Housing Coordinator

Description

Supportive Housing is an intervention that combines affordable housing assistance with voluntary support services to address the needs of adults and families who have a long-term disability. Services are designed to build independent living and tenancy skills and connect people with community-based health care, treatment, and employment services.

The Housing Coordinator is responsible for assisting individuals and families accepted into the agency's permanent supporting housing programs with the move-in process including housing search process and placement into affordable rental properties, securing and coordinating household furnishings. This position will perform ongoing tenant education, collect monthly occupancy fees, handle evictions and the move-out process. This position is also responsible for performing new housing inspections, environmental reviews as necessary, maintaining relationships with private landlords, communicating with landlords on apartment maintenance issues and marketing and securing new landlords and property management companies for the program.

The Housing Coordinator will also serve as principal contact with our housing partners regarding administrative matters, maintaining all lease schedules, and the lease renewal process.

• Establishing positive relationships with participants in assessing their housing needs.
• Conduct housing history/background assessments with participants including credit report checks if required by landlords.
• Preparing participants to be active in their own housing search, apply for apartments, and negotiate with potential landlords; accompanying participants and/or transporting participants to apartment viewings as needed.
• Providing participants with listings of potential housing options in alignment with participants' housing needs and geographic preferences.
• Assess housing affordability rate for participants based on their income, HUD guidelines, and participant income potential.
• Explain and review the lease and sublease agreement with the incoming participant(s)/sub-tenant.
• Coordinate the distribution of furniture and House to Home kits for participants.
• Educate participants about their responsibilities as tenants and assist with troubleshooting problems as they arise, including advocacy assistance with landlords when warranted.
• Guide the leasing process between participant and landlord acting as an advocate and on behalf of the participant.
• Complete rent calculation for all clients prior to participant executing the lease.
• Collect monthly occupancy fees (30% of gross income) from participants.
• Conduct follow-up with participants/sub-tenants and landlords after housing placement; assist case management staff in mediating any landlord-sub-tenant issues that may arise.
• Work to prevent eviction of tenants including negotiating moving clients before eviction procedure and oversee the move of tenants who are unable to stay in their current apartment.
• Connect with landlords via neighborhood outreach, internet search, and networking events.
• Build and maintain positive relationships with private landlords and other housing providers to expand Housing Forward's landlord portfolio.
• Advocate with landlords for participants with rental barriers such as prior evictions, and poor credit
• Conduct rent reasonableness assessments and completing environmental reviews on buildings where units are located.
• Conduct apartment inspections and working with landlords to correct any deficiencies.
• Explain and review with potential landlords/property management companies the lease and sublease agreement.
• Coordinate the signing of the lease and sublease agreement and supporting landlords in providing all other…