Tenant Organizer

Status: Non-Exempt Unit: Organizing & Advocacy

Position: Full-time, 35 hrs/week

Fifth Avenue Committee (FAC) is a 47-year-old nationally recognized South Brooklyn based, non-profit community development corporation and NeighborWorks America chartered member whose mission is to advance economic, social, and racial justice through integrated, community-centered affordable housing, grassroots organizing, policy advocacy, and transformative education, training and services that build the power to shape our community’s future.

FAC works to transform the lives of over 7,500 low- and moderate-income New Yorkers annually so that we can all live and work with dignity and respect while making our community more equitable, sustainable, inclusive, and just.

To achieve our mission, FAC develops and manages affordable housing and community facilities, creates economic opportunities, and ensures access to economic stability, organizes residents and workers, offers student centered adult education, and combats displacement caused by gentrification.

Responsibilities:

Working closely with FAC colleagues, FAC’s affiliate Neighbors Helping Neighbors (NHN), and coalitions like Stabilizing NYC and Partners in Preservation , the Tenant Organizer will organize low- and moderate-income Brooklyn tenants living in multi-family properties that are facing poor conditions and/or risk of displacement due to a number of factors, including buildings owned by or suspected of being owned by Predatory Equity (PE) firms.

The organizer will do building outreach, education, and support the organization of tenant associations to win better housing conditions, address landlord harassment and to stabilize their housing. Working with partner organizations and legal service providers, the Tenant Organizer will help to inform strategy, propose policies, and/or identify potential impact litigation opportunities as part of broader organizing efforts to address the needs of low- and moderate-income tenants living multi-family properties that are at risk. The Tenant Organizer will also provide one-on-one advocacy for tenants and/or refer tenants for services, as needed. The Tenant Organizer must be available some evenings and weekends to accommodate outreach and organizing outside of typical business hours.

Duties include:

• Conducting door-to-door tenant outreach in multi-family properties that are facing poor conditions and/or risk of displacement to engage and organize tenants.

Facilitating tenant association meetings in buildings & training tenants to take on leadership roles within their buildings.

• Supporting tenant leadership development.
• Working with partner organizations and coalitions, such as Stabilizing NYC, Partners in Preservation, and legal partners, to plan relevant campaign events such as press conferences, trainings, meetings, hearings, and demonstrations.
• Mobilizing tenants in Brooklyn to take active roles in the local, borough, and citywide campaigns and to attend relevant campaign events such as press conferences, trainings, meetings, hearings, and demonstrations.
• Representing FAC & NHN, at relevant meetings with elected officials, partners, coalitions and at events, as assigned.
• Providing one-on-one advocacy for tenants in multi-family properties that are facing poor conditions and/or at risk of displacement, as needed.
• Referring internally to FAC or NHN or externally to partners for relevant eviction prevention, housing, and/or legal counseling assistance, as needed.
• Monitoring and complying with city and state voucher or contract requirements.
• Inputting data and maintaining accurate and timely case files in our database, Salesforce.
• Performing administrative functions to ensure contract and grant compliance.
• Participating in unit and staff meetings and trainings.
• Other responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Minimum 1 year of experience in organizing and base-building or working in coalition on a campaign is required.
• Strong knowledge of NYC housing regulations and dynamics preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills.
• Enthusiasm and respect for racial, ethnic, and economic diversity.
• Experience working with low-income populations is required.
• Strong writing, data management, administrative and computer skills required (Word, Excel, Access, Salesforce).
• Demonstrated appreciation for link between individual advocacy and community organizing.
• Bi-lingual in English/Spanish and/or English/Mandarin preferred.
• Commitment to FAC’s mission of racial, economic, and social justice and building local power within the context of a locally accountable community development corporation.