HHI Housing Specialist

Slavic Village Development (SVD) is the Community Development Corporation that serves the Broadway Slavic Village neighborhood. We are a forward-looking, service-driven organization which honors our neighborhood’s resiliency, diverse cultural heritage, and inclusiveness. We seek staff and volunteers who take pride in the cutting-edge community-building work that SVD has led for over 30 years. SVD is an equal opportunity employer that has an inclusive and equitable working environment.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. We strongly encourage individuals of all backgrounds and cultures to consider this position.

Slavic Village Development (SVD) seeks an energetic, creative, and goal-oriented community advocate for the role of Healthy Homes Initiatives (HHI) Housing Specialist. Working closely with housing and community outreach team members, the HHI Housing Specialist is responsible for working with the City of Cleveland’s Healthy Homes Initiative to improve the quality of life of residents and the City’s housing stock.

The ideal candidate is passionate about Cleveland neighborhoods and residents and has a servant leadership mentality – placing the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong first and foremost. The candidate should be a problem-solver, good listener, and patient. This person should also enjoy developing relationships, working with diverse groups of people, and helping residents work though challenges they are facing.

HHI Housing Specialist will report to the Community Engagement Manager in the City of Cleveland’s Community Development Department and the Community Development Corporation (CDC) Executive Director or their designee. The Specialists will be housed at the CDC in the neighborhood they are serving and will be part of a cohort of specialists deployed across the City.

Each HHI Housing Specialist will focus on concentrated inspection areas (CIA) in their neighborhood that are prioritized by their CDC Executive Director, CES Manager, and Councilperson.

Main roles and responsibilities include:

• Working with the Community Engagement Manager, CDC team, and Council member to determine which areas of neighborhood have the most need
• Conducting property condition surveys and identifying external and internal housing issues
• Building trust, providing technical assistance, and developing a plan of action with the property owner and/or tenant to address housing and quality of life issues
• Connecting homeowners, landlords, and tenants to programs and resources available through the City of Cleveland, local nonprofits, and other organizations
• Collecting, inputting, and tracking field data
• Researching property data and develop property-specific engagement and outreach plans
• Marketing and administering the City’s programming with support from the City’s Community Engagement team
• Delivering a minimum of four (4) classes and forums for homeowners, tenants, and landlords in coordination with the City’s Community Engagement team

• A High school diploma or GED is required;
  Bachelor’s degree in social work, urban planning, public affairs, communications or another related field is preferred
• One year of experience in community building, engagement, or serving clients in a social service environment; OR
• One year of experience in building or remodeling, contracting, building construction estimating, building inspection or building/real estate management preferred
• Comfort with data collection, software and technology (such as personal computers, handheld devices, Microsoft Office Suites)
• Ability to work independently and as part of a cohort/collaborative team
• A valid State of Ohio Driver's License is required
• Reliable transportation to conduct field surveys and inspections preferred
• Complete Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program (RRP) certification

Training and Support for Community Engagement Specialists

• Ext…