Staff Generalist, Housing Organizing & Advocacy (Bilingual English/Spanish)

Compensation: $55,000/Annually
Benefits Offered: Medical, Dental, Vision, 403B with Employer Match, Generous Paid Time-Off and other voluntary benefits.

Position Summary & Responsibilities: 
The Staff Generalist, Housing Organizing & Advocacy supports AAFE’s mission to empower immigrant communities by providing housing counseling, tenant organizing, homelessness prevention, and community outreach in Jackson Heights. As part of a grassroots organizing team, this role works directly with tenants facing disrepair, displacement, and/or harassment while fostering community leadership and engagement. The position also assists with office operations, mutual aid efforts, and other projects as needed, including supporting areas with increased service demand or during staff absences.

Key Responsibilities:

• Build a strong base of members through strategic community outreach (door to door, phone banking, mailings or event-based) to educate neighborhood residents and groups about updated housing policies, rezoning process, community development plans, gentrification, anti-displacement strategies.
• Maintain member engagement through regular check-ins and activities that foster tenant leadership and a sense of ownership in their communities.
• Organize and support tenant associations, providing facilitation, technical assistance, and leadership development.
• Provide one-on-one counseling, advocacy, and follow-up services for clients on housing-related issues.
• As needed, refer clients with healthcare, social service, medical billing, or government benefits concerns to appropriate internal resources or external agencies.
• Develop service plans that prioritize clients’ needs and guide them toward resolution of presenting issues.
• Stay informed on current housing policies, rezoning processes, and the housing landscape to inform outreach and advocacy efforts.
• Assist with data entry, case note writing, and maintenance of accurate client records in both physical files and database systems.
• Compile and prepare regular reports for program managers, directors, and funders.
• Support community workshops, tenant leadership trainings, and mutual aid events, including material preparation, client invitations, logistical coordination, and follow-up.
• Represent AAFE at community events to promote services and build partnerships.
• Assist with general administrative tasks, scheduling, and maintaining an organized and welcoming office environment.
• Participate in department and staff meetings, trainings, and organizational activities.
• Perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Experience in organizing, campaign planning/development, and counseling.
• Understand and committed to work with immigrant and diverse communities and environments; strong sense of social justice and belief in youth power and potential.
• Bilingual in Spanish is required.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends.
• Ability to speak in public and conduct presentations.
• Experience in canvassing.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize and handle multiple complex tasks.
• Highly motivated self-starter who is able to work independently and as part of a team.
• Excellent organizational and computer skills including Google Suite, MS Suite, and social media.

Working Conditions: 
The schedule is 9 am – 5 pm, with lunch break from 12 pm – 1 pm, from Monday to Friday. The position is based in the AAFE Jackson Heights office and includes possible short term projects at our other offices or offsite. Weekend and late-night hours are required for community outreach and professional trainings occasionally.

EXPECTATIONS & HOW WE WORK:
We believe that the people and the communities that we have the privilege to serve, deserve our very best every day.  We are a results-driven organization that focuses on inclusiveness , empowerment and impact . AAFE employees are accountable, collaborative and strong communicators with a core strength of community service and development.  We are strategic thinkers who are committed to racial equality and treating each other, and the communities we serve, with respect and dignity .  We have an aptitude for technology and a strong desire to continuously learn . This philosophy expands to the way we manage our work and the way we put our best foot forward.  All employees are expected to adhere to the following:  

• Attendance and punctuality; includes being on-time for work, being on-time for scheduled meetings and planning for scheduled time-off in advance with supervisor approval.
• Overtime; obtain approval from supervisor prior to working overtime or comp time.
• Provide quality customer service to both internal and external partners and co-workers.  This includes responding to emails within 24 hours, answering the phone by the 3rd ring when possible and giving a deadline and meeting the given deadline for responding to inquiries.
• Dress appropriately for the workplace and in accordance with our dress-code policy.
• Maintain a positive, helpful attitude.
• Maintain confidentiality.
• Communicate respectfully and treat others with dignity and respect at all times.
• Support efforts that ensure a safe and healthy work environment.
• Collaborate productively with co-workers offering solutions and accepting diverse perspectives and ideas.
• Understand and embrace the value in collaborating with people of different cultures, races, genders, ethnicities, beliefs, experiences and ideas.
• Enjoy your time at work!

Who We Are:
Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization based in New York City. Founded in 1974 in Manhattan’s Chinatown to advocate for equal rights, AAFE has transformed in the past four decades to become one of the city’s leading housing, social service and community development organizations. AAFE advances racial, social and economic justice for Asian Americans and other systematically disadvantaged communities, guided by our experiences as Asian Americans and our commitment to civil rights. AAFE is nationally recognized as an innovative affordable housing developer and property manager; we have created and preserved more than 1,000 affordable rental units in Manhattan and Queens and provided over $400 million in mortgage financing for first-time homebuyers. Through our affiliate, Renaissance Economic Development Corporation, AAFE supports immigrant entrepreneurs, offering low-interest loans and training programs. From neighborhood offices in Chinatown and the Lower East Side (Manhattan) and Flushing and Jackson Heights (Queens) we provide an array of multilingual counseling and educational programs in support of low-income tenants, seniors, and immigrant youth. AAFE strives for a more equitable city through research, advocacy and grassroots community organizing.