Housing Engagement Specialist

The Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization•Beaverton, OR

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) is a non-profit organization established in 1976 to serve immigrants, refugees, and the broader community in Portland, Oregon. Our mission is to welcome, serve and empower refugees, immigrants and people across cultures and generations to reach their full potential. The Greater Middle East Center (GMEC), is a widely available service center established to empower and support communities primarily from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia who are living in Oregon and Southwest Washington. GMEC is proudly guided by an advisory council of community leaders and has an engaging office in Beaverton, Oregon. GMEC provides a community-aware approach to services and programs and connects the communities to resources available to them at IRCO, and externally. The Housing Engagement Specialist will work with clients in the Tri-County area to provide housing resource navigation assistance. Services will include linkages to internal and external programs to find stable housing, support with filling out applications and other key documents related to obtaining housing, rental assistance when needed and appropriate, and follow-up support once clients are placed to help with communicating with landlords, keeping up on maintenance and repairs, etc. In addition to individualized support, educational workshops are held for participants (e.g., tenant rights and responsibilities) to provide proactive, preventative support for participants. The Housing Engagement Specialist will adhere to all policies, and grant obligations.

Requirements

Must possess a valid driver's license and verification of current auto-insurance and have full use of an automobile during work hours.
Bilingual in English and at least one of the following languages commonly spoken by clients and community members required, including, Dari, Pashto, Farsi
Experience working with multi-background communities, including communities from the Greater Middle East
Strong local network within Greater Middle East communities
Strong interpersonal, organizational, leadership, and communication skills. Ability to communicate professionally by email, phone, and in-person contact with people from many different backgrounds.
Excellent time management skills

Nice To Haves

Experience in case management is preferred
Training and/or facilitation skills and experience is preferred
Communicate effectively in a positive manner verbally, in writing, and by phone
Strong communication skills in a multilingual, multicultural team and organization
Knowledge of social service landscape and understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities facing the community in the Tri-County area, preferred.

Responsibilities

Conduct outreach in respective communities and collaborate with service providers to identify eligible clients. Accept referrals from community leaders, IRCO staff, and other organizations.
Conduct face to face screenings, obtain consent forms, enrollments and support clients with housing applications as needed
Provide resource navigation to clients and connect them with rental assistance, housing resources and other support available at IRCO
Connect clients with relevant community resources to address needs related to housing, employment, health, education and financial assistance
Provide support to participants who are filling applications for benefit such as SNAP, TANF, medical, as needed
Deliver educational workshops that align with the program goals
Serve clients using bilingual, strengths-based and trauma-informed practices
Maintain strict confidentiality and follow all IRCO and funder policies and procedures
Provide a client centered approach and excellent customer service that is sensitive to the challenges of the community we serve
Maintain connections with GMEC and IRCO staff and community leaders to effectively support clients’ needs
Transport clients in personal vehicle to visit housing options when needed
Ensure that IRCO policies and procedures are followed in all GMEC activities
Participating in staff meetings and training to support IRCO’s goals and objectives
Perform other tasks as requested
Support IRCO and GMEC events as needed

Benefits

Many flexible working arrangements and schedule
Amazing opportunity to work with people who come from all over the world
Work that helps your community
3 to 6 weeks of PTO per year
401k match of over 100% on first 5%, immediate vesting
3% match for student loans or college savings
12 Paid Holidays and 1 Floating Holiday
Medical & Dental insurance options with 90% coverage for employee AND Families, no deductibles
Employer Paid Life, Short term, and Long-term Disability Insurance
Flexible spending accounts