Job description

Housing Hotline Associate

Are you enthusiastic about preventing homelessness? Do you care deeply about the success of gateway immigrant communities? Consider becoming a Housing Hotline Associate with CONNECT at The Neighborhood Developers (TND), a successful community development corporation in Chelsea, Revere, and Everett, MA.
The Housing Hotline works almost exclusively in the City of Chelsea to help residents access rental assistance and to provide case management and referrals to residents at risk of homelessness.

Overview:

The Housing Assistance Hotline was created in May 2020 so that eligible residents could access state-wide emergency housing assistance programs administered by the Massachusetts’ Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD).
The Hotline has helped households apply for and receive over $13 million in emergency housing assistance while maintaining a client-centered advocacy model.
Applications are submitted to our partner organization, Metro Housing| Boston, for approval. The Hotline also provides residents with information about tenant rights and connects callers with legal aid, emergency housing resources, and other wrap-around services as needed. With rental assistance decreasing, we are shifting more resources to housing counseling. We have become a model that has been used by the state.

CONNECT promotes the financial stability and mobility of residents of Chelsea, Revere, and Everett in close collaboration with partner organizations by providing holistic services. CONNECT’s formal partners are Metro Housing|Boston, Bunker Hill Community College, Metro Credit Union, and MassHire, and we also work extensively with other organizations including La Colaborativa, Women Encouraging Empowerment, Revere Community Schools, and the local municipalities.

CONNECT is a program of TND, a non-profit community development corporation with a mission to create strong neighborhoods enabling community members to secure a stable home, achieve economic mobility, and determine their own future.
The organization builds affordable homes, supports households to achieve greater financial mobility, and organizes community leaders on issues related to neighborhood conditions as well as social and economic justice. TND’s headquarters is in Chelsea where it has operated since 1978. The organization expanded into Revere in 2010 and began offering some of its services in Everett in 2018. For more information see www.theneighborhooddevelopers.org.

Responsibilities:

• Screen calls to our Hotline and make appropriate referrals internally – for SNAP, free tax returns, financial coaching, and job search assistance, and externally to other organizations.
• Develop expert understanding of eligibility and processes for obtaining Rental Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT).
• Help eligible Chelsea residents apply for RAFT and work with landlords and other relevant parties to ensure the completion of RAFT applications.
• Follow up on all open applications and on referrals to and from internal and external referrals.
• Provide case management services to Chelsea residents facing the risk of displacement including referral to legal services and other partner organizations.
• Build and maintain relationships with other units at CONNECT and TND and with important partner organizations including the City of Chelsea, La Colaborativa, Metro Housing|Boston, Housing Families and CAPIC to make and accept referrals.
• Assist promptly with urgent cases.
• Contact and negotiate with property owners about difficult and urgent cases.
• Help administer supplemental funding to eligible Chelsea residents.
• Participate in the city-wide Eviction Task Force to communicate about individual clients at high risk of displacement.
• Conduct outreach in the Chelsea community to make residents aware of our services.
• Communicate regularly with the Housing Assistance Hotline Manager about all ongoing cases.
• Participate in CONNECT staff meetings and other meetings as necessary.
• Come to office in Chelsea at least one day per week.
• Attend, in collaboration with team, important community meetings related to the Housing Hotline work.
• Attend important CONNECT and TND events including block parties and fundraisers.
• Refer clients interested in advocacy around the issues facing them and their community to the TND Community Building team.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bilingual in Spanish and English.
• Compassion and empathy for those facing housing instability.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Ability to interact positively and effectively with a variety of people from different backgrounds including race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status.
• Detail-oriented, well-organized, and able to work independently.
• Resourceful and with a strong determination to get results for clients.
• Commitment to the mission of The Neighborhood Developers and CONNECT and to social, economic, and racial justice.
• Strong computer skills with Microsoft Office suite and with Salesforce or other databases.

Desired Qualifications:

• Previous housing assistance experience
• Knowledge of RAFT guidelines
• Previous experience working directly with low income clients
• Familiarity with Chelsea, MA

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $20.00 - $24.00 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Chelsea, MA 02150: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Preferred)

Experience:

• Case management: 1 year (Preferred)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Chelsea, MA 02150

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