Housing Specialist
ABOUT US
Founded in 1991, Hope Solutions, formerly Contra Costa Interfaith Housing, is a vibrant and socially responsive non-profit agency that provides permanent housing and vital support services to over 2,000 homeless or at-risk families and individuals in Contra Costa County. Over 40 faith-based communities support our work, although there are no religious requirements or affiliations to receive services.
What are you passionate about?
At Hope Solutions - we envision a world in which everyone has a place to call home and the support of a strong community so that they can live with dignity and reach their full potential. We strive to be inclusive and responsive to community needs. We are committed to excellence and accomplish our work with integrity, respect, compassion, and humility.
Hope Solution's mission is to heal the effects of poverty and homelessness by providing permanent housing and vital support services to highly vulnerable families and individuals. Could our mission be your mission?
TEAM SNAPSHOT
We're adding to our team of passionate folks who are on a mission to improve the lives of others through services and support that lead to a higher quality of life for our clients. Our team is made up of passionate, mission-driven people working together to advance our vision of secure housing and the dignity of self-sufficiency for homeless and at-risk families and individuals in Contra Costa County.
Want to learn more about Hope Solutions and the people behind our mission? Visit our website to learn more about our leadership team and us.
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR:
The Housing Specialist is responsible for providing housing search and placement support, home-based case management, and referrals to community resources for homeless families enrolled in the CalWORKs program across Contra Costa County. This role works in close partnership with Employment Specialists and referring CalWORKs case managers from the Employment & Human Services Department (EHSD) to ensure a coordinated, client-centered approach to housing stability and self-sufficiency.
The Housing Specialist provides individualized, flexible support to homeless families to assist them in moving into stable, sustainable housing as quickly as possible. Initial work includes assessing the family's housing needs and potential barriers, collaboratively creating a Housing Stability Plan, and accessing any resources needed to further the goal of becoming or remaining housed. Housing Stability Plans may include financial support for a time-limited period. After families are housed, the Housing Specialist will continue to provide services and referrals to community providers as needed to address housing retention barriers.
All housing support services are participant-driven and delivered with a strength-based, trauma-informed approach. Services are delivered in the community and the home at the families' convenience. Support is designed as short-term assistance to resolve a housing crisis, to offer a flexible level of intensity as needed, and to provide warm hand-offs to other providers if families need further support after becoming stably housed.
Supervisory Responsibility: None
WHAT WILL YOU DO:
Client Support:
- Maintain contact with all consumers in the caseload and provide home visits according to an identified level of need.
- Perform comprehensive psychosocial, life skills, and financial assessments.
- Meet with identified clients to complete housing needs assessments and create plans for obtaining safe, sustainable housing.
- Research and identify housing opportunities for clients as requested or needed.
- Assist clients in identifying and seeking desirable, appropriate housing options and mitigating screening barriers.
- Assist clients with “document readiness” (gathering and maintaining verification documents required for housing applications).
- Provide applicants with housing-related resources necessary to obtain and sustain housing placement, including information regarding tenant/landlord rights and responsibilities.
- Transport clients to meet with prospective landlords, complete housing applications, and inspect potential units on an as-needed basis.
- Apply knowledge of residential leases to educate clients regarding their rights and responsibilities.
- Working collaboratively with consumers, develop and monitor progress on individual or family housing support plans, encouraging independent action and/or providing aid as appropriate.
- Provide consistent, on demand support, including but not limited to assistance with budgeting, accessing needed benefits and services, accompanying consumers to mental health/medical appointments, and supporting overall housing stability.
- Assure the provision of supportive mental health interventions as needed, including mental health crisis management.
- Provide linkage for medical, mental health, addiction/recovery, financial, legal, and other community services as needed, and coordinate with all persons/agencies involved in a consumer’s service plan for the duration of service delivery.
- Partner with Department staff and other community partners as needed to ensure coordination of care.
Landlord/Community Outreach and Engagement:
- Work with community partners to assess housing barriers and the needs of clients experiencing homelessness who are eligible for services.
- Maintain key relationships with community service providers, Probation referral sources, and Coordinated Entry programs.
- Develop outreach and marketing strategies to identify landlords and build housing inventory. Present to interested parties: target audiences will vary but may include faith communities, rental associations, board and care facilities, elected officials, and property management companies.
- In partnership with Hope Solutions brokered housing and property management staff, collaborate regarding shared housing resources.
- Provide mediation and advocacy with landlords on clients’ behalf to assist with obtaining and/or maintaining housing.
- Create and maintain consistent verbal and written communication channels between collaborating parties (i.e., tenant, landlord, referral sources, service agencies, debtors, and creditors).
Cultural Responsiveness:
- Awareness of and aptitude to understand, respect, and adapt to cultural and identity-based differences within group environments appropriately and effectively.
- Knowledge of and commitment to concepts and issues tied to social justice and housing justice.
- Experience fostering and reinforcing an environment that values unique experiences, cultures, personal humility, authenticity, backgrounds, and goals.
- Participate in and complete our new employee onboarding process, which includes reading and discussing a short chapter in the book, The Color of Law.
Organizational/Administrative Responsibilities:
- Professionally represent Hope Solutions in all circumstances.
- Comply with all legal/ethical professional guidelines for maintaining consumer confidentiality, adhering to HIPAA guidelines, protecting consumer rights, advocating on consumers’ behalf, and assuring consumer safety.
- Comply with all local, state, and federal regulations and Hope Solutions policies and procedures.
- Complete required administrative paperwork and reports in a timely and accurate manner.
- Attend all required meetings, including but not limited to Hope Solutions staff meetings, team meetings, consumer case conferences, and linkage meetings with other agencies.
- Complete required personnel-related paperwork and complete expenditure reports for food supplies, petty cash expenses, and/or mileage in a timely and accurate manner.
- Document all services provided in a timely manner.
- Assist with data generation for reports and funding applications as needed.
- Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
- On-call, after-hours, and backup work may be required.
Work Location Classification
- Mobile: Work is performed across multiple locations and in the field rather than at one fixed site. This classification generally applies to program direct service roles that require travel to meet with clients, partners, or support program operations.
- Work from home must be approved in advance by the Program Director or Manager. Written approval (email) is required.
- All new program employees are expected to work on-site for the first 90 calendar days. Any exception requires approval from the Program Director or Manager.
- Program staff are expected to structure the workday with approximately six hours of face-face work and approximately two hours of administration/documentation time (this time can be averaged during a given week or month, depending on client and program need and with approval of the supervisor).
- Client-facing work may occur on-site or in the field, depending on the role and program needs, and may include appointments, sessions, engagements, support services, client-present coordination of community resources/services, and other direct service activities.
- This expectation may flex to accommodate operational needs, client availability, safety concerns, or urgent program priorities while still meeting performance expectations.
- When requesting to work from home, the employee must make the request to their direct supervisor in advance. The request must include the requested date/hours, business reasons, and a work plan for the day. For urgent same-day situations, the employee must notify leadership as early as possible and follow directions regarding work-from-home approval, schedule adjustment, or use of leave time.
- When approved to work from home, employees must maintain confidentiality, work from a professional/private environment, complete assigned tasks and documentation on time, and track time accurately.
Position Qualifications:
- Knowledge of and belief in “Housing First” philosophy and strategies.
- Passion for and demonstrated experience successfully supporting vulnerable populations, especially homeless clients with mental disabilities.
- BA degree in social work or related field; equivalent experience will be considered.
- Minimum of two years’ experience in the human service field, preferably with housing retention barriers such as substance abuse, mental health, and/or income challenges.
- Knowledge or willingness to learn HUD requirements, including tenant certifications and/or experience working with HUD-funded properties.
- Bi-lingual in English/Spanish preferred.
- Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
- Computer proficiency in the use of Microsoft and database applications.
- Must have an operational vehicle, auto insurance, valid California driver’s license, and be willing to drive for work.
- Must pass LiveScan screening and TB test.
- Salary contingent upon skill and experience.
Physical Qualifications:
- The person in this position may make home visits to consumers who live on second or third-floor apartments (without elevators) and will need to be able to climb stairs.
- May accompany consumers on walks to local resources (grocery store, childcare, parks) up to ½ mile in distance.
- Must be able to work in a desk setting for up to 3 hours at a time to make calls to consumers, research resources on the internet, and collaborate with community providers with calls/emails.
- Office setting activities are required, such as typing on a laptop/computer to respond to emails, entering case notes into a database, and copying/faxing forms and documents on a copy machine related to maintaining or obtaining housing.
- Occasionally must be able to lift and carry objects weighing up to 25 pounds, including furnishings for new residents, files, holiday gifts, and food donations.
- Ability to drive an automobile and transport oneself and consumers to appointments or meet at consumer homes, including driving at night.
Compensation & Benefits:
- Flexible, dynamic work environment.
- 100% premium paid for employee Kaiser health and dental care.
- Matched 403b retirement savings.
- 11 paid holidays, plus 3 floating holidays.
- Ability to accrue 2-4 weeks' vacation depending on tenure.
- Life insurance and Employee Assistance Program.
We are an equal-opportunity employer. If you're a good fit, we want to meet you!
- Please be advised that we are unable to provide sponsorship for this position. The nature of the work at Hope Solutions does not qualify us to support sponsorship. Only candidates authorized to work in the USA without the need for sponsorship will be considered.
