Housing Advocate Details

Housing Advocate

Breaking Ground - Brooklyn, NY

Employment Type : Full-Time

Housing AdvocateS2H BQ Williamsburg, 179 N 6th Street, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America Req #838

Thursday, June 24, 2021

ABOUT US: - We believe that everyone deserves a home!

Breaking Ground operates nearly 4,000 units of housing across New York City, along with housing in upstate New York and Connecticut. Supportive housing - affordable housing paired with services designed to help people maintain their homes for the long-term - is widely recognized as a proven and cost-effective solution to chronic homelessness.


But we didn't stop at providing housing. Breaking Ground's programs and services help people experiencing street homelessness - especially those who have been on the streets the longest - to come indoors. Through our Street to Home outreach program and transitional housing resources, we help people get, and stay, on the path to a permanent home.

The Housing Advocate works with street homeless conducting street outreach with the objective of engaging individuals to determine their eligibility for Street to Home services and to help secure appropriate housing solutions for all people who are street homeless. If chronic, the Housing Advocate will build a relationship with clients utilizing motivational interviewing to encourage the client to work towards permanent housing. If not chronic, Housing Advocate will utilize available resources to secure other housing placements. The Housing Advocate will always work with a partner and will spend most of the shift in an automobile conducting street outreach. The incumbent will respond to 311 calls and community concerns; participate in Code Blue and Code Red alerts; identify new hotspots/encampments and work to eradicate existing hot spots/encampments; conduct a bi-annual vulnerability index on all clients in their catchment area; and enter all required data into outreach database(s).
This position's hours are 4.00 pm -12.00 am

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Engage with all persons on the street who appear homeless.
• Create and maintain active registry of chronic homeless clients; non-chronic included in registry
• Conduct vulnerability assessment
• Attend clinical supervision and training.
• Develop and maintain recordkeeping files and databases, completion of necessary reports and data entry.
• Collaborate with Parks Dept, NYPD, DSNY, MTA, and other agencies
• Respond to 311 calls
• Participate in Code Blue/Red
• Monitor encampments
• Performs other related duties as assigned

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Two years related work experience
• Knowledge of local benefit agencies (Public Assistance). Familiarity with substance abuse, mental health and employment issues. Strong oral and written communication skills
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent education and experience
• Microsoft Office Suite and electronic record keeping
• Must have valid driver's license with driving record that is in good standing
• Must maintain a good driving record (as defined by the organization) is a condition of employment
• Bi-lingual (English/Spanish) preferred

EOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled

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