Youth Housing Specialist

Benefits

• Low-cost medical, dental, and vision coverage. Health savings account. 403b retirement plan with employer match (50% match up to 3%).
• Employee Assistance Program for all employees
• 33 paid days off: 11 observed paid holidays, 12 sick days, and 10 vacation days to start. Vacation increases to 12 days after 1 year, 15 days after 2 years, and more at 5 and 9 years of service
  • Sick and vacation time accrue hourly per pay period
• $50,000 in employer-paid life insurance; additional coverage available
• $1,200 annual employer contribution to your Health Savings Account (paid quarterly)
• Employee Referral Program including cash bonuses and paid time off

About

Volunteers of America, Utah (VOA Utah) is part of a national, nonprofit, faith-based human services organization. Volunteers of America, Utah provides community-supported paths for those who are vulnerable to improve their lives and increase their self-reliance. In alignment with our mission, we encourage individuals with lived experience to apply. We recognize that a person’s life experiences can provide firsthand knowledge relevant to being successful in the work that we do.

Position Summary

The Housing Specialist is a hybrid position with two main job functions. This individual works to assess youth experiencing homelessness or maintaining housing for grant eligibility. They will assist youth by performing housing searches, coordinating with other housing departments and programs, and connecting guests to relevant resources in the community as applicable. This position will work to find new housing leads and encourage property managers/owners to participate in VOA (Volunteers of America) Youth housing programs. This position is at the Youth Resource Center.

Essential Duties

Housing Assessor

• Evaluate client eligibility through comprehensive assessments and recertifications
• Ensure the timely and accurate maintenance of client files and eligibility records in adherence to grant stipulations
• Conduct unit inspections prior to client occupancy, adhering to Housing Quality Standards (HQS) to ensure housing suitability
• Familiarize oneself with various rental assistance funding sources and available grants
• Maintain regular communication with tenants, property managers, and community partners regarding eligibility criteria, rental payments, client well-being, and unit safety
• Provide guidance and support to clients at the Youth Resource Center and those referred by external agencies, facilitating their access to diverse pathways for securing housing

 Housing Locator

• Cultivate and nurture relationships with property managers and landlords to facilitate housing placements
• Collaborate closely with case management teams to identify suitable funding sources and facilitate housing placements tailored to the unique needs of youth
• Provide support to youth in navigating the application process for suitable housing placements, employing a trauma-informed approach
• Educate property owners and managers about our programs and the housing first model, fostering understanding and collaboration
• Coordinate payments meticulously to ensure timely disbursement to property owners and managers

• Collaborate with program manager in ensuring program fidelity, documentation accuracy, and intra-agency collaborations  
• Daily collaboration with all departments promoting a healthy team environment
• Attend weekly team meetings and contribute to case staffing's
• Update internal tracking and databases in a timely manner
• De-escalate, empower, and advocate for the diverse populations we work with
• Attend work as scheduled and arrive at the designated time. Work must be performed on-site (unless pre-approved by supervisor) due to the need to provide direct client care
• Demonstrates awareness and desire to understand diverse populations
• Willingness to understand that housing first, harm reduction & low barrier access to resources is best practice and essential to this role
• Perform other functions as necessary or assigned

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

High school diploma or equivalent required and 2 years of social services or homelessness-related experience or any combination of education, experience, lived experience, and training which provides the following knowledge, skills and abilities:

• Ability to utilize Microsoft Office and other computer programs
• Ability to uphold professional boundaries, confidentiality regulations, agency policies and procedures, and interact in a professional manner with a diverse workforce, clients, and the public.
• Ability to prioritize tasks; flexibility to respond to changes.
• Must be able to qualify and pass Utah Department of Human Services Case Management Certification within 60 days of being hired
• Willingness to accept supervision and direction.
• Must be at least 21 years of age, possess a current driver’s license, have a good driving record,
• and be insurable on the agency liability policy.
• Must be able to pass Utah-DHS – Office of Licensing background screening and maintain eligible determination through continuous monitoring. Must pass pre-employment drug screen.

Physical Demands

• Ability to lift and carry 35lbs.
• Ability to move around the facility, interacting with clients for extended periods.
• Work is generally performed in an office environment. May entail using a computer for extended periods of time.