Senior Housing Specialist

Hope Solutions•Pleasant Hill, CA

19h•Hybrid

About The Position

Hope Solutions, a non-profit agency founded in 1991, provides permanent housing and support services to homeless or at-risk families and individuals in Contra Costa County. The organization envisions a world where everyone has a home and community support to live with dignity. Hope Solutions is committed to excellence, integrity, respect, compassion, and humility in its mission to heal the effects of poverty and homelessness. The agency is seeking passionate, service-driven individuals for its Bring Families Home (BFH) program. The Senior Housing Specialist will provide comprehensive housing-focused services, including case management, housing navigation, advocacy, and financial assistance, to families involved with or at risk of involvement with the child welfare system. The role aims to remove barriers to housing, support family reunification and preservation, and promote long-term stability. Key activities include landlord outreach, collaboration with partners, and supporting program goals of reducing homelessness and increasing housing retention. The position has no supervisory responsibility.

Requirements

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.
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.
Ability to climb stairs as home visits may be to second or third-floor apartments without elevators.
Ability to accompany consumers on walks to local resources up to ½ mile in distance.
Ability to work in a desk setting for up to 3 hours at a time to make calls, research resources, and collaborate with community providers.
Ability to drive an automobile and transport oneself and consumers to appointments or meet at consumer homes, including driving at night.

Nice To Haves

Bi-lingual in English/Spanish preferred.
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, diversity, equity, and inclusion and belonging.
Experience fostering and reinforcing an environment that values unique experiences, cultures, personal humility, authenticity, backgrounds, and goals.

Responsibilities

Participating in the hiring process and training staff on team-specific Standards of Practice (SOPs), documentation, and paperwork.
Supporting staff in using HMIS/Apricot for data entry, note-taking, and referral tracking.
Providing shadowing opportunities for home visits and fieldwork, and exposing new staff to assessments, intakes, resource connections, follow-ups, exits, and landlord interactions.
Training and assisting staff with program-specific paperwork, contract liaison forms, and filing/documentation processes.
Maintaining relationships with contract liaisons and referral sources, and acting as the point of contact in the manager's absence.
Participating in contract liaison meetings.
Reviewing, generating, and customizing reports in HMIS/Apricot to support team work.
Monitoring program outcomes using dashboards and reports, addressing key data points such as exits, income changes, and flagged items.
Managing and tracking subsidy requests by preparing and submitting them to the manager and collaborating on data reviews.
Participating in quarterly data and finance meetings to align on reporting and outcomes.
Providing ongoing support to staff, offering guidance and feedback as needed, in small groups and/or teams meetings.
Serving as the point of contact when the manager is unavailable, ensuring communication with the director and updating the manager upon their return.
Attending community and external meetings on behalf of Hope Solutions, creating agendas, hosting discussions, and taking detailed notes.
Meeting with identified clients to complete housing needs assessments and create plans for obtaining safe, sustainable housing.
Assisting with data entry, rental subsidy, program incentive tracking for program participants, and tracking/reporting program data.
Assisting Team members on an as-needed basis with assessing client needs and service planning.
Assisting clients with “document readiness” (gathering and maintaining verification documents required for housing applications).
Researching and identifying housing opportunities for clients as requested or needed.
Assisting clients in identifying and seeking desirable, appropriate housing options and mitigating screening barriers.
Providing applicants with housing-related resources necessary to obtain and sustain housing placement, including information regarding tenant/landlord rights and responsibilities.
Partnering with Department staff and other community partners as needed to ensure coordination of care.
Transporting clients to meet with prospective landlords, complete housing applications, and inspect potential units on an as-needed basis.
Applying knowledge of residential leases to educate clients regarding their rights and responsibilities.
Working with community partners to assess housing barriers and the needs of clients experiencing homelessness who are eligible for services.
Maintaining key relationships with community service providers, Probation referral sources, and Coordinated Entry programs.
Developing outreach and marketing strategies to identify landlords and build housing inventory.
Presenting to interested parties (faith communities, rental associations, board and care facilities, elected officials, and property management companies).
Collaborating with brokered housing and property management staff regarding shared housing resources.
Providing mediation and advocacy with landlords on clients’ behalf to assist with obtaining and/or maintaining housing.
Creating and maintaining consistent verbal and written communication channels between collaborating parties (tenant, landlord, referral sources, service agencies, debtors, and creditors).
Participating in and completing the new employee onboarding process, including reading and discussing a short chapter in the book, The Color of Law.
Reviewing and committing to the Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Belonging Commitment.
Professionally representing Hope Solutions in all circumstances.
Complying 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.
Complying with all local, state, and federal regulations and Hope Solutions policies and procedures.
Completing required administrative paperwork and reports in a timely and accurate manner.
Attending all required meetings, including Hope Solutions staff meetings, team meetings, consumer case conferences, and linkage meetings with other agencies.
Completing required personnel-related paperwork and expenditure reports for food supplies, petty cash expenses, and/or mileage in a timely and accurate manner.
Documenting all services provided in a timely manner.
Assisting with data generation for reports and funding applications as needed.
Performing other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
Being available for on-call, after-hours, and backup work as required.