Housing Navigator

Simple Solutions is hiring for a Housing Navigator, Housing Navigator is responsible for providing direct assistance and support to individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Housing Navigators will perform casework services that assess housing needs, make appropriate referrals, and provide information regarding related programs and services.

The Housing Navigator will be responsible for assisting customers with accessing County services and community resources with the goal of securing permanent housing. These services may include but are not limited to the following: crisis intervention, developing a case plan to obtain housing, assessing opportunities for housing assistance and rental subsidy programs, and related activities required to secure temporary and/or permanent housing placement.

Essential Functions

• Provide individuals or families case management services and assistance with the navigation of housing and community resources and services, to secure temporary or permanent housing placement with an appropriate level of support.
• Participates in meetings and conducts site visits with representatives of contract providers to establish and maintain contacts, communicate department protocols, convey assessment findings, and provide input on appropriate treatment and/or housing placement.
• Participate in meetings, discussions, committees, task forces, develop goals, tasks, and measurement outcomes for housing related programs and services.
• Collaborate with the housing program internal team members to develop treatment plans for individuals/families to facilitate placement in appropriate programs or housing settings.
• Link individuals/families to support services such as physical health, mental health, substance use treatment services, and transportation.
• May collaborate with and/or serve as a liaison/consultant to the courts, public defender, probation department, collaborative courts, housing agencies, and internal and external stakeholders.
• May conduct landlord engagement activities and serve as a liaison/consultant to landlords
• Researches, interprets, analyzes, and writes reports and summaries on a variety of policy directives, procedures, legislation, ordinances, regulations, and laws.
• Keep current with proposed, new, or revised Federal or State legislation and new protocols, trends, methodologies, or solutions pertaining to housing navigation services; identifies and analyzes the potential impact of implementing such legislation and prepares written responses or recommendations including outcomes.
• Maintain communication with Regional Taskforce on the Homeless staff, homeless service providers, and landlords and housing providers about the status of individual/family progress where appropriate.
• May testify in court or prepare reports for use in the evaluation and prosecution of criminal cases; collects, compiles, provides for preservation and analyzes factual information.
• May interact with defendants who have been released from a detentions facility to read, interpret, and explain instructions, laws, rules, and regulations.
• Composes correspondence, reports, briefings, written summaries, and supporting documentation; maintains records, files, reports, and other documents,
• May performs analytical and administrative work in support of Housing Navigation Services programs and service.
• Maintain timely and accurate documentation of service delivery and participant’s progress in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). Collect data on housing outcomes.
• Provide responsive, high quality service to County employees, representatives of outside agencies and members of the public by providing accurate, complete and up-to-date information, in a courteous, efficient and timely manner.
  
  
  

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

Knowledge of:

• Placement techniques related to homeless children, families, and/or adults
• Principles and practices of social work
• Public social service programs on the Federal, State, and local level
• Rules and regulations governing the provision of housing, health and social services to people who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness
• Policies and procedures governing the provision of health and social services and homelessness
• Principles and methods of identifying and assessing social and housing needs
• Community and agency resources providing social service and housing benefits
• Telephone, office, and online etiquette
• Some knowledge of legal system for some positions
• Extensive knowledge of social services
• Understanding of HUD regulations, city and county intake and placement processes
  
  
  

Skills and Abilities to:

• Comprehend and apply laws, regulations, policies, and procedures relative to services available to persons experiencing or at risk of becoming homeless
• Exercise tact, objectivity, sensitivity, strategy, and judgment in dealing with a variety of people in a variety of situations
• Communicate effectively with people of various educational, socio-economic, and cultural backgrounds and function calmly in situations which require a high degree of sensitivity, tack, and diplomacy
• Establish and maintain effective and coordinated working relationships with individuals, groups, and community agencies
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing
• Establish effective working relationships with management, employees, employee representatives and the public representing diverse cultures and backgrounds
• Assess the customer's immediate needs and ensure customer's receipt of needed services through personal service or making appropriate referral
• Exercise appropriate judgment in answering questions and releasing information
• Analyze and project consequences of decisions and/or recommendations