Housing Search Services Advocate
4 days ago
Boston
Job DescriptionDescription: Rosie’s Place was founded in 1974 as the first women’s shelter in the United States. Our mission is to provide a safe and nurturing environment to help poor and homeless women maintain their dignity, seek opportunity and find security in their lives. Over the years, we have become much more than a shelter. We are a multi-service community center that not only provides meals and shelter but also creates answers for thousands of women a year through wide-ranging support, housing and education services. Rosie’s Place relies on the generous support of individuals, foundations and corporations and does not accept any city, state or federal funding. OPPORTUNITY The Housing Search Services Advocate plays a key role in supporting Rosie’s Place guests in navigating the complex housing landscape of Greater Boston. This role combines direct service, case management, advocacy, and collaboration with internal and external partners to help guests secure and maintain stable housing. The Housing Search Services Advocate will conduct intakes, develop individualized housing search plans, assist with applications, provide ongoing support, and connect guests with wraparound services across Rosie’s Place departments. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES • Conduct housing intakes and readiness assessments for guests referred to the program, • Collaborate with guests to develop individualized Housing Search Action Plans, outlining goals, barriers, and steps toward housing stability, • Conduct walk-in housing search clinics to provide immediate assessment, guidance, and resource navigation, • Carry and manage an active caseload, providing ongoing support and follow-up, • Assist guests in completing housing applications, gathering documentation, and preparing for landlord interviews, • Provide education on tenant rights, budgeting, and maintaining housing, • Maintain consistent, trauma-informed, and strengths-based engagement with each guest in prioritizing their needs and setting achievable goals, • Coordinate closely with Advocacy, Stabilization, Legal Advocacy, Workforce Development, and Behavioral Health programs to provide wraparound support, • Make referrals to external partners for additional support, i.e. Furniture bank, movers etc., • Build and maintain relationships with landlords, property managers, housing authorities, and community partners, • Stay current on affordable housing programs, eligibility requirements and market trends, • Maintain accurate guest records in Salesforce, a database to track guest support, • Ensure confidentiality when handling all aspects of guests’ information, • Participate in weekly supervision, program meetings, and monthly staff meetings, • Intervene in guests’ crises and emergencies in a dignified and respectful manner, • Bilingual abilities in Spanish or Haitian Creole in addition to English are strongly preferred, • Strong commitment to social justice and the mission of Rosie’s Place, • 2 years of experience in housing search, case management, or advocacy preferred, • Experience with crisis intervention with people who have experienced trauma, homelessness, mental health challenges, and/or substance use disorders, • Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to exercise sound judgement and think quickly on your feet, • Strong interpersonal skills, ability to work well, and effectively communicate with other departments, • Strong customer service mindset with effective and diplomatic, yet supportive communication style, • Dependable, flexible and able to work effectively in a collaborative way in a team setting, • Proficient computer literacy, including the ability to quickly learn new systems and applications COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS The starting salary range for this position is $52,000-$65,000, commensurate with experience. Rosie’s Place offers a robust benefits package, including medical, dental and vision insurance, 403(b) retirement plan, pension contributions, paid vacation, and more. HOURS Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 4:30pm OR Monday – Friday, 10:00am—6:00pm WORK EXPECTATIONS AT ROSIE’S PLACE We are a hands-on team and seek employees who are passionate about our work and service to our community. The Advocate is expected to work onsite at Rosie’s Place during their work week and engage regularly with staff, guests, and volunteers. While this position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule, flexibility with days on-site is required to fulfill work obligations and to take part in organization meetings, trainings and events. We continue to adapt to safety protocols related to COVID-19 as we understand them, and all employees must follow our safety protocols. Among these protocols, we require all employees to be up to date with their COVID vaccinations. Requests for medical or religious exemptions from the COVID vaccination are considered. HOW TO APPLY Please submit your resume and cover letter through Rosie’s Place’s online portal to apply. Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion At Rosie's Place, we believe diversity, equity, and inclusion are core components of justice. We commit to acting daily to dismantle injustice to ensure that opportunities and equitable outcomes are available to all members of our community regardless of individual characteristics including race, color, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, age, sexual orientation or perceived ability. Equal Opportunity Employer We value diversity in our workplace and strongly encourage applications from individuals from all identities and backgrounds. We are an equal opportunity employer, and qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law.