Housing Advocate

About YWCA South Hampton Roads YWCA South Hampton Roads (YWCA SHR) is the oldest and largest multicultural womens organization in the world. YWCA SHR is dedicated to the fullness of its mission to eliminate racism empower women and promote peace justice freedom and dignity for all.

Serving approximately 8000 individuals each year YWCA SHR is a source of strength courage and empowerment for women and families facing crisis. We are a community catalyst for meaningful change and the advocate for shaping vital impact through quality services responding to the critical needs of survivors of sexual violence and domestic violence. YWCA SHR works across racial gender religious and social lines with organizations-partners in all sectors to educate about disparities advocate for change and provide resources and tools to dismantle oppressive systems.

YWCA SHR is in the midst of a rapid transformation from a well-established direct service provider for women and families facing crisis to an organization working at the intersection of eliminating racism empowering women and standing up for social justice helping families and strengthening our community.

About the Position

Under general supervision of the Housing Manager responsible for working collaboratively with the Shelter Case Managers other YWCA SHR Staff and interns local social service partners and landlords. This position assists homeless clients impacted by domestic violence in overcoming barriers to housing identifying affordable housing opportunities and developing a plan for long-term stability.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

The essential functions include but are not limited to the following:

Advocacy

Meet with homeless clients selected for YWCAs Rapid Re-Housing program to complete intake assess for housing barriers and develop a plan to locate housing and maintain stability

Establish partnerships with landlords to locate affordable housing for clients especially those with multiple barriers to obtaining permanent housing

Connect clients to support services partners within the community to provide wraparound services

Meet with clients to assist with; identifying affordable housing opportunities completing housing applications reviewing lease documents addressing barriers to housing and assisting with moving arrangements

Act as a liaison and mediator between client and community partners (landlords property managers local social service partners etc)

Compliance

Complete housing inspections and ensure that housing meets HUD compliance standards

Complete HUD required program documents and upload them into HMIS compatible database

Maintaining familiarity with federal state regional and local housing programs policies and regulations; analyzing and ensuring compliance with applicable requirements

Administration

Maintains statistics client case notes and ECM to accurately report out on grant activities

Provide updates at case management meetings (weekly bi-weekly monthly) for clients who are housing searching or housed to ensure their long-term success by providing safety planning crisis intervention advocacy information and referrals

Attend meetings (housing department meetings case management meetings SVHC/CoC meetings) and scheduled in-service trainings as assigned

Performs other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Requirements

A Bachelors degree in social work psychology or related human services field preferred.

A minimum of one year of related experience with housing and/or homeless population required.

Skills and Competencies

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND ABILITIES)

Experience working with persons with disabilities mental health concerns and chronic homelessness preferred.

Demonstrate knowledge of interpersonal violence and a strong commitment to ending violence against women men and children.

Knowledge of HUD Housing Quality Standards (HQS) Guidelines preferred.

Knowledge of housing resources in Hampton Roads Landlord/Tenant Laws and Fair Housing Regulations in Virginia.

Comfortable with computers and familiar with spreadsheet and word processing programs.

Core competencies expected: strong oral and written communication skills organizational understanding initiative collaboration and social justice advocacy.

A self-starter with the ability to operate with purpose urgency and accuracy both independently and as part of a team in a results-oriented environment with tight deadlines.

Demonstrate ability to act as an advocate on behalf of clients with a working knowledge of legal medical and social service systems.

Non-judgmental attitude sensitive to confidential information.

Familiarity with domestic violence.

Professional and caring attitude reflecting the philosophy of YWCA.

Ability to work well with people of various ethnic racial and socio-economic backgrounds.

Ability to communicate clearly and effectively both oral and written.

Must complete the training programs of the YWCA SHR.

Must have excellent driving record and have a valid drivers license; certificate of insurance from an insurance carrier licensed in the State of Virginia.

Travel is required and access to reliable transportation is essential.

Requires willingness to work and travel alone.

CORE VALUES

The Housing Advocate is expected to model the YWCA SHR Core Values:

Compassion

Honesty

Integrity

Ownership

Responsibility

Empowerment

WORKING CONDITIONS: Work is performed in a typical office environment with a high standard of confidentiality.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential duties and responsibilities of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions.

• Must have the use of sensory skills to effectively communicate and interact with other employees and the public through the use of the telephone and personal contact as normally defined by the ability to see read talk hear handle or feel objects and controls.
• While performing the duties of this job the employee is required to: Frequently walk use hands to finger handle or feel objects tools or controls and talk or hear.
• Often required to stand and sit; reach with hands and arms; and stoop kneel crouch bend squat or crawl. Ability to lift and carry up to 20-25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision distance vision color vision peripheral vision depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.
• The noise level in the work environment is moderately loud.
• Physical capability to effectively use and operate various items of office-related equipment such as but not limited to a personal computer calculator copier and fax machine.

COMPENSATION:This position offers a hiring range of $ that is based on experience and a full benefits packet to include health vision and dental insurance 17 paid holidays vacation sick leave retirement and other benefits. We actively welcome all candidates from a wide range of backgrounds who have the skills to fulfill this role regardless of compensation history.

START TIMEFRAME:The position will be open until filled. Interested applicants are requested to submit a cover letter and resume to the job posting at

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO) DISCLOSURE:We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age color creed disability gender identity national origin protected veteran status race religion sex sexual orientation and any other status protected by applicable local state or federal law.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) REQUIREMENTS:YWCA SHR is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA requires YWCA SHR to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.

SUBSTANCE USE AND WORKPLACE SAFETY POLICY: It is the policy of YWCA South Hampton Roads to maintain a safe and healthy workplace that is free of the effects of alcohol and drug abuse. Employees volunteers and interns of YWCA South Hampton Roads are prohibited from the use sale dispensing distribution possession manufacture or being under the influence of drugs that are illegal under any federal state or local law.