HeartShare is looking for an Employment and Housing Specialist

Employment and Housing Specialist, under the supervision of the Program Supervisor will act as an additional resource and support to the tenant in addition to their Coach. This person will be responsible for cultivating a network of job placement and internship opportunities for young adults through workforce development service providers, as well as partnerships with businesses who can offer a supportive and educational job opportunity for young people. The Employment and Housing Specialist will build an engaging and comfortable relationship with our tenants to help them identify preferences and goals for their housing and employment opportunities, alongside their coaches, and will connect them with opportunities to help them meet their goals. This person will develop a deep knowledge of the New York City affordable real estate market, including a network of landlords and brokers to assist tenants with identifying non-programmatic permanent housing and programmatic long-term housing, where appropriate. They will do so by working alongside the Residence Engagement Liaison to build the HSVS network of available apartments for supportive housing, as a way to establish initial landlord relationships. They will also attend housing fairs, conferences, and networking opportunities as appropriate to continue to deepen and grow their housing network. The Employment and Housing Specialists will take a compassionate, nonjudgmental, and strengths-based approach to working with our young people.

The Employment and Housing Specialist will be trained in and implement evidence-based models, including but not limited to:

Motivational Interviewing; Intensive Trauma Services; Recovery Oriented and Trauma Informed Case Management; Critical Time Intervention;

 

Responsibilities:

Meet with up to 60 tenants quarterly alongside their coaches to review employment plans and complete job applications with tenants. Conduct monthly workshops that provide information and training about housing stability, rent, entitlements, money management, professional development, resume writing, hard and soft skills, and other areas related to housing and employment stability. Provide resources for tenants that promote independent living, and educate tenants on banking, credit, culinary skills, healthy relationships, and conflict resolution; Provide monthly resources for jobs opportunities and monitor outcomes. Accompany tenants to HRA and SSI office in support of maintaining entitlements. Assist tenants in creating online accounts used to access entitlements. Follow up on job application status for tenants and provide resources for housing subsidies. Educate tenants on housing options and assist with completing housing applications. Ensure tenants maintain their benefits in order to maintain stable housing. In collaboration with the youth, complete semi-annual vocational assessments to determine prioritized needs and identify tenant strengths. Spearhead the development and operation of young adult advisory board; Identify youths who are planning to attend college and help them apply to the HSVS American Dream Program where applicable. Collect and input relevant data for supportive housing database. Maintain employment and educational data used to measure tenant outcomes. Perform other duties deemed necessary to support the needs of the youths and program.