Government Jobs
Housing Support Specialist
The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) was established in 1938 by the City of Los Angeles under Resolution No. 1241. HACLA is one of the nation's largest and leading public housing authorities, providing the largest supply of quality affordable housing to residents of the City of Los Angeles. HACLA provides affordable housing to over 83,000 households in its Public Housing and Section 8 departments, and offers a range of permanent supportive housing programs for homeless households. The Housing Support Specialist is responsible for providing collaborative intensive coordination and needs assessment to grant-funded clients, including but not limited to persons participating in Workforce Development and Section 3. Incumbents in the position will provide support service strategies to clients who have a history of homelessness, mental health challenges and housing instability in an effort to gain access and maintain health, mental health, housing and vocational stability. Examples of essential functions include: Serve and advocate with sensitivity for clients of grant funded positions across a wide array of programs. Conduct home visits. Provide outreach, resources, intake and assessment of clients to determine client needs and provide referral services. Conduct intensive case management and develop goal-oriented service plans which consist of short and long range services to ensure housing retention and improvement of health and well-being. Develop and monitor progress of high acuity clients through a housing service plan. Respond to crisis phone calls from owners, tenants, and/or clients to directly link them to external service providers for immediate intervention. Link clients to resources that will result in housing stability, including substance abuse services, benefits counseling, mental health and community services to ensure that they are connected to the most appropriate services that will meet their needs. Provide tenant and/or client empowerment strategies which may include but is not limited to Housing Search Assistance, Independent living skills such as budgeting, being a good tenant/neighbor and maintaining a clean unit that is decent, safe and sanitary. Provide housing location, and housing retention services to applicants and participants of various programs. Responsible for locating potential rental units and facilitating meetings with landlords in an effort to increase housing stock and assist individuals with securing a rental unit. Attend meetings and trainings to improve skills and knowledge of best practices in Permanent Supportive Housing and client related issues. Collaborate and network with Community Based Organizations, Housing Specialists and Case Managers and other services providers including medical to address and facilitate concerns that will prevent client evictions, property management concerns and clients who are non-responsive to the Housing Authority's request. Prepare reports and perform other duties as assigned. Knowledge, skills and abilities include: Strong interpersonal, written and oral communication skills, outreach and public speaking. Ability to multitask indirect and direct tasks on a daily basis to include skilled and concise documentation. Knowledge of mental and health illnesses, substance abuse, domestic violence, homelessness and aging that affect low income and multi-ethnic communities where barriers to affordable housing negatively impact targeted population and program outcomes. Knowledge of Tenant Based Rental Assistance, Project Based Rental Assistance and Permanent Supportive Housing Models with an emphasis on high and low acuity clients. Knowledge of case management needs for chronically unemployed or under employed. Excellent listening skills with the ability to provide crisis intervention and good judgement when the Housing First Model is compromised. Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook). Qualifications include: Education: Graduation from a four year accredited college with specialization in Social Work/related field or relevant experience. Master's degree in Social Work/related field or relevant experience preferred. Experience: Minimum of 2 years' experience as a Housing Specialist, Case Manager, or Support Service Provider with similar population, and with a knowledge of community resources in Los Angeles County required. Special Requirements: Must possess a valid California Class "C" Driver's License. Applications will be reviewed for relevant experience, education, and training. Applications must be detailed and complete for proper evaluation. Resumes may be included but may not be submitted in lieu of application content. Only the MOST QUALIFIED APPLICANTS will be invited to the interview and selection process and considered for the position; however, only the best-qualified applicant(s) may be selected. All job offers are contingent upon successful completion of a pre-employment evaluation, which includes: a post-offer medical examination (includes drug and alcohol screening), criminal records check, employment history and education verification, and documentation of the right to work in the United States.
The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) was established in 1938 by the City of Los Angeles under Resolution No. 1241. HACLA is one of the nation's largest and leading public housing authorities, providing the largest supply of quality affordable housing to residents of the City of Los Angeles. HACLA provides affordable housing to over 83,000 households in its Public Housing and Section 8 departments, and offers a range of permanent supportive housing programs for homeless households. The Housing Support Specialist is responsible for providing collaborative intensive coordination and needs assessment to grant-funded clients, including but not limited to persons participating in Workforce Development and Section 3. Incumbents in the position will provide support service strategies to clients who have a history of homelessness, mental health challenges and housing instability in an effort to gain access and maintain health, mental health, housing and vocational stability. Examples of essential functions include: Serve and advocate with sensitivity for clients of grant funded positions across a wide array of programs. Conduct home visits. Provide outreach, resources, intake and assessment of clients to determine client needs and provide referral services. Conduct intensive case management and develop goal-oriented service plans which consist of short and long range services to ensure housing retention and improvement of health and well-being. Develop and monitor progress of high acuity clients through a housing service plan. Respond to crisis phone calls from owners, tenants, and/or clients to directly link them to external service providers for immediate intervention. Link clients to resources that will result in housing stability, including substance abuse services, benefits counseling, mental health and community services to ensure that they are connected to the most appropriate services that will meet their needs. Provide tenant and/or client empowerment strategies which may include but is not limited to Housing Search Assistance, Independent living skills such as budgeting, being a good tenant/neighbor and maintaining a clean unit that is decent, safe and sanitary. Provide housing location, and housing retention services to applicants and participants of various programs. Responsible for locating potential rental units and facilitating meetings with landlords in an effort to increase housing stock and assist individuals with securing a rental unit. Attend meetings and trainings to improve skills and knowledge of best practices in Permanent Supportive Housing and client related issues. Collaborate and network with Community Based Organizations, Housing Specialists and Case Managers and other services providers including medical to address and facilitate concerns that will prevent client evictions, property management concerns and clients who are non-responsive to the Housing Authority's request. Prepare reports and perform other duties as assigned. Knowledge, skills and abilities include: Strong interpersonal, written and oral communication skills, outreach and public speaking. Ability to multitask indirect and direct tasks on a daily basis to include skilled and concise documentation. Knowledge of mental and health illnesses, substance abuse, domestic violence, homelessness and aging that affect low income and multi-ethnic communities where barriers to affordable housing negatively impact targeted population and program outcomes. Knowledge of Tenant Based Rental Assistance, Project Based Rental Assistance and Permanent Supportive Housing Models with an emphasis on high and low acuity clients. Knowledge of case management needs for chronically unemployed or under employed. Excellent listening skills with the ability to provide crisis intervention and good judgement when the Housing First Model is compromised. Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook). Qualifications include: Education: Graduation from a four year accredited college with specialization in Social Work/related field or relevant experience. Master's degree in Social Work/related field or relevant experience preferred. Experience: Minimum of 2 years' experience as a Housing Specialist, Case Manager, or Support Service Provider with similar population, and with a knowledge of community resources in Los Angeles County required. Special Requirements: Must possess a valid California Class "C" Driver's License. Applications will be reviewed for relevant experience, education, and training. Applications must be detailed and complete for proper evaluation. Resumes may be included but may not be submitted in lieu of application content. Only the MOST QUALIFIED APPLICANTS will be invited to the interview and selection process and considered for the position; however, only the best-qualified applicant(s) may be selected. All job offers are contingent upon successful completion of a pre-employment evaluation, which includes: a post-offer medical examination (includes drug and alcohol screening), criminal records check, employment history and education verification, and documentation of the right to work in the United States.