Housing Coordinator

Housing Coordinator

Project Renewal is a leading non-profit organization with the mission of ending the cycle of homelessness by empowering individuals and families to renew their lives with health, homes, and jobs. Our comprehensive and integrated 24/7 programs are designed to offer the holistic care our clients need. With a staff of 950+ and an annual budget of $140 million, Project Renewal is one of the larger social service nonprofits in New York City.

The Barbara Kleiman Men's Shelter is a 200-bed, 24/7 emergency shelter for homeless men. The program will serve both individuals diagnosed with mental illness and/or substance use disorders (130) and individuals who are employed/seeking employment (70). Our comprehensive services include case management, individual and group counseling, mental health care and primary medical care, recreational activities, occupational therapy, employment services and job readiness services, and housing placement assistance.

Under the direction of the Director of Social Services, with some latitude for independent action and decision making, the Housing Coordinator is responsible for identifying housing options for the clients, especially the long term stayers, and assisting the clients in preparing and submitting applications, so permanent housing can be obtained, the lengths of stay in the shelter can be reduced, and the clients can obtain independence and return to their communities; performs related work.

The essential duties of the Housing Coordinator include but are not limited to the following activities:

• Acts as primary liaison with DHS for scheduling interviews and other housing related items
• Visit housing providers to develop and maintain positive working relationships
• Prepare clients for housing interviews, accompany them on tours to facilities, and will generally coordinate the housing referral process
• Maintains an updated resource manual on available housing
• Create and maintain a system to track housing applications and their status
• Consults with case management staff regarding housing options for individual clients and adherence to their Individual Living Plans, identifying short and long-term objectives to be achieved
• Input all client information and updates in a timely fashion into the CARES system.
• Work collaboratively with the clients and other staff to identify and obtain financial entitlements, housing and other concrete services
• Counsel clients through individualized and group sessions on issues such as achieving housing goals, finding permanent or alternative housing and employment opportunities.
• Organize and educate clients through sessions.
• Maintains accurate and up to date written client documentation as required and in accord with city and state oversight agency guidelines
• Provides escort services to clients as needed
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Director of Social Services or Team Leader

While performing the duties of this position, the Housing Coordinator must be able to navigate the facility by foot, climbing up and down the stairwells, in order to observe staff and clients. The Housing Coordinator must be able to stand and bend in order to review client files, put them away, and close them out. It is also part of the role to sit at the computer workstation for extended periods to review the client data and update the information in the case management systems. The Housing Coordinator must be able to lift or move material and equipment weighing up to 15 pounds.

Education and Experience Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree in social work, public administration, psychology, education, sociology, occupational or physical therapy, or other related human services fields with a minimum of two (2) years of experience
• An Associate's degree in the aforementioned fields with three (3) years of experience
• A High School Diploma or GED equivalent with four (4) years of experience
• Bilingual or multilingual a plus

Preferred Skills

• Leadership: Demonstrated ability to manage and motivate staff to accomplish stated program goals and objectives while developing their individual and group skills.
• Team building: Ability to develop and foster, through demonstration, a team spirit, enabling staff to overcome the challenges of providing needed services to a special client population.
• Communication: Excellent oral, writing, and listening skills are a must.
• Organizational: The ability to work well within a highly pressurized, deadline environment, while meeting the short-term and long-term mandates of the program. Must collaborate with our Performance Evaluation and Quality Assurance Department (PEQA) and develop/ exhibit the ability to independently evaluate and manage program performance using data.
• Interpersonal: An ability to interface with clients as well as all levels of staff.
• Computer: Knowledge of case management software as well as proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite

Project Renewal is an equal opportunity employer. Its long-standing policy has been to embrace the equality of opportunity for all employees and applicants without regard to actual or perceived race, color, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, religion or creed, gender (see separately issued Gender Discrimination policy for more detail), physical or mental disability, age (18 and over), military status, arrest record, marital status, domestic partnership status, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristic, sexual orientation, status as a victim or witness of domestic violence, sex offenses or stalking, unemployment status or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state and local laws.