Housing Resources Specialist

About Community Housing Network

Community Housing Network (CHN) is a nonprofit organization committed to providing homes for people in need through proven strategies of homeless prevention, housing assistance, affordable housing development, community education, advocacy, and referrals.  Since 2001, CHN has served as the leading housing resource nonprofit organization in southeast Michigan and serves thousands of families and individuals annually who are facing homelessness, people with disabilities, low-income households, and other vulnerable Michigan residents. 

Community Housing Network is Opening Doors and Transforming Lives through a work environment dedicated to empowering a work/life balance success through our Core Values: Inclusion, Integrity, Innovation and Passion.  

CHN is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and connectedness which includes:

• Utilizing a trauma informed approach to build rapport with vulnerable populations. 

Community Housing Network provides excellent employment opportunities with competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefit package.  All full-time employees enjoy a rich package of benefits including:

• Health Insurance
• Dental
• Vision
• Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending
• 401k
• Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Products: Aflac, Short Term Disability Insurance, Life Insurance
• Generous Vacation and Medical Leave Time

Community Housing Network is an equal-opportunity employer recognized by the Detroit Free Press as a Top 100 Workplace and honored as a Crain’s Cool Place to Work. 

Housing Resources Specialist

Department: Housing Resources

Reports to:  Housing Resources Supervisor

Employment Status Classification: Full Time Hourly

Salary Range: $18 per hour

Job Description Summary:

Our Housing Resource Center (HRC) is a one-stop-shop to help people with their housing needs. As a trained Housing Resource Specialist, you will conduct a screening asking callers about their current housing situation. Their responses will guide you through the screening process to recommend options connecting the caller to the programs and resources that may be able to assist them in resolving their housing crisis. Such programs will include:

• Community resources and programs that provide housing assistance.
• Affordable housing options.
• Information on subsidized housing and other long-term housing options.

Essential Functions: 

• Conduct a screening via telephone or in person for individuals in housing crisis. 
• Assess the caller’s needs to provide appropriate referrals and resources, related to eligibility. 
• Assist potential program participants in completing applications for appropriate housing options. 
• Enter details of the call into a secure database such as Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). 
• Schedule follow up appointments as appropriate for eligible individuals.
• Represent the Housing Resources Department and Community Housing Network in the community.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Successfully complete required trainings enabling you to enter independently in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) utilized to record data for screening and working with clients at Community Housing Network.
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Computer skills with Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, Outlook and the Internet.                                                                                                              
• Enjoy working in a team environment and developing professional relationships with other departments and community partners.
• Demonstrate the CHN Core Values of Inclusion, Integrity, Innovation and Passion in all interactions. 
• Must possess excellent interpersonal and telephone communication skills.

Travel:

Some travel may be required to off-site meetings, trainings, or organizational events that would require the use of your personal automobile. 

CHN reserves the right to require a motor vehicle record check with any employee where driving is an essential function of this position. 

Work Environment and Physical Demands:

This position includes fieldwork, in-office work and remote work. When working remotely, the employee must ensure a professional environment that supports productivity and confidentiality.

Primary functions of this job are sedentary and does require some physical abilities of bending, lifting, stooping and/or arranging office supplies and may require carrying bags with supplies inside. 

Agency Expectations:

• Commitment to confidentiality, integrity, and adherence to organizational values.
• Adhere to agency policies and procedures.
• Demonstrate exceptional communication and organizational skills.
• Maintain a positive and respectful attitude.
• Demonstrate flexible and efficient time management and ability to prioritize workload.
• Consistently report to work on time and prepared to perform duties of position.
• Have a strong work ethic that equally prioritizes the needs of participants and the needs of the organization.
• Proactively and effectively communicate the knowledge gained from education/trainings/conferences to others in the organization through the use of presentations, emails, and conversations. 
• Execute all duties within the framework of Housing First and trauma-informed care principles.
• Prioritize cultural understanding, respect, resilience, adaptability, conflict resolution, and resourcefulness.
• Upholds organizations core values of integrity, inclusion, innovation, passion and vision within our organization and the people we serve.

Disclaimer:

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.