Housing Specialist

Housing Specialist

Founded in 1991, Hope Solutions, formerly Contra Costa Interfaith Housing, is a vibrant and socially responsive non-profit agency that provides permanent housing and vital support services to over 2,000 homeless or at-risk families and individuals in Contra Costa County. Over 40 faith-based communities support our work, although there are no religious requirements or affiliations to receive services.

At Hope Solutions—we envision a world in which everyone has a place to call home and the support of a strong community so that they can live with dignity and reach their full potential. We strive to be inclusive and responsive to community needs. We are committed to excellence and accomplish our work with integrity, respect, compassion, and humility.

Hope Solution's mission is to heal the effects of poverty and homelessness by providing permanent housing and vital support services to highly vulnerable families and individuals. Could our mission be your mission?

We're adding to our team of passionate folks who are on a mission to improve the lives of others through services and support that lead to a higher quality of life for our clients. Our team is made up of passionate, mission-driven people working together to advance our vision of secure housing and the dignity of self-sufficiency for homeless and at-risk families and individuals in Contra Costa County.

Want to learn more about Hope Solutions and the people behind our mission? Visit our website to learn more about our leadership team and us.

We are looking for a Housing Specialist who is responsible for providing housing search and placement support, home-based case management, and referrals to community resources for homeless families enrolled in the CalWORKs program across Contra Costa County. This role works in close partnership with Employment Specialists and referring CalWORKs case managers from the Employment & Human Services Department (EHSD) to ensure a coordinated, client-centered approach to housing stability and self-sufficiency.

The Housing Specialist provides individualized, flexible support to homeless families to assist them in moving into stable, sustainable housing as quickly as possible. Initial work includes assessing the family's housing needs and potential barriers, collaboratively creating a Housing Stability Plan, and accessing any resources needed to further the goal of becoming or remaining housed. Housing Stability Plans may include financial support for a time-limited period.

After families are housed, the Housing Specialist will continue to provide services and referrals to community providers as needed to address housing retention barriers.

All housing support services are participant-driven and delivered with a strength-based, trauma-informed approach. Services are delivered in the community and the home at the families' convenience. Support is designed as short-term assistance to resolve a housing crisis, to offer a flexible level of intensity as needed, and to provide warm hand-offs to other providers if families need further support after becoming stably housed.

Supervisory Responsibility:
None

Client Support:

• Maintain contact with all consumers in the caseload and provide home visits according to an identified level of need.
• Perform comprehensive psychosocial, life skills, and financial assessments.
• Meet with identified clients to complete housing needs assessments and create plans for obtaining safe, sustainable housing.
• Research and identify housing opportunities for clients as requested or needed.
• Assist clients in identifying and seeking desirable, appropriate housing options and mitigating screening barriers.
• Assist clients with "document readiness" (gathering and maintaining verification documents required for housing applications).
• Provide applicants with housing-related resources necessary to obtain and sustain housing placement, including information regarding tenant/landlord rights and responsibilities.
• Transport clients to meet with prospective landlords, complete housing applications, and inspect potential units on an as-needed basis.
• Apply knowledge of residential leases to educate clients regarding their rights and responsibilities.
• Working collaboratively with consumers, develop and monitor progress on individual or family housing support plans, encouraging independent action and/or providing aid as appropriate.
• Provide consistent, on demand support, including but not limited to assistance with budgeting, accessing…