Housing Specialist

WHO WE ARE The Road Home has been a leader in the fight to end homelessness for 100 years . We provide low-barrier emergency shelters, supportive services, and housing-first-minded rental assistance that helps individuals and families step out of homelessness and back into the community. We are seeking compassionate and empathetic individuals who are interested in making a difference in the lives of others and their community. JOB SUMMARY The Housing Specialist will assist guests by performing housing searches, coordinating with other housing departments and programs, and connecting guests to relevant resources in the community as applicable. This position will work primarily with finding new housing leads and encourage property managers / owners to participate in The Road Home programs. Given the nature of the population served at the Medically Vulnerable People (MVP) Program, the Housing Specialist will focus specifically on establishing pathways to long-term, stable housing for individuals with medical vulnerabilities and aging adults, including skilled care and nursing facilities, group homes, rehabilitation and recuperative care facilities, and a variety of other options. This position requires flexibility in both personality and schedule which will entail working some late shifts in order to engage a highly vulnerable population. This passionate self-starter will work for an agency that is both the state's largest nonprofit housing provider and the state's largest homeless shelter provider where assistance is given to individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions so please still apply Positions Available 2 Location Medically Vulnerable People Program (MVP) Reports to Supportive Services Manager Position Status Full-Time Shift Monday - Friday, 40 hours Grade and starting salary Grade 6/ $18.90/hour FLSA Status Non-Exempt EEO Class Administrative Support Worker Housing Searches/Client Interactions You Will: + Call potential property managers / owners daily on open housing units. + Property manager / owner engagement and cultivation. + Maintain and update a spreadsheet of vacant units around Salt Lake County to share with Housing Specialists at all resource centers. + Perform housing searches for all individuals in the MVP program regularly, working closely with case management teams to ensure proper placement for clients according to their needs. Maintain strong familiarity with rental assistance funding sources, including assisting in determining eligibility for various housing programs and funding sources for MVP clients. + Engage and encourage housing conversations with guests regularly, maintaining a high level of professionalism and customer service. + Collaborate with program supervisor in ensuring program fidelity, documentation accuracy, and intra-agency collaborations. + Daily collaboration with all departments promoting a healthy team environment. + Seeking out, engaging, and networking with community partners to find housing options and additional resources. + Attended weekly team meetings and contributed to case conferencing conversations. + Willingness to engage with clients outside of typical office hours and locations as needed. Property Owners/Managers Engagement You Will: + Creating and building relationships with property owners/managers. + Educating property owners/managers on The Road Home's housing and shelter programs, housing first values. + Navigating and completing paperwork with property owners/managers to ensure program fidelity. + Coordinate payments accurately to ensure property owners/managers get paid timely. Promoting Best Practice You Must: + Demonstrates awareness and desire to understand diverse populations. + Ability to contribute to the Agency's commitment to enhancing awareness and appreciation of diverse ethnic and cultural heritages. + Willingness to understand that housing first, harm reduction, low barrier access to resources is best practice and essential to our mission at The Road Home. Other duties as assigned Requirements Must pass a pre-employment background check and drug screen. Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time. Education and Experience + Lived, work or volunteer experience preferred or a degree in a related field + Experience working or volunteering with people experiencing homelessness or diverse populations. Required Skills and Abilities + Strong interpersonal skills and customer service skills. + Excellent writing and documentation skills. + Willing to be a proactive member of a dynamic team. + Excellent customer service skills being able to communicate effectively and handle difficult situations with professionalism, compassion and from a Trauma Informed Care perspective. + Familiarity with and strong belief in the Housing First model. + Ability to work with community partners while representing the agency with a high level of professionalism and commitment to The Road Home's values. + Self-starter and self-directed. + Punctual and reliable + Demonstrates awareness of and sensitivity to diverse populations. Ability to contribute to the Agency's commitment to enhancing awareness and appreciation of diverse ethnic and cultural heritages. + Must have a valid driver's license and be insurable to drive an agency vehicle. Physical and Equipment Requirements + Ability to move 25 pounds. + Ability to sit, stand and walk for an hour or more at a time. + Must be licensed and able to drive an agency vehicle. The Road Home is an Equal Opportunity Employer The Road Home will be requiring all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 effective Jan 4, 2022. The Road Home is committed to our work in addressing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) as part of our mission to help people experiencing homelessness move back into housing. We strive to create a team that reflects the people we serve and where our guests and employees feel empowered to be their full, authentic selves. Benefits The Road Home is a 501c3 non-profit social services agency whose mission is to help people step out of homelessness and back into our community. Come be part of the solution. We have a robust, reasonably priced, and inclusive benefits plan for full and part-time employees (25-40 hours/week) + Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision) + HSA, FSA, HRA (We reimburse part of your deductible.) + Retirement Plan (403B with TRH contribution and match) + FREE Life Insurance for employees + Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & 12 Public Holidays) + One Floating Holiday Per Year + Free Short Term & Long-Term Disability + Employee Assistance Program + Free Training & Development + Tuition Assistance for a wide variety of classes.