Bilingual Community and Financial Empowerment Specialist

Description

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville (“Habitat”) is a non‐profit organization that brings people together to build and rebuild homes and communities, so that everyone in Charlottesville can have a decent place to live. We are deeply committed to working in respectful partnership with community members to support healthy neighborhoods. Habitat is currently redeveloping the Southwood Mobile Home Park, a 120-acre, 1,300 resident community located in Albemarle County. We are working side by side with residents to plan for a mixed-use, mixed income community of more than 1,000 new homes and businesses. When complete, Southwood will be a national model of compassionate and inclusive resident-led redevelopment. At Southwood and elsewhere, Habitat rebuilds communities via a long-term Asset Based Community Development approach, using the skills and talents of community members to help them achieve their own vision.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Community and Financial Empowerment Specialist (CFES) reports to the Southwood Rehousing Manager and works very closely with the Southwood Property Management, Community Engagement,and Homeownership Teams to facilitate healthy rehousing choices for all families directly impacted by the redevelopment of Southwood. Our team’s goal is to ensure that families are well-supported throughout their rehousing journey. This role is responsible for the planning, supervision and execution of transitional supports for families being temporarily or permanently rehoused as part of the redevelopment and ensuring that all activities are compliant with federal Uniform Relocation Act regulations. This person is responsible for meeting with families and assessing their housing needs/goals, evaluating their finances, and explaining their housing options in redeveloped Southwood and any steps necessary to financially prepare to purchase or rent a home in redeveloped Southwood.

Job Duties

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Coordinate relocation strategies with the Rehousing Manager that take into consideration resident needs, priorities, rehousing costs, and the Uniform Relocation Act (URA).
Swiftly and compassionately address the concerns of families throughout their rehousing journey
Provide financial coaching and application support to ensure families understand the steps they need to take to be financially prepared to achieve their housing goals and know their rehousing choices.
Support the Rehousing team in URA compliance work i.e. keeping physical and digital files organized, up to date, etc.
Work closely with Rehousing/Community Engagement/Department of Family and Community Partnerships teams to coordinate the Southwood Homebuyer pipeline. This will include outreach to anticipate Habitat’s application timelines.
Provide housing navigation services to Southwood residents who choose to leave Southwood by building relationships with realtors, landlords and community resources in the Greater Charlottesville area
Create a network of referral organizations to help you assist clients (e.g. local housing counseling agency, legal aid, schools, career center etc.)
Cultivate positive attitude towards rehousing processes with families
Support Spanish facilitation of classes, community meetings, planning sessions and other group meetings involving Spanish speaking residents
Develop workshop materials or tailor existing materials to meet the needs of families
Perform other tasks as assigned by supervisor

One of the key responsibilities of this role includes meeting with clients for personalized one-on-one support. As many of Habitat’s clients are employed 9-5 PM on weekdays, the CFES must have the flexibility to accommodate others’ schedules and can creatively design their work schedule to better accommodate more frequent evenings or weekend hours as needed.

Skills Required

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

The Bilingual Community and Financial Empowerment Specialist is a results-driven individual with at least 4 years of experience working in social work or non-profits. The ideal candidate will have/be:

Bilingual – English/Spanish
Detail-oriented and precise. Ability to apply these skills to multitasking, planning, organizing, and implementing multiple projects to meet deadlines.
Experience working in Google Suite, databases, and Excel spreadsheets
Ability to work effectively and compassionately with low-wealth residents of diverse backgrounds in a culturally sensitive manner
Exceptional interpersonal skills that positively benefit interactions with residents, colleagues, and community partners. Ability to communicate in a calm, professional manner while under pressure and de-escalate situations whenever possible.
Proven strategic thinking and critical thinking capabilities
Strong commitment and belief in the vision for the Department and Affiliate
HUD housing counseling certification preferred, but not required (must take and pass exam within first 4 months of employment)
In addition to the above, all staff members are expected to exhibit the following on a consistent basis:
A dedication to an interdisciplinary, collaborative approach to work
Passion for supporting the organization’s mission and for maintaining programmatic excellence
Proven success working with individuals of diverse backgrounds
Ability to manage multiple projects and assignments simultaneously, often with competing deadlines
Communication skills that allow for productive sharing, debate, and exchange of information and ideas, whether verbally or in writing

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
Ability and willingness to travel.
Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

This job description is intended to provide general information about the position. It is not an employment contract and is not intended as a complete list of all job roles and responsibilities. The incumbent may be required to perform other roles and responsibilities. As with all positions, the responsibilities, roles, and requirements of this job may change. The organization, at its discretion, may alter this job description at any time with or without notice.