Shelter

Want to help make a difference? Our Just Future counters the forces that keep people and communities in poverty by building relationships and assets that create opportunity - today and for future generations.

We partner with people and communities impacted by poverty so they can achieve long-term housing and economic security. We invest in affordable housing and community assets that contribute to strong, inclusive neighborhoods. We advocate with our community for policies and investments that expand housing and economic opportunity, eliminate wealth inequality and end poverty.

East Portland/East Multnomah County, Oregon is our home and the heart of our investments, advocacy and programs.

Our Just Future envisions vibrant, healthy neighborhoods where all people can share in the security, hopes and advantages of a thriving, supportive community.

Our Just Future operates as a nimble, financially strong organization driven by our passion, strategic goals and guiding principles.

Diversity, inclusion and equity are fundamental values for Our Just Future, both internally and externally. OJF has an Anti-Oppression Diversity Committee, which serves as a sounding board for new internal policies and procedures to make sure that we’re taking into account diversity and inclusion. It also helps with diversity-related projects, such as coordinating staff diversity trainings and providing ongoing input into our equity work.

Our Just Future is working to end homelessness and poverty in our community because everyone deserves a safe place to call home.

What Our Just Future Can Offer You: We offer a comprehensive array of benefits in support of your physical, emotional and financial well-being. A few highlights:

• Employer paid premiums for employee health insurance.
• Generous paid time off, 11 paid holidays, a floating birthday holiday and the ability to maintain a great work/life balance.
• Employer paid premiums for short-term and long-term disability insurance and life insurance.
• Access to an employee assistance program.
• Flexible spending accounts for health and for dependent care.
• Professional development opportunities, including employee driven committees and monthly optional staff workshops.
• Access to wellness initiatives and resources including things such as walking groups, yoga classes at two office locations and workshops on stress management, self-care and healthy living.
• Opportunity to contribute to a 401k retirement plan with a 2% employer match after three months of employment.
• Six weeks of sabbatical leave for every seven years of consecutive employment with the agency.

SUMMARY
The Housing Program Coordinator position will supervise a combination of up to three program staff on the Adult Shelter Housing Team (ASHT), temporary interns, JOBS Plus temporary employees or volunteers. They will help hire and train new staff working within the Team and will cover the positions on the team when staff are out of the office or the Team is short-staffed to include assisting participants with housing search, lease up process, and/or retention services. The coverage would at times require carrying a small caseload of participants as needed and determined by the Program Manager. The Team consists of a Housing Program Coordinator, Housing Specialists, Retention Workers and Peer Support Specialists. The Team also works closely with shelter staff members.

The Coordinator will help to ensure program participants are receiving high quality services within the frameworks of Assertive Engagement and Trauma Informed Care. In addition to their supervisor/Program Manager responsibilities, they will be the main contact on collaborations with partner agencies and to field questions related to the ASHT. The Coordinator will organize Rent Well classes for the participants which will be taught by various members on the team (can include the Coordinator).

The Team provides housing search support, temporary rental assistance and supportive services to vulnerable, homeless single adults who identify as female in order to secure safe and stable housing. The Team works with participants to identify their natural supports and explore housing options. As well as the Team builds working and collaborative relationships with landlords and other agencies in the community to help facilitate viable and appropriate housing options and resources for participants.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential

• Assist the Community Programs Manager in overseeing the ASHT, program development and implementation, the participant list spreadsheet, and that rent and client assistance spending are on track to be fully spent for each contract year.
• Assist the Community Programs Manager in ensuring that direct service staff needs are met in order to effectively work with participants within the Assertive Engagement and Trauma Informed Care frameworks.
• Be the main contact for Coordinated Access collaborations and working with external community and shelter providers.
• Routinely review files and entries in ETO and Servicepoint to ensure standards are in compliance.

• Ensure quality service delivery to program participants, using independent and creative thinking. Assist with triage of participants.
• Lead the case conferencing meetings with Housing Specialists and oversee referral process to ASHT’s Rapid Rehousing Rent Assistance.

• Effectively supervise a combination of up to three program staff on the Adult Shelter Housing Team, temporary interns, JOBS Plus temporary employees or volunteers and use sound judgment in terms of skill-building, professional development and coaching.
• Participate in hiring, interviewing and training new staff.

• Understand and train staff on the following topics:
  • Housing intakes and setting up housing goals with homeless participants based on their strengths and barriers.
  • Conducting in-depth strength-based assessment with participants to identify housing and work history, physical/emotional health, legal issues, debt, social support, strengths, struggles, and available resources.
  • Monitoring participants’ progress and needs. Providing ongoing supportive services for participants based on their assessments and plans.
  • Assisting participants with housing searches including helping them to overcome barriers to housing, assisting with letters of explanation and requests for reasonable accommodation where applicable.
  • Facilitating budget discussions with participants to formulate and implement a plan that allows them to successfully manage financial resources, provide for current needs, pay down debts where possible, and plan for the future.
  • Working with property managers to resolve any issues arising from the tenancy of participants.
  • Home Forward and other voucher and Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) processes.
  • Basics of Landlord Tenant Laws and tenants’ rights.
• Work collaboratively with a broad diversity of homeless participants and partner agencies including people of all races, nationalities, languages, ages, abilities.
• Work with Program Manager on ASHT meeting agendas and facilitation in the manager’s absence.

• Attend shelter meetings, JOHS Case Conferencing Leadership meetings, and other relevant JOHS/partner meetings.

• Use creativity and resourcefulness to ensure that participants and program staff are aware of all community resources available and advocate with other service providers for the needs of participants as appropriate, which may include, but are not limited to, housing stability, counseling services, DV and legal services.
• Maintain accurate, complete, up-to-date documentation of service activities using Our Just Future procedures, forms and data reporting systems. Submit paperwork in a timely manner.
• Assist with JOHS report narratives.
• Assist Program Manager with requirements for the contract audits.
• Cover the positions on the team when staff are out of the office or the Team is short-staffed.

Secondary

• Assist with establishing and maintaining relationships with community partners make recommendations for additional partners as needed, including landlords.
• Assist with creating and implementing a ‘wrap-around’ service model for program participants.
• Keep abreast of Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) and other housing opportunities to share with the team as they come available.
• Work with Program Manager on creating and updating ASHT Policies & Procedures.
• Participate in staff meetings and staff trainings as needed.
• Assist in ordering office and program supplies.
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

The successful candidate must be able to perform each essential duty above satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge and abilities required.

Knowledge of:

• Development and implementation of client centered service planning.
• Trauma Informed Care, Assertive Engagement, and other best practices models of consumer engagement.
• Local and regional housing markets, basic landlord tenant laws and tenant rights.
• Social and economic issues creating poverty, working successfully with practices and techniques related to people with low income to achieve greater self- sufficiency.
• Community resources and agencies providing social services needed by the homeless population.

Ability to:

• Coordinate delivery of services with Community Program Manager, Shelter Managers and staff.
• Supervise staff effectively in a trauma informed manner.
• Empower and support homeless and low income persons in life choices and change.
• Work cooperatively with all volunteers and staff.
• Develop and maintain productive working relationships within Our Just Future, with public and private agencies, the general public and participants.
• Be culturally sensitive to diverse participant populations.
• Prepare and maintain clear, accurate, complete and timely records and reports.
• Maintain strict confidentiality and professional boundaries with all households served.
• Understand and follow complex written and oral instructions, rules and procedures
• Work independently and at the same time be a vital and contributing part of a team.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• At least one year experience providing housing services to those experiencing homelessness.
• Any combination of education and work experience in social services, case management and/or housing assistance totaling two years; or Bachelor's Degree in social service/social sciences field with at least six months experience working on poverty/homelessness issues and/or related topics
• At least one year experience developing and/or implementing individualized service plans.
• Experience with crisis intervention and/or Assertive Engagement.
• Bi-lingual fluency preferred but not required.
• General computer, word processing and spreadsheet skills.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; sit; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and distance vision.

TRANSPORTATION

Possession of a valid driver’s license, clean driving record and reliable transportation required. Vehicle insurance coverage limits must be $100,000 bodily injury liability for one person, $300,000 bodily injury liability for all people in an accident and $100,000 property damage liability.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

TO APPLY

Please send resume, cover letter and three professional references (include: name, phone, email, job title, and professional relationship to you (for example: supervisor or co-worker). Letters of reference are not necessary. This position is open until filled. Please no phone calls.