Job Description: Housing Placement and Retention Specialist

Why work at MCCAC?

Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC), located in the heart of the beautiful Columbia River Gorge, serves Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman Counties. MCCAC offers programs and services to ensure our most vulnerable community members have access to healthy, safe, stable, and affordable housing. This is accomplished through our housing, energy/utility payment assistance, and weatherization programs. MCCAC’s mission is to build a better future for our community through partnership and equity-centered programs that prevent and eliminate poverty and houselessness.

Job Purpose:

The Housing Placement and Retention Specialist plays a key role in working to end houselessness and addressing barriers to housing access in the MCCAC service area. This position is a case management position with a minor focus on street outreach (5% of working hours directed towards literal street outreach), and large focus on housing placement, retention, and overall stabilization. Outreach priorities include providing case management and linking houseless clients to basic needs resources such as food boxes and hygiene, and linking program participants to other available community resources that will assist in housing stability. Housing placement, retention, and stabilization priorities include coordinating with housing service providers, landlords, community partner organizations such as health care entities, social service providers, transportation providers, education and workforce development stakeholders, state and federal agencies that provide mainstream resources, and houseless clients to ensure that individuals and families experiencing houselessness can find and stay in housing—and connect to resources in other areas that promote longer-term health, well-being, and housing stabilization. The position works under the supervision of MCCAC’s Housing Stabilization Manager.

Duties, Tasks, and Responsibilities:

Client outreach, resource navigation, and referral (5-10%):

• (Limited) Performance of street and camp outreach with housing program staff and partners to engage with families and individuals experiencing houselessness, which may include responding to referrals requesting street outreach services and helping address physical and safety needs of people experiencing houselessness, especially in scenarios when extra street outreach support is necessary such as during severe weather events

Housing Placement and Retention Program Delivery (75-85%):

• Enroll eligible clients in MCCAC’s rapid rehousing and other houseless assistance programs

• Maintain active understanding of mainstream and community resources, both at MCCAC and from other service providers or agencies, that may assist clients with achieving goals related to housing stabilization and overall health and well-being

• Work in unison with MCCAC’s intake specialist to complete regular client intake and casework appointments in person, via phone, and via workshops to assist clients to access MCCAC housing assistance programs that can help promote housing stability

• Work with designated clients to assist them to develop housing stabilization plans, find and get approved for housing, and accessing community resources that promote housing and overall stabilization (including HUD vouchers, SSI and other benefits, health care, behavioral health resources, and substance use disorder resources, food resources, employment services, money management counseling, credit repair, etc.) as needed

• Coordinate communication between clients, support networks, peers, and service providers to help them connect with needed community resources and to meet their own needs or build personal resilience and resource literacy when possible

• Support clients to manage social and health challenges related to housing stabilization

• Educate landlords, partner organizations, and caseworkers about rapid rehousing assistance and other supportive services offered by MCCAC. Serve as lead liaison to houseless MCCAC clients in assigned county(ies) who are in need of rapid rehousing and other housing placement/retention assistance, including by:
  Generating and sending letters and otherwise corresponding with landlords upon clients’ submission of rapid rehousing assistance and other related program applications o Ensuring timely payments are made to landlords or other relevant vendors for recurring and one-time expenses MCCAC covers on behalf of clients enrolled in rapid rehousing

Program administration, compliance, and training (10-15%):

• Select clients for housing placement/retention caseload from MCCAC’s program waitlists according to pre-established waitlist prioritization criteria

• Provide clients with a list of necessary documentation to bring to appointments • Maintain case files according to documentation requirements established by MCCAC internal policies and state and federal policies (including end-of-year file retention process) • Support timely data entry in Homelessness Management Information System and others • Utilize Smartsheets vouchering system to track rapid rehousing assistance and other systems, such as PEX, to track other MCCAC funds being used for street outreach, housing placement, and housing retention costs

• Meet monthly with Housing Stabilization Manager to assess rapid rehousing and street outreach program budgets and policies and ensure adherence to program budgets

• Meet regularly with fellow MCCAC Housing Stabilization staff, Shelter staff, and caseworkers from relevant partner organizations to do case conferencing and make waitlist updates • Utilize Harm Reduction, Trauma Informed Care, Rapid Rehousing, culturally responsive, and Housing First approaches to serve clients

• Conduct weekly or monthly check-ins with clients who have open street outreach or housing placement/retention cases with MCCAC; complete required documentation and re-assessment paperwork on a timely basis, and coordinate additional referrals as needed

• Close street outreach and housing placement/retention cases and complete appropriate paperwork according to clients’ individual case plans and MCCAC program guidelines

Application Information:

Knowledge, Skills, and Qualifications:

• Ability to adhere to agency and program policies and procedures

• Ability to maintain client and agency confidentiality

• Ability to communicate effectively in writing and in person with MCCAC client groups, community partners, the general public, and co-workers

• Ability to maintain professionalism, even in high-pressure situations

• Ability to address sensitive situations with a culturally competent, trauma-informed approach

• Experience or comfort with working with clients living outside, including those with behavioral health and substance abuse disorder needs

• Ability to effectively handle high volume telephone, email, and in-person contact • Ability to maintain a high level of accuracy and be detail-oriented, prompt, and dependable • Ability to work as a collaborative member of the Housing Stabilization team

• Knowledge of Oregon Landlord/Tenant, Fair Housing, and Equal Access Laws • Knowledge and demonstrated ability in Microsoft Office programs and ability to learn and use videoconferencing and other digital tools that enhance collaboration and communication • High school Diploma or GED required; Associate degree preferred

• Minimum two years on the job experience in customer service

• Intermediate proficiency with computer and phone systems, email, voicemail, etc. • Ability to speak and write fluently in Spanish (desired)

• Those with lived experience with houselessness, behavioral health challenges, and/or substance abuse disorders encouraged to apply

• Satisfactory criminal background check (required)

Position Details:

• This position is rated as active with frequent kneeling, stooping, bending, and sitting, regularly requires the individual to lift 30 pounds

• The duties outlined in this job description are not all inclusive and additional duties and tasks will be assigned as required.

• Prior to date of hire, and throughout employment certification of the following are required: o Valid driver’s license

o Proof of current auto insurance

• MCCAC is an equal employment opportunity employer

• In-person, at MCCAC Office (Wasco/Sherman County position is based in The Dalles, Hood River County position is based in Hood River)

• Fair Labor Standards Classification: Full-Time, Exempt

• Reports to: Housing Stabilization Manager

Salary and Benefits

• Salary $48,600.00 Annually (full-time position, 40 hours/week with potential for longer hours) o Plus, a 3% pay differential for successful bilingual (Spanish and English) candidates

• Benefits: MCCAC offers an excellent benefits package including Blue Cross medical insurance with the agency covering 90% of employees and dependents. Dental and vision coverage. Life insurance, 401k, paid vacation, and sick leave.

Duration

• Permanent position.

Please submit a resume with a cover letter to Resumes will be accepted thru July 31, 2023

Mitzi Mason
Housing Stabilization Manager
mmason@mccac.com