Housing Specialist - Resettlement & Integration Services Job at Commonpoint Queens
Commonpoint Queens seeks a Housing Specialist to ensure that Afghan refugee, humanitarian parolee, and Special Immigrant Visa holder (SIV) clients are provided with safe, sanitary and affordable temporary and/or permanent housing. The Housing Specialist will lead Commonpoint Queens’ efforts to form and cultivate positive partnerships with local landlords to both identify housing units for Commonpoint Queens clients as well as ensure affordability for long-term self-sufficiency. The Housing Specialist will report to the Assistant Director, Initial Resettlement & Social Integration, and collaborate closely with Commonpoint Queens’ case management team members in order to understand current needs of newly arriving and recently arrived clients.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Ensures safe, sanitary and affordable permanent housing is secured for newly arriving and existing Afghan clients.
- Conducts frequent and regular outreach to develop and maintain positive relationships with landlord partners.
- Negotiates with landlord partners to enhance accessibility of affordable housing to refugees (i.e. minimize brokerage fees, credit check requirements and/or security deposits).
- Conducts outreach to and maintains positive relationships with municipal and other stakeholders related to client housing.
- Maintains an up-to-date database of landlord partners, including pertinent information regarding housing details and availability.
- Collaborates with case management staff, U.S. ties (clients’ family and friends) and community sponsorship volunteers to understand and meet specific housing needs of newly arriving and existing clients.
- Provides support to and/or direct housing search services to clients, U.S. ties and community sponsorship volunteers in their searches for permanent housing.
- Coordinates with Volunteer Services staff and community partners to ensure secured housing is furnished and stocked with all required household materials prior to arrival.
- Collaborates with staff, volunteers and U.S. ties to coordinate apartment set-ups.
- Conducts pre-arrival home visits (virtual or in-person) to ensure housing unit, furniture and household goods meet program requirements and are prepared for clients’ arrival.
- Supports case management staff and/or U.S. ties with airport pick-ups and initial home orientations, if needed.
- Acts as the main agency point of contact for landlord partners during the 90-day initial resettlement program period (and beyond, as needed) in order to facilitate communication between landlords and clients to coordinate signing of lease, ensure timely rental payments and troubleshoot any issues that arise.
- Coordinates with case management staff to provide individual and group housing-related Cultural Orientation instruction to clients.
- Values and tracks donated goods used for apartment set-ups, and ensure proper filing is completed.
- Responsible for identifying and securing temporary housing (through Airbnb, hotels or other) for clients whose permanent housing will not be prepared upon arrival.
- Trains and oversees a cohort of Housing Volunteers who conduct research and outreach to identify new housing units and landlord partners.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS:
- Existing connections with NYC landlords, realtors and management companies required.
- Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Human Services, or similar field; or a combination of relevant experience and education required.
- Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.
- Demonstrated experience conducting outreach to community partners.
- Familiarity with U.S. Refugee Admission Program and refugee and/or immigrant social services preferred.
- Ability to work collaboratively and thrive as a member of a culturally diverse team.
- Ability to prioritize and multi-task several urgent projects in a fast-paced environment.
- Ability to supervise interns and volunteers as needed.
- Fluency in Dari and/or Pashto preferred.
- Lived experience as an immigrant, refugee, asylee and/or asylum-seeker highly valued.
- Proficiency in Google Drive and Microsoft Office required.
To Apply: Please send a resume and cover letter to Alex Caudill at
acaudill@commonpointqueens.org
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