Housing Specialist

Saint John's Program for Real Change mission is to provide a safe space for women and children to heal and develop the skills necessary to transform their lives. We accomplish our mission by holding to our vision to end the generational cycle of trauma and homelessness.

We operate the largest residential program for formerly homeless women and children in the Sacramento region providing services 24 hours/day, 365 days/year, offering shelter, meals, childcare, and comprehensive support services, including Behavioral Health Services, Hands-on Employment Training, Career Education, and Family Services.


Joining our team means becoming part of a community dedicated to making a real difference in the lives of those we serve. At Saint John's, you 'll be part of something bigger - a mission-driven organization committed to making a lasting impact on our community. We are committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive work environment where teamwork, compassion, and empathy are valued. You'll be surrounded by dedicated colleagues who share your passion for serving others. We believe in investing in our staff and providing opportunities for professional growth and development because we recognize your work here will truly make a measurable difference.


HOUSING DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

The Housing Department at Saint John's plays a vital role in advancing our mission to provide a safe space for women and children to heal and develop the skills necessary to transform their lives. We recognize that stable housing is the foundation upon which recovery, healing, and long-term independence are built.


Operating under the direction of the Chief Operating Officer, the Housing Department delivers housing-focused supports that bridge the gap between crisis and long-term stability. Our team provides CalAIM Community Supports, including the Housing Trio, ensuring participants receive the assistance needed to secure and maintain stable housing. We also operate Saint John's Square, a modular housing community designed to provide transitional homes for individuals and families as they work toward long-term stability, and we administer targeted rental assistance programs that help prevent returns to homelessness.


Embedded deeply within the fabric of Saint John's, the Housing Department works collaboratively across all programs-Behavioral Health, Workforce Development, Family Services and others-and connects participants with a wide network of external partners. This integrated approach ensures that housing is not viewed in isolation, but as a critical component of holistic healing and generational change.


Benefits/Perks of a career at Saint John's

• Choice of 8 medical plans
• Choice of 3 dental plans

• Vision, Life and Accident and Injury Insurance

• Employee Assistance Program

• 403 (b) 100% match for 1%-6% of pay

• Paid Time Off includes: 11 paid holidays, 2 floating holidays, 7 sick days and up to 18 days of vacation per calendar year.

TITLE Housing Specialist


SALARY From $24 To $29 Per Hour

CLASSIFICATION Full-Time, Non-Exempt

LOCATION On site at Jackson Rd. and in the field

SCHEDULE Monday- Friday, 9:00 am to 5:30 pm


About the Position...

As a Housing Specialist, you are responsible for assessing CalAIM applicants for housing eligibility and locating and applying for permanent housing. This role includes but is not limited to; liaising with community organizations, government agencies, performing housing location and application services, working with property managers and leveraging supportive services that will assist the applicant household to maintain permanent housing.


You'll be responsible for...

• Assessing applicants' eligibility and determining their housing and service needs.
• Assisting clients with the search for available properties and negotiating terms on behalf of applicants.
• Collaborating with government agencies, community organizations, and property owners.
• Supporting clients in understanding their rights as housing applicants and tenants under California law, HUD regulation and Fair Housing.
• Providing clients with information and referring them to additional support programs or services.
• Identifying client strengths and barriers to housing stability and support clients to reduce barriers and link to resources and services.
• Developing a housing support plan with clients. This shall include intake interviews to determine applicant's needs, goals, and eligibility.
• Providing mediation and advocacy with landlords on client's behalf to develop a workable plan to maintain housing.
• Assisting clients in locating and securing housing of their choice.
• Serve as an ongoing liaison between property managers and clients as well as between clients and government agencies.
• Assist in development of and encourage adherence to a personal budget through pro-active housing and budget counseling sessions; provide financial literacy and education to assist clients in establishing payments plans for bills and past debts and to assist clients in obtaining and maintaining their housing.
• Provide pro-active follow-up home visits to ensure stability and further progress towards self-sufficiency; this includes support, advocacy, listening, problem solving, and identification of resources to support clients' whole person care.
• Drive to housing appointments, viewing properties, attending conferences.
• Participate in COC meetings and actively advocate for client housing placement.
• Maintain accurate daily logs records, monthly outcome reports, and files for each client in electronic health records.
• Collect and report program data, including but not limited to HMIS reporting and funders' required data.
• Complete and submit all appropriate monthly, quarterly and annual report forms.
• Assume other responsibilities as assigned.

You must have...

• Minimum Education Requirements: Bachelor's degree in human services, psychology, communication or health services preferred or a minimum of a two-year degree in Human related services and two years related experience.
• Fluent in English language (spoken and written)
• Valid driver's license and reliable vehicle that is insured
• Proficient knowledge of email, copiers, fax, and navigating internet
• Proficiency in Microsoft Suite
• Excellent communication skills, particularly listening, mediation, and writing skills
• Possess strong organizational skills with ability to meet a demanding workload
• Detail oriented to complete requirements of files and contract compliance.
• Creative thinker/adaptive personality
• Knowledge or understanding of tenant's rights and responsibilities as well as fair housing
• Ability to perform "strengths based" case management
• Concentrated record keeping, budgeting, and mathematical skills; ability to produce required reports to federal, state. and local government agencies and funding sources
• Demonstrated knowledge of community resources, social service agencies, and landlords
• An incredible passion for our mission
• Sensitivity to cultural and socioeconomic characteristics of population served.
• A commitment to empowering others to solve their own problems.
• A conviction about the capacity of people to grow and change.
• The ability to establish and set appropriate limits with people served to help them gain skills and confidence.
• The ability to work collaboratively with other personnel and/or service providers or professionals.
• The capacity to maintain a role to empower clients and to intervene appropriately to meet service goals.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. The physical requirements for performing the essential functions of this position require the employee to be able to:

• Standing/walking approximately 20% and sitting 80% of the time
• Close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
• Ability to hear and respond to simple and sometimes critical messages exchanged in noisy/high traffic areas.
• Ability to lift up to 25 pounds.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

It's a plus if you have...

• Fluency in Spanish language (spoken and written)
• Trauma informed training
• Experience with CalAIM Community Supports and/or Enhanced Care Management strongly preferred.
• Experience using electronic health records
• Experience working with populations who have severe mental illness or substance use disorder
• Experience working with people who have formerly been incarcerated preferred
• Demonstrated knowledge of HMIS system as a CAS assessor
• Certifications: i.e. CHW, CDL, ECEU, LCSW, LMFT, LPCC, ACSW, AMFT, APCC, First Aid/CPR, BBS registered, CADC

You'll be successful if...

You're a strong communicator.

You take your role seriously and are a great communicator in verbal and written communication. You're intentional about giving internal and external clients a positive interaction.

You're organized and diligent.

You can multitask because you keep things in order. You can handle and prioritize multiple projects of various origins at once. You follow through on every request, no matter how big or small. You keep your cool under pressure and know how to prioritize your responsibilities. And when you need help, you're not afraid to ask.

You're exceptionally people oriented.

You can relate to all types of people and you're a skilled conversationalist. You enjoy meeting new people; developing and maintaining relationships is a natural tendency.

You're a problem solver and a strategic thinker.

You find new and efficient ways to streamline and create processes to make things run more smoothly. You are analytical and can infer the implications and consequences of approaches and anticipate potential issues before they occur.

You are a team player.

You care more about overall results than personal recognition. You genuinely love collaboration and the process of working together to accomplish. You thrive in an environment where people are passionate about their work and mission. You're excited to work cross-functionally with other departments.

You are committed to promoting dignity, diversity, and equality.

You believe in focusing on the solution, not the problem, and always write with dignity and respect at the forefront.

You're detailed.

You double and triple-check your work because you know that accurate data is crucial for an Accounting Department to operate successfully. You pay strong attention to detail, have excellent math, grammar, spelling, and proofreading skills. You care about the numbers being right and take the time to make sure everything reconciles or is set up to be error-proof.

You're a self- starter.

You can work unaccompanied, and you work just as hard and thoroughly by yourself as you do when someone is looking.

You're passionate about helping your community

You have a passion to help people experiencing homelessness and a drive to assist those who need support.


Saint John's Program for Real Change is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate because of age, color, gender, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, race, religion, marital status, or veteran status.