Position Overview 

Housing Navigation is a fast-paced and very hands-on job requiring high-levels of nuanced people skills, creativity with solutions, focus, and extreme flexibility as well as self-management by those who are comfortable in a wide variety of unconventional situations working with student population in scattered sites and in the field throughout the County of Riverside. Additionally, housing navigation requires a high level of detailed documentation and file work. 

The Housing Navigator, under the direction of the Manager of College Student Housing, provides client advocacy, case management, benefit establishment, linkage to Mental Health/Substance Abuse services, linkage to stable housing and all other supportive services as needed. Housing Navigators will provide individualized client support by helping each client develop a plan to address their barriers, increase their income, and maintain and sustain permanent housing. As part of the plan, the Navigator will identify each area in which clients will need assistance to accomplish the outlined goals and objectives (i.e. scheduling appointments, applying for public benefits, identifying subsidized housing, etc.) and the Navigator will take full responsibility for their clients’ success. Additionally, this role includes filling in gaps for other navigators in the program when they are unavailable or out of the office. They will also provide support for the Manager, when they are unavailable to respond to participant urgencies, file quality control and assist with creating and providing monthly, quarterly and annual grant reports as needed for compliance and audit reporting. 

Responsibilities: 

Supportive Services for Housing 

• Provide social work case management and navigation services designed to assist clients and their families exit homelessness and move into permanent housing. 

• Coordinate and identify appropriate resources and mainstream benefits that lead to permanent housing options for clients, such as, subsidized housing Section 8, Shelter Plus Care, VASH, permanent supportive housing, affordable and market rate housing, and if needed assisting in finding property management companies that are willing to accept housing programs. 

• Provide onsite case management services in the areas of independent living skills, employment linkage, cooking groups, house meetings, social events, benefits establishment, and other services as needed to assist in reaching case plan and treatment plan goals. 

• Provide guidance towards resources that help to increase participant income, including connecting them with our Employment Pipeline services, Social Security resources, and other mainstream resources that may be available to them. 

• Perform comprehensive case management assessments and develop a plan of intervention that addresses need for housing, services, crisis intervention, and continuity of care planning and coordination. 

• Respond to referrals and client requests for case management assessment and intervention within required response time. 

• Encourage and promote an environment that is strength based to assist clients in meeting their individual goals. 

• Assist clients with housing applications, complete supportive and subsidized housing paperwork, survey rental market for affordable housing, and advocate for clients with prospective landlords. 

• Work with participants to assist them in the temporary units they reside in. 

• Other duties as assigned 

Outreach and Relationship Management 

• Respond to and negotiate housing solutions with housing managers and landlords. 

• Mediate disputes between homeless persons and neighborhood residents. 

• Attend collaborative meetings. 

• Network with other agencies, coalitions, and local community meetings. 

• Actively participate in staff meetings and trainings. 

• Maintain client related data tracking systems, including case notes and complete HMIS entries with support of Director of Homeless Services. 

• Maintain an “On Call” status to respond to emergencies as assigned. 

• Other duties as assigned 

Core Competencies 

Qualifications 

• Associate or Bachelor’s degree in Sociology, Psychology, Social Work or related field. 

• Two years in related experience with case management services, housing, homeless and mentally ill populations. 

• Computer skills with proficiency in Microsoft Office, Excel and (preferably) Access. HMIS training a plus. 

• Extensive experiences working with individuals that are chronically homeless and/or homeless veterans. 

• Knowledge of Public Housing Authority and Housing subsidies is ideal (ie, Section 8, Shelter Plus Care, VASH). 

• Project a professional demeanor. 

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team. 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills. 

• Must maintain and execute confidential information. 

• Highly motivated self-starter and ability to coordinate multiple projects/tasks simultaneously in a highpressure environment. 

• Ability to work with diverse communities and exercise mature judgment. 

• Problem solving and conflict resolution skills. 

• A working knowledge and practice of Motivational Interviewing, Trauma Informed Care, and the cognitive approach to providing social services and development services. 

• A working knowledge of the “hidden rules” and motivating factors and dynamics of social class and generational poverty in America. 

Physical Requirements:

•  Walking extensive distances 

• Walking on unlevelled terrain 

• Carrying up to 30lbs for extensive distances 

• Navigators are also required to work for many hours out of their vehicles making many stops throughout the day. 

Required qualifications: 

• Employment eligibility verification. 

• Reliable personal (not public) transportation available at all times. 

• Updated tuberculosis test. 

• Successful completion of background screening.