Description

Join Our Team: Housing Counselor

Make a Difference in Your Community

Are you passionate about empowering homeowners and prospective buyers to achieve financial stability and secure housing? Join SNAP as a Housing Counselor and become a key player in providing life-changing counseling services that transform lives and strengthen communities.

Open until filled

Starting salary for this position is $21.26-$23.82-per hour DOE

Full salary range is $21.26- $33.55

Benefits include medical, dental, life, LTD, PTO and 403(b)

Position Summary:  Provides counseling services for homeowners and prospective homeowners in accordance with HUD regulations and Agency policies and procedures.  Services include mortgage default and foreclosure prevention counseling, pre-purchase counseling and homebuyer education.  Monitors case outcomes, maintains appropriate documentation, and prepares related reports.

Principle Duties and Responsibilities:

Counsels delinquent homeowners on resolution options.  Interviews homeowners, develops individual case plans, budget analysis, negotiates with lenders, may accompany homeowner to mediation or meetings with lenders, provides timely, accurate information and referrals and conducts follow-up interviews.

Counsels prospective homebuyers, develops individual case plans, budget analysis and provides information and referral services and conducts follow-up interviews.

Coordinate and teach homebuyer education courses.

Completes detailed case notes for each client contact and service provided.

Assists in coordination and teaching of homebuyer education classes. 

Makes eligibility determinations for specialty loans and programs. 

Provides preliminary counseling, loan processing and underwriting services for Agency administered loan programs that do not create a conflict of interest.

Maintains up-to-date referral resources handbook to provide clients accurate and appropriate referrals to resources.

Monitors case outcomes, maintains file systems, and enters data.  Maintains accurate statistics and documentation necessary for administering programs, measuring program outcomes, and meeting funding requirements.  Compiles reports for various funding sources.

Participates in program, division, and agency-wide meetings and committees. 

Coordinates services with other agencies and organizations as needed. 

Works with coworkers and volunteers to promote a positive, respectful, and productive working environment, while protecting client confidentiality and dignity.

Completes assigned tasks and performs related duties as assigned or as the situation dictates.

Provides excellent customer service at all times as well as helps to grow the customer service culture within the agency.

Qualifications

Requirements:

                Education and Experience

• Required:  BA degree and 3 years of experience that demonstrates the required knowledge, skills, and abilities for this position, including experience within the housing industry. Additional experience may be substituted year-for-year for the education requirement. Occasional night and weekend hours required.
• Preferred: BA degree and 5 years of experience in the mortgage or consumer lending industry. Experience in a social service or other related setting. BIPOC candidate preferred. Enthusiasm for creating and delivering engaging classroom instruction.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to empathize with and advocate for low-income and vulnerable people, and to maintain confidentiality with personal information
• Understanding of mortgage lending, underwriting, and loan processing

• Knowledge of HUD programs including loss mitigation, first-time homebuyer programs and Home Equity Conversion Mortgages
• Knowledge of the foreclosure process, time frames and remedies
• Ability to coordinate loan closings involving multiple funding sources while meeting detailed program eligibility criteria
• Ability to set up individual case plans for program participants, outlining issues, options, and solutions for addressing housing needs and emergencies
• Knowledge about community resources and programs for referral purposes
• Ability to negotiate on behalf of clients

• Proficient in computer operations, including word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with emphasis on effectively working in a team environment and with a diverse population

• Ability to work independently, using initiative and judgment to resolve problems and ensure workflow is appropriately addressed in a timely manner

• Ability to provide homebuyer education in classroom setting

Training and Certifications

• Certified housing counselor preferred, may be obtained after hire.
• Certified to teach Homebuyer Education by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission preferred, may be obtained after hire.

Work Environment/Physical Activities:

Work is generally performed in an office setting and is sedentary.  This position requires some evening and weekend work.  Counselors may work with people in crisis situations and must be able to manage difficult communication. 

The statements contained herein describe the scope of the responsibility and essential functions of this position but should not be considered to be an all-inclusive listing of work requirements.  Individuals may perform other duties as assigned including work in other areas to cover absences or relief to equalize peak work periods or otherwise balance the workload.

Salary : $21 - $34