Job Information
Pine Street Inn Housing Search Specialist in Boston, Massachusetts
Housing Search Specialist
Department: Housing Placement
Office: 401 Harrison Avenue
Location: Boston, MA
Position Type: Administrative
Hours/Shift: Morning - First Shift
Employee Type:: Regular Full-time
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2 POSITIONS AVAILABLE
SCHEDULE: 40 hours, Monday - Friday, 9:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., this schedule requires flexibility due to program needs; early mornings, weekends, holidays and evenings may be required
SCHEDULE: 40 hours, Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., this schedule requires flexibility due to program needs; early mornings, weekends, holidays and evenings may be required
All positions pay $23.48 per hour DOE
This position carries a retention bonus of $4000.00, payable in instalments of: $500.00 at 1 month, $ 500.00 at 3 months, $1500.00 at 6 months, and $1500.00 at one year.
LOCATION: 401 Harrison Ave, Boston MA, PSI Shelters and Community locations
JOB DESCRIPTION:
SUMMARY OF POSITION:
The Housing Search Specialists will work as part of a coordinated and integrated team. The HSS will work assertively to identify the units necessary to meet the housing needs of this developing Housing system. The HSS will engage with sheltered and unsheltered targeted clients to reduce barriers to housing and housing supports utilizing actionable decisions and individual housing plans that will rapidly lead to safe, affordable housing with the supports necessary to sustain achieved housing. The HSS will work with brokers, landlords, government agencies, and property management companies to cultivate, develop and maintain all types of housing options in and around Boston. Leveraging all available housing search resources and expanding the number of properties for the program. A virtual clearinghouse of available properties inside and around Boston will be established so that homeless individuals can be quickly matched to appropriate properties. The HSS will work in conjunction with the Housing Search & Placement Specialist Supervisor to build capacity for shared living and securing units outside of Boston. HSS will individually be responsible for securing a specific number of units leveraging all housing search resources and ensuring that we are not duplicating housing search efforts. The HSS will work within a Housing First framework. The HSS will use CAS system to ensure coordination across the homeless services system.
The HSS will work from, adopt, and enliven the following principles:
Shelter is a temporary safety net, not a home.
All people experiencing homelessness, regardless of their housing history and duration of homelessness, can achieve housing stability in permanent housing.
Never warehouse or institutionalize our guests in our shelters
Everyone is -housing ready.- Sobriety, compliance in treatment, or even a clean criminal history is not necessary to succeed in housing. Rather, homelessness programs and housing providers must be -consumer ready.-
Leverage guests- strengths, assets, and connections to move quickly out of shelters and to any other housing
Employ an empowerment model
Maximize guest choices and control over her/his stabilization based in a relational collaboration
Create an atmosphere that is respectful of the guests- need for safety, respect, and acceptance
Emphasize the guests- strengths, highlighting adaptations over symptoms and resilience over pathology
Minimize the possibilities of re-traumatization
Strive to be culturally competent and to understand each person in the context of his or her life experiences and cultural background
Solicit guest input and involve guests in designing and evaluating services
REQUIREMENTS:
EDUCATION/TRAINING:
REQUIRED:
Associates in a human services or housing related field [may be substituted for High School Diploma with at least three (3) years of equivalent experience in a social service setting and/or housing search
Valid Massachusetts Driver-s License and the ability to pass Pine Street Inn-s safe driving criteria (minimum criteria, no more than two accidents, at-fault incidents, speeding tickets, and/or moving violations within the past two years).
KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE:
REQUIRED:
A minimum of two (2) years of experience in any of the following three areas:
Delivering services to an unsheltered population leaving in the streets often struggling with addiction and untreated or under-treated mental health concerns
Customer service and sales
Property development, property management, or real estate
Strong computer and math skills - including familiarity with MS Word, Excel and the ability to learn and successfully use MIS & HMIS programs
Experience navigating systems of housing and care for homeless individuals
Working knowledge of human services systems, housing subsidy programs and homeless referral networks
Experience maintaining consistent communication channels, both verbal and written, between several parties (i.e., tenant, property owner, referral source, collaborating agencies, debtors and creditors).
Experience serving as an ongoing liaison between property managers and participants as well as between participants and program funders.
PHYSICAL ABILITIES/SKILLS:
REQUIRED:
Ability to stand for moderate periods of time, stretch, bend, lift and assist guests up and down stairs during difficult and/or emergency situations.
Ability to respond safely and quickly in case of emergency situations
Ability to sit for moderate periods of time at a desk in an office while interacting with clients and/or managing documentation and completing data entry
Must be able to drive a PSI vehicle for work use
MENTAL ABILITIES/SKILLS:
REQUIRED:
Excellent writing, documentation, math and computer skills
Ability to assess clients and make appropriate referrals
Ability to establish good working relationships with internal and external program staff
Strong decision-making, leadership ability and communication skills
Exceptional customer service
Ability to perform an array of difficult tasks at the same time
Patience in working with guests with untreated emotional and/or physical health needs and active substance use/abuse/dependency behaviors
Ability to work in intense emotionally charged situations
Ability to help provide critical incident de-briefing
PREFERRED:
Certification, training, or formal education in counseling and/or case management or real estate and/or property management
Bilingual - Spanish/English
Experience in property development. Experience accessing local housing opportunities and subsidy programs for homeless individuals
Practical experience in diversion, mediation, negotiation, motivational interviewing, trauma informed care, harm reduction, crisis prevention and intervention, household budgeting, rapid re-housing and service planning, recovery services - including mental health, substance use/abuse and traumatic brain injury
Working Knowledge of Housing First and Rapid Rehousing
Knowledge of residential lease contracts to educate clients of their rights and responsibilities.
Experience speaking/presenting in front of medium to large size meetings of clients or community partners
Experience providing mediation and advocacy with property owners on the client-s behalf to develop a workable plan to obtain and or maintain housing.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
Meet or exceed established program goals
Secure a minimum of 40 appropriate properties in a 12-month period
Uphold the minimum standards of landlord service, including quick response time to vacancies and tenancy issues
Utilize an assessment tool for persons on the streets assisting with identifying the appropriate housing need.
Act as a liaison between caseworkers, program participants, and the landlord, property manager, or broker during the housing identification process which includes but is not limited to the application assistance, inspections, coordinate prospective tenant viewings, and facilitating leasing appointments.
Provide pro-active follow-up home visits to ensure stability and further progress towards self-sufficiency; this includes support, advocacy, reducing isolation, listening, problem solving, and identification of resources to assist with reintegration of participants in the community.
Build mutually beneficial, professional relationships with landlords, property managers, and brokers use high integrity, strong initiative, and creativity to do so
Operate within the policy and procedures of the Coordinated Housing Solutions program and Pine Street Inn
Transport clients as deemed necessary. Transportation requirements should be limited to housing searches and occasional visit to relevant social service agencies.
Work as a strong contributor to a coordinated team
Ambassador of Pine Street Inn
Ensure quality data entry: accurate and timely data entry
Input guest updates and other pertinent service information in the HMIS system. Use HMIS system to track guest access to services and outcomes
Actively participate in Housing Search collaboration meetings
Perform other additional assignments or projects as requested/directed by supervisor
Other duties as assigned in order to meet the needs of the organization during the COVID-19 pandemic or other public health or weather emergency.
INTERNAL CANDIDATES, IF INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION, PLEASE SUBMIT A PROMOTION/TRANSFER APPLICATION TO THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT WITHIN 10 DAYS OF POSTING.
Pine Street Inn is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer
START YOUR APPLICATION (https://apply.hrmdirect.com/resumedirect/ApplyOnline/Apply.aspx?req_id=2963636&source=2963636-CJB-0)