Senior Program Associate, Housing Organizer

About the Homecoming Project

Using the sharing economy model, the Homecoming Project (THP) at Impact Justice (IJ) pairs individuals returning home from prison with welcoming community residents (hosts) who have a room in their homes to spare. The Homecoming Project pays each host a daily stipend for housing the participant for up to 6 months. And, THP participants are provided a Community Navigator that works to connect them to the resources, supports, and wraparound services necessary for community re-entry. This innovative reentry housing project began in the Bay Area in 2018 and to date has housed over 140 returning individuals into homes within the community. The Homecoming Project is currently in Alameda County, Contra Costa County, and Los Angeles County.

Check us out here.

Who You Are

You have an orientation and belief that criminal justice involvement should not be an impediment to employment, career, and personal growth opportunities. You have experience working directly with vulnerable and marginalized populations.

That said, we know there are great candidates who may not think they fit into what we’ve described above or who have important skills we haven’t thought of. If that is you, don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself! And if you’re a formerly incarcerated individual, someone who has a family member who is or has been incarcerated, or otherwise have direct experience with the criminal legal or juvenile legal systems, we will be particularly excited to hear from you.

What You Will Do

The anticipated start date for this position is September 1, 2025. You will report to the Program Manager of the Housing Team. You will recruit and be the main point of contact for up to 20 community members, who will each live with or host a participant over the course of 6 months–individuals who are returning to the community from lengthy incarceration sentences. Your core responsibilities will be to:

Organize

• Conduct grassroots outreach, including canvassing, flyering, and community event attendance to recruit program hosts.
• Build, manage, and maintain partnerships with local organizations, faith groups, and community leaders.
• Collaborate with the Marketing and Communication team to conduct and follow up on leads generated from social media and other online platforms.
• Manage and track homeowner recruitment leads, ensuring prompt and organized follow-ups.
• Lead informational sessions and workshops to educate the community about the Homecoming Project.
• Represent Impact Justice at community gatherings and events.
• Collaborate with the Program Manager and team members on strategy and planning.
• Provide supportive and informative interactions with prospective homeowners.

Host Recruitment & Engagement

• Recruit and serve as the main point of contact for up to 20 community hosts throughout their 6-month housing arrangement.
• Lead interviewing, matching, onboarding, training, monitoring and exit conversations. May conduct home inspections, if needed.
• Be accessible to hosts via phone, text or email during work hours to and support them to resolve conflicts that may arise.
• Research, network, and engage with potential referral/service provider organizations to provide warm-hand offs.
• Additional responsibilities as assigned.

Required Qualifications

1. At least 3 years of community organizing or outreach experience (in Los Angeles, preferred).
2. Strong relationship building and interpersonal skills.
3. Comfortable engaging with recently incarcerated individuals.
4. Culturally competent in faith-based and social justice-oriented spaces.
5. Passion about social justice, housing equity, and community-based reentry solutions.
6. Organized, proactive, and capable of managing multiple tasks independently.
7. Strong verbal and written communication, interpersonal strengths, and rapport-building abilities.
8. Proven ability to meet deadlines with an orientation to results.
9. Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends.
10. Familiarity with digital communication tools and social media.
11. Reliable transportation for extensive local travel.
12. Problem-solving: High level of critical/analytical/interpretive thinking and problem-solving skills.
13. License and Vehicle: A valid Driver’s License with a clean and reliable vehicle, with current registration and proof of insurance.

Additional:

• Hybrid position based in Los Angeles County.
• Frequent fieldwork, remote tasks, and weekly office meetings. Successful candidate must have and maintain a valid California drivers license and proof of insurance.
• Requires frequent local travel within LA County; mileage reimbursement provided.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Spanish language proficiency is strongly preferred but not required. If hired, Spanish-speaking candidates will spend 20% of their time using Spanish in conversation, writing, and translation. Qualified bilingual staff (confirmed by a certification exam paid by the Employer) will be eligible to receive a stipend at seventy-five dollars ($75) per month. Spanish-speaking candidates will be required to take a proficiency test as part of the interview process.
2. Experience with housing programs serving formerly incarcerated individuals, particularly in the Los Angeles area.
3. Direct experience with the criminal justice system—personally or through family—is strongly valued. We seek individuals whose commitment to our mission is rooted in real-world connection to the people we serve.

The compensation range for the Senior Program Associate (Housing Organizer) position is $74,568 to $82,025. Consistent with our compensation philosophy, our starting salaries are established to represent strong compensation in the marketplace and to maintain internal equity. The starting salary for this position is $74,568, with annual increases defined by the collective bargaining agreement. This is a bargaining unit position with Impact Justice United represented by OPEIU International.

The benefits that come with working at Impact Justice include medical, dental, and FSA plans, significant vacation and wellness leave, and immediate vesting in our 401K with a generous match. This is a full-time, salaried position. This is a hybrid role. The candidate is required to work out of the LA office at least 2 times per week. However, building strong relationships is central to this role, which includes traveling frequently throughout the week to recruit new hosts and develop relationships with existing hosts and partners in the community. The person in this role should expect to be in the field up to 5 days a week, with two of those days in the LA office. You can expect to be reimbursed for mileage and to have flex time, with supervisor approval.

We are NOT considering remote staff for this position.

If this all sounds like a good fit for you, please send your resume and cover letter to help explain your qualifications and interest in the position.

We plan on making decisions on a rolling basis, so the earlier you apply the better.