Housing Advocate

Overview

The Housing Advocate provides housing-related support and advocacy to individuals and families impacted by homelessness.  The Advocate coordinates housing stability activities, provides referrals to needed community resources, develops housing plans, and delivers tenancy-based education that promotes housing retention. The Advocate also assists with grant monitoring and completes reports for the SOAR Housing First program.

Key Role Responsibilities

• Complete intake assessments for new clients referred to the SOAR Housing First program.   Ensure that all referral documentation is collected, reviewed, and validated to substantiate program enrollment.   
• Support participants in finding and securing safe, affordable housing and help families access resources for housing related assistance (i.e. furniture procurement, utility assistance, etc.).
• Advocate with landlord and property managers regarding tenancy and negotiate move-in costs.   
• Maintain a small caseload to provide support with identifying community resources.  Partner with clients to create housing plans and assist with community referrals and linkage as indicated.  
• With direction from the Housing Program Manager, complete regularly scheduled grant reporting.   Ensure that services are accurately recorded and captured in data reports.  
• Complete monthly budgets for clients enrolled in the agency’s representative payee program.

• Conduct social groups that promote community building, housing attainment, and housing retention.  
• Perform regularly scheduled chart audits to ensure that documentation meets standards set by grant funders.  Obtain verification documents annually to support the housing recertification process.  

Key Agency Responsibilities 

In addition to role responsibilities, every staff member has the following responsibilities as a part of their employment:

• Models and reinforces the core values of dignity, authenticity, hope, justice, passion, and balance
• Actively participates in performance improvement and advocacy activities that support the mission 
• Protects clients’ personal health information by maintaining compliance with HIPAA and other relevant health care-related IT security regulations
• Performs other duties on an as-needed basis

Knowledge, Experience and Skills 

Formal Education and Training

• Associate's degree in human services required, Bachelor’s degree preferred
• Personal vehicle with current automobile insurance and valid Maryland driver’s license required

Experience  

• Two years of experience in connecting individuals to essential services including healthcare, mental health, and addiction services
• One year of experience completing intake assessments and developing treatment plans
• Experience working in a health care setting preferred

Skills

• Knowledge of Baltimore City community resources for addiction, social services and mental health
• Willingness to adopt Harm Reduction and Housing First principles and apply them to work with clients
• Approaches change with a positive, open-minded attitude
• Demonstrates personal integrity and has well-developed interpersonal skills necessary to engage clients and promote positive relationships with other community agencies and providers
• Displays strong attention to detail and notices discrepancies easily
• Able to be flexible and work as part of an interdisciplinary team
• Able to take initiative and problem solve
• Able to work with ill, disabled, emotionally upset, and sometimes hostile clients

Health Care for the Homeless is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to racial equity and inclusion. We make a particular effort to recruit and promote Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) for open positions. BIPOC, LGBTQIA individuals, people with disabilities, and people with other marginalized identities are encouraged to apply.