Shelter Advocate - Full-Time

Job Description

Job Description

CAREER OPPORTUNITY

Agate is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to end homelessness and relieve hunger through action and advocacy. We provide emergency services, shelter, and housing programs for individuals and families. We encourage applicants with lived experience to apply (anyone who has not received services from Agate within the last two years is welcome to apply). We believe that housing is a basic human right.

Our Values:

• Integrity: Always doing what's right, even when it's not easy or popular.
• Equity: Challenging unfair systems and making changes that better support those most affected by homelessness and hunger.
• Humanity: Recognizing how these issues affect everyone, building trust, and forming strong relationships by understanding people's needs.
• Creativity: Finding new and original ways to meet the community's needs.

Title : Shelter Advocate

Reports To : Shelter Program Manager

Schedule : 1st Shift - 8:00a-4:00p

2nd Shift - 3:00p-11:00p

3rd Shift - 10:30p-8:30a

Union Representation by the AFSCME Local 999

Job Classification : Full-time, Hourly, Non-Exempt

Compensation: starting at $23.77

Position Overview:

The Outreach and Shelter Department serves single adults through our emergency response programs. Our programs include Shelter, Street Outreach, and the Welcome Center. Through these programs, we often encounter individuals along the broad spectrum of homelessness from recently homeless to chronically homeless individuals. The goal in each of these programs is to build rapport and assist in connecting individuals to stabilize their housing and achieving self-sufficiency. 

The Shelter Advocate is a member of a team responsible for daily operations at either of Agate's two housing-focused shelter program sites. One shelter is in downtown Minneapolis and primarily serves single adults experiencing homelessness, with a focus on partnered adults of all genders. The other shelter is an innovative new building in the Longfellow neighborhood of Minneapolis that serves single adults based on community needs.

The Shelter Advocate works closely with other shelter employees in a team atmosphere to ensure consistent, affirming, safe operation of the shelter for all guests and volunteers. Primary responsibilities include answering phones and performing intakes for new shelter guests, monitoring guest behavior, light housekeeping, meal preparation, meal service, administrative work, documentation, and data entry. As part of our housing-focused program, the Shelter Advocate also provides core services to shelter guests, including offering information, making referrals, and assisting with paperwork or services navigation. Additional responsibilities include regularly attending staff meetings, keeping rosters updated using HMIS, and representing Agate's shelters at community meetings and trainings.

Position Responsibilities:

General Responsibilities & Safety

• Ensure the shelter operates safely for all guests, staff, and volunteers.  

• Build and maintain professional rapport with guests.  

• Enforce shelter policy in a consistent, fair manner with a positive and respectful demeanor.  

• Answer and direct calls to the shelter and monitor entrances to allow guests to access the shelter.

• Make regular rounds inside the shelter to ensure guest safety and maintain a calm and peaceful atmosphere for sleeping guests; call emergency services when appropriate and manage guest behavior throughout the shift.  

• Use de-escalation and crisis response skills to address behavior issues or conflicts, always maintaining professional boundaries.

• Monitor and review security camera footage throughout the shift; document and report incidents accurately.

• Work collaboratively with program staff, property management, and facilities teams to support overall site operations.

Operational Duties & Hospitality

• Serve as the first point of contact for guests, staff, and visitors-offering a warm, professional, and trauma-informed welcome.

• Respond to voicemails, emails, and other communications promptly.  

• Assist with volunteer and donor check-ins in coordination with the External Relations Team.

• Engage with volunteers to make sure their experience is positive. 

• Ensure daily program routines and procedures, including meal service, occur at scheduled times. 

• Perform housekeeping and light maintenance tasks as needed and appropriate. Make sure the office and program spaces are kept tidy.  

• Support food service, including putting meals out, coordinating the delivery of meals, and supporting volunteers who come onsite to provide food or meals.  

Program Responsibilities

• Respond to incoming inquiries for assistance and make appropriate referrals.  

• Demonstrate appropriate professional boundaries with guests and colleagues.  

• Conduct shelter guest intakes.  

• Assist and encourage guests to make progress on self-identified goals using the housing first/harm reduction model. 

• Demonstrate appropriate professional boundaries with guests and colleagues. 

Administrative Duties & Documentation

• Facilitate collection and maintenance of required daily shelter documentation including intakes, bed assignments, data collection and input into online databases and logbook entries.  

• Create and maintain guest files, case notes and other supporting documentation following agency policies and procedures.  

• Troubleshoot technical issues with office equipment and phones and reach out to Admin for assistance as needed.

• Actively participate in regularly scheduled staff meetings and supervisory one-to-one meetings. 

• Understand and adhere to mandated reporting responsibilities. 

• Other job duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

Successful applicants will embrace the following perspective, skills and abilities: 

• Commitment to Agate's values and mission to end homelessness. 

• Commitment to working towards an anti-racist culture within Agate and the community. 

• Hold the belief that every household can achieve housing stability. 

• Understand that homelessness is primarily the result of policy decisions beyond the control of the people we serve. 

• Commitment to harm reduction and housing first philosophies. 

• Work respectfully with guests, coworkers, and key stakeholders who are diverse with respect to race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and religion. 

• The ability to establish rapport quickly with people experiencing a crisis through the use of trauma-informed care, client-centered care, and strength-based approaches. 

• Ability to meet expectations regarding paperwork and documentation through organizational skills, a strong attention to detail, and the ability to work efficiently and accurately, competency and comfort using technology and computers. 

In addition, applicants must: 

• Lift up to 50 pounds occasionally and 20 pounds routinely.  

• Have experience with Microsoft Office products; and  

• Pass background check. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with Coordinated Entry Systems. 

• Experience with HMIS.  

• Bilingual skills relevant to the individuals we serve (Spanish, Hmong, Oromo, Somali, Amharic). 
• Experience working in settings with all genders. 

We encourage applicants with lived experience to apply. However, those that have received services from Agate Housing and Services within the last two years are ineligible for employment.

This job description is intended to outline the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this role. It is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, or qualifications required for the position. The organization reserves the right to modify, add, or remove job duties as business needs to evolve.

This document does not constitute an employment contract and should not be interpreted as creating contractual obligations of any kind. Employment with Agate Housing and Services is at-will, meaning that either the employee or the employer may terminate employment at any time, with or without cause or notice, in accordance with applicable Minnesota state laws.