Housing Counselor

Summary: The Housing Counseling and Search Specialist is responsible for assisting clients with a wide range of housing issues including but not limited to: tenant issues, landlord issues, apartment/housing search, homeownership including first time home buying & post purchase counselling. The Housing Counselling and Search Specialist for HCEC will be responsible for providing information and referral services, brief counselling and in some cases more in-depth counselling in the following areas: family budget and financial fitness, tenant rights and responsibilities, homeownership obligations and responsibilities, landlord obligations under Massachusetts law and best practices and intense housing search advocacy.

Responsibilities:

• Provide housing program and services information and referral services to walk-ins, phone clients, and others seeking services.
• Assist with short-term counselling and information for clients in the following areas; Budget counselling, money management and credit rebuilding, tenant/landlord rights and responsibilities, housing search, fair housing and discrimination laws/complaints, federal and state rental assistance programs, housing court advocacy, and community development endeavors.
• Schedule, coordinate and assist with workshops and training sessions on landlord/tenant rights and responsibilities, lead paint issues (removal and law), abatement, health and safety issues and laws, code violations (sanitary, structural, etc.), first-time homebuyers’ education and housing search strategies.
• Arrange for and negotiate assistance for landlords/tenants in order to mediate disputes and negotiate agreements that avoid tenant displacement and potential homelessness.
• Assist in the preparation of all required program reports; insure timely and accurate data input with various databases.
• Relationship building with individual clients, property managers, landlords, realtors, and community agencies.
• Build and maintain/update housing search list.
• Remain current in trends effecting counselling & training efforts.

Requirements:

• Associates Degree in in Human Services or related filed or equivalent, B.S/B.A. preferred.
• Minimum 2 years applicable experience in social services case management and/or knowledge of housing including landlord/tenant rights and responsibilities and homeownership experience. Some experience in business, customer service areas preferred; strong computer skills are a necessity including MS Word, Excel, Outlook, etc. Ability to learn data bases.
• Ability to multitask and work in a fast paced environment.
• Bilingual/ Spanish Preferred.

Benefits:

• Competitive compensation
• Medical, Dental, Vision, LTD, and Life Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account and Health Savings Account
• Competitive Vacation and Sick time
• 14-paid holidays
• 403(b) plan RCAP Contribution and Match