HUD Tenant Organizer

Are you passionate about HOUSING JUSTICE?

Do you want to join a diverse, multilingual tenant organization fighting for TENANT POWER?

Job Description: HUD Tenant Organizer

The Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco (HRCSF) is a tenants’ rights non-profit serving tenants citywide since 1979, offering free counseling and organizing support for San Francisco tenants in all types of housing, including rent-control, public housing, and Section 8. Our purpose is to strengthen tenants’ rights, improve living conditions for renters, and preserve and expand affordable housing opportunities. Through our counseling program, we support more than 5,000 tenants a year, and our organizing program has helped build five tenant associations across the city since 2019.

Position Summary:

The HUD Tenant organizer will support tenants living in HUD subsidized buildings in San Francisco to develop and grow powerful tenants associations in these buildings. In collaboration with the HUD Organizing Team and tenant leaders, the HUD Tenant Organizer helps carry out campaigns aimed at winning timely repairs, improved building maintenance, and preserving the long-term affordability and habitability of HUD-subsidized housing. The Organizer supports tenants to identify shared concerns and move from individual frustration to coordinated collective action with their neighbors through door-to-door outreach and phone-banking, 1-1 conversations, facilitating tenant meetings, coordinating tenant actions, and identifying and developing tenant leaders. The Organizer will also assist with policy initiatives that support HUD tenants and the needs of low-income and immigrant communities. Experience supporting diverse communities is essential to the position, as is a long-term commitment to social justice.

Essential Functions:

• Conduct door-to-door outreach, phone banking, and one-on-one organizing conversations with tenants in HUD-subsidized buildings.
• Support the development of majority-based tenant associations through participation tracking and structure tests.
• Identify and develop tenant leaders capable of taking responsibility within tenant associations.
• Convene and facilitate regular tenant meetings, tenant association meetings, and orientations in HUD-subsidized buildings.
• Participate in campaign planning and implementation with HUD tenants, including petitions, meetings with property management, engagement with HUD oversight processes, public testimony, and coordinated collective actions.
• Deliver Know Your Rights education and political education that connects tenants’ experiences in HUD housing to collective organizing and advocacy.
• Map and assess HUD-subsidized buildings in San Francisco to identify organizing opportunities and connect tenants with organizing and counseling resources.
• Maintain accurate outreach logs, participation tracking, databases, and reports in compliance with organizational and funder requirements.
• Meet regularly with HRCSF staff for supervision and cross-program coordination.
• Represent HRCSF in coalition spaces, tenant meetings, and community gatherings related to HUD housing as assigned.
• Other administrative, organizational, and coalitional tasks as needed.

Knowledge, Skill and Experience:

• Minimum Education (or substitute experience) required:
  • N/A
• Minimum Experience required:
  • Experience (paid or unpaid) working for social and economic justice.
  • Knowledge of issues impacting tenants, immigrants, and people with low incomes.

Skills Required:

• Demonstrated commitment to social and economic justice and a belief in collective organizing as a tool for building tenant power to advance housing justice for working class communities.
• Commitment to stopping Black displacement in San Francisco
• Knowledge of issues impacting tenants, immigrants, and people with low incomes.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust and develop relationships with tenants and community members across diverse communities.
• Ability to identify, support, and develop tenant leaders and work with groups to take collective action.
• Facilitation skills and ability to manage group dynamics, disagreement, and conflict in group settings.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills and comfort speaking with individuals, small groups, and public audiences.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, including the ability to track outreach, participation, and campaign progress.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team while also working independently in the field.
• Ability to adapt and make strategic pivots as needed to meet organizing goals and outcomes.
• Comfort receiving and implementing regular feedback from coworkers, supervisors, and tenants.
• Proficiency in Google Workspace and GSuite, Zoom, Slack, CRM databases, and basic data tracking systems like Excel or Google Sheets
• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends when needed to accommodate tenant schedules.

Analysis of Physical Demands (Based on typical week):

• Ability to travel to physical sites of meetings, actions, and press conferences and to conduct door to outreach often involving multiple flights of stairs, prolonged sitting or standing in front of a computer

This position is a full-time, non-exempt position with a current hourly pay rate of $36.54. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision (including chiropractic and acupuncture), generous paid vacation and sick time, and a supportive work environment that centers individual and collective care to ensure sustainability and longevity.

This position is included in a collective bargaining unit represented by Office & Professional Employees International Union, Local 29. Specific employment terms are subject to a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

To apply, please send your resume and cover letter to resume@hrcsf.org, with “ATTN: HUD TENANT ORGANIZER” in the subject line.

HRCSF is an equal opportunity employer: People of color, women, immigrants, LGBTQI2S, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Diverse viewpoints are vital to our organization’s mission and culture.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Benefits include medical, dental, and vision (including chiropractic and acupuncture), and generous paid vacation and sick time.