Tenant Organizer

Founded in 1972, Housing Conservation Coordinators, Inc. (HCC) is a 50-year-old community-based, not-for-profit organization anchored in Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood on Manhattan’s West Side. HCC’s programs promote social and economic justice and fight for the rights of poor, low-income, and working individuals and families. Through our services, we seek to promote a vibrant and diverse community with the power to shape its own future. Today we offer a wide range of legal, advocacy, weatherization, and community organizing services to tenants throughout Manhattan.

Job Responsibilities include:

1)                 Works independently or in collaboration with other staff as appropriate to organize tenants in tenant-run, privately-owned and/or City owned buildings to help create self-sustaining tenant groups or organizations, and improve/secure stable conditions for the tenants in occupancy.

2)                 Lead and facilitate the work of HCC within the Stabilizing New York City Coalition. The organizer will maintain a working list of active and target buildings owned by Predatory Equity landlords, work to organize strong tenants associations in PE buildings with the goal of bringing tenants in buildings owned by the same landlord together in a larger organized group. The organizer will actively work to develop tenant leadership in PE buildings.

3)                 Represent the organization in other coalition and campaign activities as needed. Take an active role in turning out WSNA members and tenant leaders that have a relationship to the organization through building organizing to all relevant actions, events, hearings and press conferences as necessary. Ensure that the organization takes a leadership role in necessary strategy conversations and decision-making.  

4)                 Attend on-going appropriate trainings, including but not limited to welfare advocacy, HRA Assistance, Rent Stabilization Code, foreign languages appropriate to client populations, advocacy and application assistance for housing, welfare, rent arrears, food stamps, social security for eligible clients (as it relates to housing), shelter advocacy for the dispossessed and housing court assistance for individual tenants and families.

5)                 When necessary, advocate on behalf of individual tenants on cases arranged through building organizing or component meetings. Such advocacy may include advocacy and application assistance for housing, welfare, rent arrears, SNAP (food stamps), social security for eligible clients (as it relates to housing), shelter advocacy for the dispossessed and housing court assistance for individual tenants and families.

6)                 Work with the Component Director and senior management to develop reasonable programmatic goals for tenant organizing, and client assistance and to ensure that the goals for each contract are met.

7)                 Contract Reporting: Complete all necessary work for contract agencies and/or foundations, including maintaining accurate and weekly database entries, including but not limited to client notes, membership updates, individual and group meetings held, and meeting attendees.  

8)                 Assist with Community Organizing Activities:  Work with Community Organizer and Director of Organizing on community organizing activities such as annual events, meetings, campaigns and actions. This can include outreach and turnout for events and actions (emails, email blasts, phone-banking and flyering); preparing for meetings (developing agendas, working with leaders to facilitate, doing appropriate research); developing and executing campaign strategy; set-up and clean-up for events; working with media; and working with members, local leadership and elected officials and their staff. 

The Tenant Organizer will take an active role in the planning and execution of the West Side Tenants Conference and assist in organizing conference workshops, turnout and publicity, and any relevant logistics.

9)                 Conduct intake as needed on a rotating basis with other members of the legal and organizing component to advise and assist residents with housing-related problems during times when the Intake Coordinator is unavailable.

Work Hours:

The standard work hours for a tenant organizer are between the hours of 9:30 am and 7:30 pm, except where deadlines, workload and/or tenant meetings require a modification of those hours. 

Qualifications:

• 2 - 3 years of experience in tenant organizing and base-building or working in

coalition on a campaign preferred

• Strong knowledge of NYC housing regulations and city and state agencies preferred
• A demonstrated commitment to social justice for underserved communities
• Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills
• Strong writing, data management, administrative and computer skills required
• Bi-lingual in English and Spanish preferred

Salary and Benefits

·        Excellent comprehensive benefits package including paid leave, health, dental, retirement and a generous vacation policy.

·        Tenant Organizers are members of National Organization of Legal Services Workers (NOLSW), UAW Local 2320.

·        Salary pursuant to current Collective Bargaining Agreement.

All candidates must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, unless provided a reasonable accommodation pursuant to applicable federal, state and local statutes.

Application Instructions

Email cover letter with resume in a single .pdf labeled: [Last Name, First Name – Tenant Organizer Application] to: organizingjobs@hcc-nyc.org by May 15, 2022. Please insert “HCC Tenant Organizer 2022” in the subject heading field of the email. Applications will be reviewed, and interviews scheduled on a rolling basis.

HCC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. People of color, transgender and gender non-conforming people, survivors of violence, people with disabilities and individuals of diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. HCC does not discriminate based on race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, height, weight, national origin, disability, or citizen, marital, veteran, or HIV status.