HUD-Certified Housing Counselor
Organization
Founded in 2013, The Waterfront Project, Inc. (WFP), is a legal help center and HUD-approved counseling agency. WFP provides free civil legal representation, rental housing counseling, and financial counseling to Hudson County residents who are asset-limited, income-constrained, homeless or otherwise disenfranchised. Currently, WFP’s primary focus is pursuing creative strategies to allow low- and moderate-income people to stay in their homes and communities, especially in neighborhoods experiencing rapid development and gentrification.
WFP is expanding its housing counseling program. Hudson County residents are experiencing an unprecedented loss of income due to the COVID-19 health crisis, impeding their ability to keep current with their rent. WFP has experienced a surge in tenants who need assistance to keep their homes since the moratorium was lifted.
For more information, please visit www.thewaterfrontproject.org.
Position
The Waterfront Project, Inc. is seeking applications for the position of HUD-Certified Housing Counselor, who will provide one-on-one housing counseling to tenants and lead tenant rights workshops.
Responsibilities
The Housing Counselor will also be expected to engage in activities including but not limited to:
- Counsel clients, including reviewing financial documents to determine eligibility for rent relief and other steps needed to prevent eviction.
- Communicate with third parties including landlords, social workers, and county and municipal administrative agency staff to ensure the required documents and information have been provided and reviewed in a timely manner.
- Create a client case profile utilizing WFP’s case management system, Legal Server, for all clients. Enter client information and case notes and updates contemporaneously.
- Responsible for client files. Files must be maintained as required per HUD guidelines including entries in Legal Server, organizing and storing paper files to be retained and shredding files that do not need to be retained.
- Prepare reports as needed in compliance with regulatory and reporting requirements.
- Assist WFP in promoting housing counseling services through networking, social media, and community partnerships.
- Plan and execute homelessness prevention workshops in partnership with community leaders and other nonprofits.
- Stay up to date with industry standards and increase professional and computer skills through continuing education annually.
Qualifications
- HUD Certification mandatory and at least 6 months of experience housing counseling highly preferred.
- Knowledge of tenant community resources, service delivery networks and affordable housing programs and services.
- Bilingual (especially English/Spanish or English/Arabic or English/Mandarin) skills preferred but not required.
- Ability and desire to work on behalf of families and individuals of low-to-moderate income levels, in a multicultural, community-based, non-profit organizational setting.
- Ability to deal calmly with clients who may be in distress and potentially highly emotional due to their current situation.
- Excellent written and oral communications skills. Ability to listen and communicate in a clear and logical manner.
- Reading, writing and mathematical skills with mathematical aptitude sufficient to produce error-free rent calculations and complete and accurate client files in the client tracking database and written client case file.
- Familiarity with Legal Server client management software and Microsoft Products (One Drive, Teams, Outlook) and/or ability to learn new technologies.
- Ability to work with underrepresented communities, including but not limited to people living with physical or mental health disabilities and clients of diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds.
- Access to reliable transportation to commute to the office.
- A deep commitment to social justice and racial equity are required.
Pay and Benefits
This is a full-time position (40 hours per week), with work occurring during normal business hours, though some workshops may occur during nights and weekends. WFP offers a competitive nonprofit salary and public interest benefits package that includes health, vision, and dental insurance, paid time off, paid sick time, retirement plan with employer contribution, and professional development opportunities. Salary is based on experience, but between $50,000 and $55,000.
How to Apply
Please email a resume and cover letter to kzimmer@thewaterfrontproject.org. Do not apply via a third party application. Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. Given WFP has an immediate opening, applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their application at their earliest convenience. No calls, please. Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.
WFP is an equal opportunity employer and values a diverse workforce. Women, people of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, veterans, people with disabilities, and people with lived experience of housing insecurity are encouraged to apply. WFP does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of race, creed, nationality, sex, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, genetic information, mental or physical disability, marital status, familial status, domestic partnership status, civil union status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, atypical celluar or blood trait, military status or any other category protected by federal, state or other law applicable in the location of employment.
Do you feel like you do not meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At The Waterfront Project, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you are excited about this role but your past experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles. The only requirement for employment is the HUD Certification.