RESIDENT SERVICES SPECIALIST

Housing Counseling Services (HCS) is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization founded in 1972 to provide comprehensive housing counseling, training, advocacy, and technical assistance to low and moderate-income tenants, homebuyers, homeowners, and the homeless. Our goal is to build sustainable communities through informed housing consumers.

HCS is seeking a Resident Services Specialist (RSS) to join our team in support of safe, affordable and enduring homes for low- and moderate-income residents. We are seeking an energetic, creative, self-starter to provide outreach, training, and technical assistance to residents and boards of condominiums, cooperatives, and homeowner and tenant associations. This position will support efforts to ensure that resident associations are working in the best interest of their residents, boards are functioning in accordance with their governing documents and to support the ongoing financial and physical stability of the property. To ensure enduring, healthy and safe environments, the Resident Services Specialist is expected to support collaboration and cooperation between members and boards of these associations and their partners, including: property owners, management companies, lenders, government agencies, neighbors, neighborhood associations and others.

The Resident Services Specialist (RSS) will:

• Support tenant, homeowner, coop and condo associations and boards to ensure they function in the best interest of their members.
• Oversee and support board/officer elections to ensure they remain fair and impartial and engage full participation from membership.
• Provide training and technical assistance to the members and boards of tenant/homeowner, coop and condo associations.
• Help tenant associations to manage and maintain healthy relationships with landlords and property managers to support the needs of the community.
• Help coops and condos to select and manage their management companies, read and understand financial reports and make impactful decisions.
• Help tenant associations to maintain and support open lines of communication with ownership/management in order to support good housing outcomes for its members.
• Develop and engage creative solutions to address gaps in services.
• Support tenant associations and ownership in building a healthy environment and act as a liaison between the two to promote best outcomes for tenants.
• Provide appropriate resources and tools to members and boards.
• Ensure that boards remain in compliance with DC law, complete required reports, meet financial obligations, act based on their own governing documents, agreements, loans, etc.
• Encourage full resident participation through outreach and engagement and ensure that systems support respectful relationships.
• Develop and present training curricular tailored to individual associations.
• Identify and conduct outreach to coops, condos, homeowner associations and tenant associations that may be a good fit for HCS services.
• Develop working relationships with developers, landlords, management companies, contractors, lenders, attorneys, and others.
• Help associations to select appropriate services/providers such as attorneys, insurance, management companies, financial analysts, developers, etc.
• Work with associations and property owners to resolve delinquencies, fill budget gaps and by supporting individuals facing financial crisis.
• Support asset management activities including loan applications, repayments, crisis interventions.
• Support the regular review of governing documents and efforts to update them when necessary.
• Attend membership and board meetings to provide technical assistance.
• Provide resources and opportunities to address the needs of residents.
• Connect residents with housing counselors to address specific needs of individual residents.
• Operate the HCS “hotline” for residents needing supports in their association/property and connect the individuals with appropriate resources/services
• Maintain accurate written and computer-based files

Qualifications and Relevant Experience:

• • At least three years of specialized professional experience in social work, housing, urban studies, or other related fields (a college degree in a related field will be considered as two years of specialized experience.)
  • Must demonstrate the ability to communicate with a variety of people including lenders, contractors, landlords and low- and moderate-income families from a variety of cultures.
  • Sensitivity to the needs within the community and to individual clients.
  • Flexible schedule that will require night and Saturday meetings several times a week.
  • Knowledge of housing issues and housing law or capacity to learn.
  • Bilingual Spanish/English helpful but not required.
  • Excellent public speaking ability.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills.
  • Ability to translate technical information into layman's terms.
  • Must demonstrate an ability to work with a minimum of supervision.
  • Must be versatile to handle a wide variety of duties.
  • Background in housing development, real estate practices, financial analysis and cooperative principles are helpful.
  • Ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure. Computer skills required.
  • Well organized and ability to prioritize work requirements.
  • Ability to work as a team member and communicate with partners and management throughout the day.

How to Apply: Send resume and cover letter to employment@housingetc.org.

HCS is an equal opportunity employer and affirmatively seeks diversity in its workforce. HCS recruits qualified applicants and advances in employment its employees without regard to race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, marital or family status, sex, age, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by law.

Housing Counseling Services, Inc. Current Benefits

Sick and Annual Leave which both initially accrue at 4.5 hours per pay period (annual leave accrual increases after some time at HCS)

Birthday Holiday (taken on the day of your birthday OR must be used within 30 days of your birthday)

4% (of salary) contribution to a Lincoln Alliance 403(b) tax deferred plan after 6 months of service;

Long-Term Disability and Life & AD&D Insurance Policies with Lincoln Financial Group (no cost to the employee)

Paid Holidays (following DC government holiday schedule)

Voluntary Benefits, vision, term life insurance, short-term disability, critical illness, group accident and hospital indemnity these benefits are paid 100% by the employee.

HCS CONTRIBUTION FOR HEALTH INSURANCE

HCS has Reference Health Plan – Care First BCBS Blue Choice HAS/HRA Bronze Silver $6,100 that is the basis for the HCS contribution towards health insurance coverage for employee’s ONLY. HCS will pay 100% of the employee’s coverage for this Reference Plan and this same dollar amount may be applied to any of the 60+ BCBS health plans you may select on the DC Health Exchange. As the cost of coverage is different for every employee (as it is based on age). You may select individual coverage as well as coverage for your eligible family members, you will be responsible for paying for your family member’s health insurance. The HCS contribution remains the same whether you select individual or family coverage. HCS cannot contribute to the cost of employee health insurance that is not part of the HCS account through the DC Health Exchange.

HCS CONTRIBUTION FOR DENTAL

HCS offers dental and vision coverage (vision is voluntary), through Lincoln Financial Group, HCS will contribute 100% of employee’s individual coverage ONLY for the LFG dental plan. If you choose not to use our health insurance, you may apply the full amount of the HCS health insurance contribution towards family coverage for dental insurance only.

Bilingual Preferred - Spanish Speaker