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Opportunity Details
Housing Advocate Volunteer
About YWCA South Hampton Roads
YWCA South Hampton Roads (YWCA SHR) is the oldest and largest multicultural women’s organization in the world. YWCA SHR is dedicated to the fullness of its mission to eliminate racism, empower women and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.
Serving approximately 8,000 individuals each year, YWCA SHR is a source of strength, courage and empowerment for women and families facing crisis. We are a community catalyst for meaningful change and the advocate for shaping vital impact through quality services responding to the critical needs of survivors of sexual violence and domestic violence. YWCA SHR works across racial, gender, religious and social lines with organizations-partners in all sectors to educate about disparities, advocate for change and provide resources and tools to dismantle oppressive systems.
YWCA SHR is in the midst of a rapid transformation from a well-established direct service provider for women and families facing crisis to an organization working at the intersection of eliminating racism, empowering women and standing up for social justice, helping families and strengthening our community.
About the Position
Under general supervision of the Housing Manager, responsible for working collaboratively with the Shelter Case Manager, other YWCA Housing Advocate, local social service partners, and landlords. This position assists homeless clients impacted by domestic violence in locating housing, securing housing, and providing case management.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES
The essential functions include, but are not limited to the following:
Advocacy
- Establish partnerships with landlords to assist in locating affordable housing for shelter clients, especially those with multiple barriers to obtaining permanent housing
- Meet with homeless clients selected for YWCA’s Rapid Re-Housing program in order to complete intake, assess for housing barriers and develop a plan for housing location
- Meet with clients to assist with; locating affordable housing, completing housing applications, reviewing lease documents, addressing barriers to housing and moving arrangements
- Act as a liaison and mediator between client and landlord for housing issues that may arise
Compliance
- Complete housing inspections and ensure that housing meets HUD compliance standards
- Maintaining familiarity with federal, state, regional, and local housing programs, policies, and regulations; analyzing and ensuring compliance with applicable requirements
Administration
- Maintains statistics, client case notes, and ECM to accurately report out on grant activities
- Provide weekly and/or monthly case management meetings for clients who are housed to ensure their long term success by providing safety planning, crisis intervention, advocacy, information and referrals Attend staff meetings and client case reviews and scheduled in-service trainings as assigned
- Attend staff meetings, shelter case management meetings, and scheduled in-service trainings as assigned
- Performs other duties as assigned
QUALIFICATIONS
Interns Only: Currently enrolled in an Associates, Bachelor’s or Master’s degree program in Human Services or a related discipline.
Minimum Requirements
- Must be 18 years of age
- Must complete the training programs of YWCA-SHR
- Must complete a successful background check
Skills and Competencies
- Demonstrate knowledge of interpersonal violence and a strong commitment to ending violence against women, men, and children.
- Non-judgmental attitude, sensitive to confidential information.
- Must be able to work independently, manage multiple priorities and respond to participants in a professional and reassuring manner.
- Demonstrate ability to act as an advocate on behalf of clients with a working knowledge of legal, medical, and social service systems.
- Must be able to function as a team with other co-workers.
- Ability to work well with people of various ethnic, racial, and socio-economic backgrounds.
- Ability to communicate clearly and effectively both orally and in writing.
- Access to reliable transportation.
Core Values
The Housing Advocate is expected to model the YWCA SHR Core Values:
- Compassion
- Honesty
- Integrity
- Ownership
- Responsibility
- Empowerment
WORKING CONDITIONS: Work is performed in a typical office environment with a high standard of confidentiality.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential duties and responsibilities of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. Must have the use of sensory skills in order to effectively communicate and interact with other employees and the public through the use of the telephone and personal contact as normally defined by the ability to see, read, talk, hear, handle or feel objects and controls. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to: Frequently walk, use hands to finger, climb a ladder, handle or feel objects, tools or controls and talks or hears. Often required to stand and sit; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, bend, squat or crawl. Ability to lift and carry up to 20-25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is moderately loud. Physical capability to effectively use and operate various items of office related equipment, such as but not limited to, a personal computer, calculator, copier and fax machine.
START TIMEFRAME: Position will be open until filled. Interested applicants are requested to submit an application through https://bit.ly/VHub.
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) REQUIREMENTS: YWCA SHR is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA requires YWCA SHR to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.
Other
Age Minimum (with Adult): 18+, Minimum Age:18+
Express Interest
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