Housing Specialist

Housing Specialist

ABOUT US

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.

Are you seeking a new role that fully utilizes your talents and potential-while helping to make the world a better place? If so, please read on!

What are you passionate about?

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?

Learn more about us @ hopesolutions.org

TEAM SNAPSHOT

We're adding to our team of passionate folks-who are on a mission to help make the lives of others better-through services and support that lead to a higher quality of life for our clients.

We'd like to learn more about you-apply for the role! What's our team like?

Here's a snapshot of some of the folks at Hope Solutions who help advance our vision to achieve-secure housing and the dignity of self-sufficiency for the homeless and at-risk families and individuals in Contra Costa County.

A FEW OF US...

Deanne-Chief Executive Officer-Resides with her husband and three children. Enjoys hiking, camping, reading, cooking, and cheering at her kids' games.

Alex-Chief Operating Officer-Lives with his wife, son, and dog (and loves when the grandkids visit!). MSW and macro social worker who enjoys reading, baseball (Go Giants!), cooking, hiking, jazz, and family time.

Christina-Chief Financial Officer-Resides with her husband, son, two daughters, and their dog. MPA, Non-Profit Graduate Certificate, and 20+ years in finance; enjoys traveling and family time.

Beth-Director of Clinical and Support Services-Resides with her sister and son. Licensed psychologist with 30+ years working with children and families; enjoys singing, cooking, gardening, and traveling.

Bill-Vice President of Programs-Resides with his partner. Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with 25+ years' experience working with underserved populations, specialized training in somatic psychotherapy and end-of-life care; enjoys reading, gardening, and meditation.

Cayla-Director of Evaluation & Learning -Resides with her husband and children. MBA in Business Analytics that thrives on spreadsheet analysis, dashboard creation, and reading.

Debbie-Director of Development & External Relations-Resides with her husband, two teenagers, and a rescue mutt. Leads external relations and development with 20+ years in marketing and communications.

Dominick-Director of Re-Entry Housing & Services-A fourth-generation San Francisco native and father of four, holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice and an M.A. in Leadership. In his free time, he enjoys music, travel, nature, cooking, and quarterly wine trips.

Gessika-Director of Properties & Support Services-A Bay Area native and former frontline social worker, Gessika leads housing and support programs that promote long-term stability by addressing mental health, housing access, and systemic injustice. She brings over 15 years of nonprofit leadership and clinical social work experience, with expertise in trauma-informed care, program development, and advocating for frontline staff.

Kristina-Director of Human Resources-With over 20 years of experience in HR, leadership, people management, and operations, she holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and is a SHRM-SCP certified professional. A Bay Area native and proud foodie, she lives with her child and enjoys spending time with her family, cycling, hiking, and keeping life light with laughter and fun.

Mashal-Director of Housing & Support Services-Resides in the Bay Area. Daughter of Afghan refugees; enjoys weekends with her son, concerts, reading, and Sonoma Coast drives; former Program Manager for housing and care for chronically homeless adults with AIDS / HIV; co-chair for Hope Solutions' CARE Committee and board member.

Tanya-Director of Rapid Re-Housing & Navigation-Resides with her husband, daughter, and two sons. Master's in Counseling Psychology with 15+ years serving underserved populations; enjoys music, comedy, movies, exercising, and basketball.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR :

The Housing Specialist 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

WHAT WILL YOU DO : 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 needed benefits and services, accompanying consumers to mental health / medical appointments, and supporting overall housing stability.
• Assure the provision of supportive mental health interventions as needed, including mental health crisis management.
• Provide linkage for medical, mental health, addiction / recovery, financial, legal, and other community services as needed, and coordinate with all persons / agencies involved in a consumer's service plan for the duration of service delivery.
• Partner with Department staff and other community partners as needed to ensure coordination of care.

Landlord / Community Outreach and Engagement :

Cultural Responsiveness :

Organizational / Administrative Responsibilities :

Position Qualifications :

Physical Qualifications :

Compensation & Benefits :

We are an equal-opportunity employer. If you're a good fit, we want to meet you!