Housing Counselor

Housing Counselor

New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC) is a community development corporation committed to sustainable development in housing opportunities, economic development, vacant land strategies, community engagement, health and wellness, and real estate development. NKCDC advances social equity and economic empowerment by nurturing and creating opportunities for residents to live and actively shaping their neighborhoods of choice. To that end, NKCDC provides free resources to residents and businesses in the Kensington, Fishtown, and Port Richmond neighborhoods.

NKCDC has a strong reputation, both locally and nationally, with longstanding credibility of serving as a trusted and valuable partner and collaborator. The organization is one of only two community development organizations in Philadelphia chartered members of the NeighborWorks America network. Our current work using a trauma-informed community engagement model, applying a racial equity lens across the organization, and leading programs at the intersection of health and housing are keeping NKCDC at the cutting edge of community development. NKCDC draws on the strengths of the communities in Kensington, Fishtown, and Port Richmond — a population of over 62,800, 23% of whom live below the federal poverty level — to make sure neighborhood development benefits all residents. More information can be found at nkcdc.org.

The Housing Counselor works to build healthy communities and expand homeownership opportunities for low and moderate-income households. As Housing Counselor, you will provide your clients with the skills, knowledge, and information to buy and maintain a home, provide them with energy assistance and improve their current housing situation. You will attract people into the program through outreach and marketing events, education and working with people individually. The Housing Counselor position provides a full complement of data entry and reporting functions for the housing department, particularly around first-time homebuyer programs.

Reports to Interim Director of Housing Services and Housing Service Manager

Responsibilities

• Assist with orientation of applicants to the first-time homebuyer, foreclosure prevention, energy assistance and other loan programs available to low- and moderate-income families.
• Ensure applications are fully completed.
• Gather and enter data into appropriate program databases to track program statistics.
• Conduct monthly reporting and/or billing as appropriate.
• Refer homeowners to other necessary community resources

• Conduct preliminary assessment of the homeowner's situation.
• Counsel the homeowner about personal and financial issues they are facing.
• Assist with intake and referrals to appropriate programs including loan, first-time homebuyer, energy assistance and tax relief programs.
• Develop and assist other Housing Services staff with workshops, presentations, and community outreach events.

• Provide full complement of data entry and program reporting functions for the department.
• Meet quality control standards and programmatic requirements.
• Perform appropriate paper and electronic filing.
• Pay attention to promptly facilitating program's data entry and internal communications around documents and data.

Compensation

The salary for this position will be $62,550.76/yr. with a full-time schedule, 35 hours per week. To counter pay inequality and uphold internal parity, we use a nonnegotiable salary system, while benchmarking our pay to competitive markets in the nonprofit sector. Excellent benefits include an HMO health plan, long- and short-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid vacation, and a 403(b)-retirement plan. Work hours are from 9am-5pm, with occasional needs for work during weekends and evening. This position will be on-site at our central office, 2771 Ruth Street, Suite 1, Philadelphia, PA 19134. However, satellite offices will require scheduled work hours at the Engagement Center, 3000 Kensington Avenue, and other NKCDC engagement spaces.

Application process

Applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and a copy of HUD Certification. Applications received by May 9, 2025, will be given full consideration. All candidate resumes are considered and kept on file for one year, but we cannot always respond personally, depending on the volume of inquiries.

Hiring process

Our hiring process includes a 20–30-minute interview with HR, followed by an in-person interview with the hiring manager, and finally an hour-long "panel" interview with 3-6 staff members. The submission of a writing sample(s) may be requested after first in-person interview with the hiring manager. Reference checks are conducted after the final interview.

Equal Employment Opportunity

NKCDC provides Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, race, national or ethnic origin, gender identity or expression, religion, language, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or physical ability. We know groups subjected to systemic oppression– including people of color, women, people from working class backgrounds, and people who identify as LGBTQ – are less likely to apply unless and until they meet every requirement for a job. Therefore, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other communities who are marginalized.

Requirements

• Must be HUD Certified.
• Bilingual fluency is an asset.
• No minimum education is required; a bachelor's degree may be an indicator of capacity for this position.
• Two to three years' experience working within the lending, counseling, or real estate sales industry.
• Must be computer savvy, able to access e-mail, electronic calendars, and the Internet. Experience required with a variety of software applications including Microsoft Office.
• Must be able to master software used to maintain a client database and provide reports. Efficient data entry skills a must.
• Proven ability to deal with people in high stress situations with empathy and concern.
• Both a collaborative team player and a self-starter with ability to prioritize tasks.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated experience working with culturally diverse groups of people.
• Knowledge of real estate, underwriting policies, mortgages, credit counseling, foreclosure and household budgeting and loan closing highly desirable.
• Familiarity with social service networks in Philadelphia is a plus.
• May need to work off-site or off-hours on occasion as needed.
• Bilingual in any of the following languages is a plus: Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, or Polish