Senior Housing Specialist

The Senior Housing Specialist plays a lead role within Care For the Homeless’ Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) program, aHUD Continuum of Care (CoC)-funded initiative serving individuals and families experiencing homelessness acrossall five New York City boroughs. This position is responsible for delivering high-quality, participant-centered housingservices including unit identification, landlord engagement, lease-up support, housing stability counseling, and crisis intervention while serving as a resource and informal mentor to junior Housing Specialists on the team.

The Senior Housing Specialist operates within a Housing First framework, ensuring compliance with HUD regulations, HMISdocumentation standards, and CFH program policies at all times.

• Conduct proactive outreach to landlords, brokers, and property management companies to recruit and maintain a pipeline of affordable, HUD-eligible housing units across NYC boroughs.
• Guide program participants through the housing search process, including apartment viewings, application support, and landlord negotiations.
• Review and assess unit habitability to ensure compliance with HUD Housing Quality Standards (HQS) priorto lease execution.
• Facilitate lease-up processes, including preparation of occupancy agreements, review of lease terms, and coordination with legal counsel as needed.
• Maintain and update the department’s unit tracking tools, including the Stability Voucher/Section 8/housing vouchers pipeline tracker, ensuring accuracy in unit availability, application status, and move-in
• timelines.

• Carry an active caseload of program participants, providing direct services aligned with individualizedhousing stability plans.
• Conduct regular home visits and check-ins to assess housing stability, address barriers, and coordinatesupportive services as needed.
• Collaborate with Care Coordinators and external service providers to facilitate warm referrals for mental health, substance use, employment, and other wraparound supports.
• Deliver housing stability counseling, financial literacy guidance, and tenant rights education to program participants.
• Support participants in understanding and exercising their rights under NYC rent stabilization, DHCRregulations, and applicable tenancy law.

• Enter, update, and maintain accurate and timely data in Foothold AWARDS (HMIS system of record) in accordance with HUD data standards, CFH policies, and CoC reporting requirements.
• Complete required program documentation including intake assessments, housing plans, progress notes,move-in/move-out records, and case closures.
• Ensure all files electronic and physical are maintained in accordance with HUD interim rule and CFHconfidentiality standards.
• Assist with data quality reviews and prepare case-level documentation for internal audits, HUD monitoring visits, and CoC performance reporting.

• Serve as an informal resource and mentor to Housing Specialists and Leasing Assistant offering guidance on
• complex cases, landlord negotiations, and HUD compliance questions.
• Support onboarding of new Housing Specialist and Leasing Assistant staff, including sharing programworkflows, HMIS documentation practices, and community resource knowledge.
• Participate in team meetings, case conferences, supervisory check-ins, and department-wide trainings.
• Assist the Director of CoC Programs with special projects, quality improvement initiatives, and the development or revision of program materials and tools.
• Serve as a point of contact for participants and landlords when the Housing Specialist is unavailable,ensuring continuity of service.