New Job Homeconnect Property Lead In Newfoundland And Labrador

End Homelessness St. John's exists to prevent and end homelessness in St. John's. Working collaboratively with community stakeholders, EHSJ is leading the implementation of the St. John's Community Plan to End Homelessness. Through the continuation of coordinated system-wide planning and EHSJ's leadership, St. John's will become the next community in Canada to end homelessness.

POSITION: HOMECONNECT PROPERTY LEAD

ABOUT THE ROLE:
The HomeConnect Property Lead with EHSJ sees housing as a human right - with everyone needing and deserving a home. They have a keen interest in expanding housing options to support this vision and in developing new community resources to strengthen tenancies. This position enjoys the opportunities and challenges of supporting a purpose-built organization working to make St. John's the next community in Canada to end homelessness. Ending homelessness is essentially change management at the systems level, so success in this role requires having a big picture outlook, along with the dedication and vision to stick with it even when it seems impossible.

As the system planning organization for the homeless-serving system in St. John's, EHSJ's work is divided into five priority areas: Systems Coordination, Knowledge Mobilization, Community Investment, Leadership and Advocacy, and Stakeholder Engagement.

EHSJ's HomeConnect Property Lead works within the Community Investment priority area, which focuses on how EHSJ invests in our community with the goal of ending homelessness, using an evidenced-based approach and fostering value-add partnerships. The HomeConnect Property Lead is responsible for overseeing the physical needs of HomeConnect properties, safety inspections, pre, post, and during tenancy inspections, and monitoring required repairs in conjunction with private market landlords. The position works collaboratively with the community's housing focused support staff to facilitate repairs, maintenance, and inspections to maintain housing stability.

The HomeConnect Property Lead brings an understanding of the problems that commonly occur during a tenancy, knowledge base of the private housing rental market and experience working with various trades for residential construction/contracting. The HomeConnect Property Lead has an in-depth understanding of local tenancy regulations and existing community resources and programs, and the ability to build relationships with landlords.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
Many of our vulnerable neighbours rely on the rental market for housing but may have trouble maintaining housing stability on their own. Homelessness or the risk of homelessness is often the result. The HomeConnect program enables successful tenancies in the private market by facilitating access to available units and offering tools and resources to support all parties - landlord, tenants and supporting agencies.

OVERALL

• Develop a strong understanding of EHSJ's priority areas and initiatives, Coordinated Access, the By-Name List, Housing First and other key concepts related to ending homelessness.
• Support implementation of the St. John's Community Plan to End Homelessness in general and particularly as it relates to the Community Investment priority area.
• Support EHSJ in engagement with committees as required.
• Support EHSJ in reporting to stakeholders on EHSJ's progress.
• Develop and maintain working relationships with community agencies and services.

LANDLORD PARTNERSHIP

• Create awareness amongst landlords and other stakeholders of EHSJ, its goals, and the benefits of partnering with EHSJ
• Educate landlords and other stakeholders on the principles of Housing First as it relates to supporting successful tenancies
• Identify landlords who have or would be willing to invest in rental housing that meets specific areas of need/demand of program participants, i.e. accessible housing, standalone housing, heat/light included
• Collaborate on landlord engagement sessions, bringing expertise and experience to the conversations.
• Work collaboratively with program landlords to share knowledge and implement solutions for tenancy concerns.

PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

• Provide oversight surrounding property maintenance of HomeConnect units while working collaboratively with landlords and engaging housing-focused supports as needed.
• Engage landlords when appropriate for unit maintenance and access.
• Coordinate, perform, and document move-in inspections, damage inspections, rental subsidy inspections and quarterly inspections.
• Perform minor property maintenance as needed including sharps disposal, junk removal, moving furniture, packing personal items, repairing curtain rods, securing cupboard doors, installing interior doorknobs, installing smoke detectors, general cleaning etc.
• Collaborate with housing-focused support staff to access HomeConnect units and facilitate repairs, maintenance, and site visits to maintain housing stability.
• Support the HomeConnect Programming Lead with assessing claims from landlords and determining fair value of repairs

UNIT MANAGEMENT

• Develop and maintain working relationships with program landlords and partnering community agencies and services
• Work collaboratively with stakeholders in eviction prevention, tenancy problem solving and ensuring basic tenant needs are met.
• Facilitate program exit planning in coordination with housing-focused supports, including EHSJ Outreach staff and Eastern Health harm reduction team.
• Maintain case knowledge of and monitoring of HomeConnect tenancies.
• Support landlords, service providers and tenants in interpreting local tenancy and property standard regulations
• Respond in a timely manner to requests for interventions as they relate to property damages, tenant/landlord disputes, and inspections.
• Adhere to safety protocols, harm reduction best practices, and Housing First principles.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education: Applicants must have successfully completed a bachelor's degree or diploma in human services, social work, community planning, social services, or have completed a related trades program.
• Experience: Ideally the candidate will have a minimum of 2 years' experience in a related environment, (ie property maintenance/management, supported/supportive housing, etc).
• Any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience, which would provide the required knowledge and skills, may be considered.
• Criminal record check.
• Training in Mental Health First Aid considered an asset.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Strong familiarity of the Residential Tenancy Act and relevant housing related programs and legislation
• Base knowledge of working with and communicating with various trades personnel (electricians, plumbers, carpenters etc)
• Knowledge of basic repair and maintenance tasks commonly needed in a property, such as fixing drywall holes, painting surfaces and changing locks.
• Experience and commitment to maintaining client confidentiality and privacy
• Ability to interact with data, including an understanding of data privacy/security
• Attention to detail and problem-solving skills
• Excellent time management skills and ability to prioritize responsibilities and deadlines
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Strong interpersonal, communication and stakeholder engagement skills
• Conflict resolution and mediation skills
• Outreach, harm reduction and Housing Frist mindset
• Proficiency in MS Office suite, particularly Outlook, Excel, Word and PowerPoint
• Experience working with vulnerable populations in a capacity such as community outreach, housing support, or similar

HOW TO APPLY:
This position provides competitive salary and benefits plan, including health, dental and RRSP contributions. Salary is commensurate with experience, starting at $50,000 per year.

For more information about End Homelessness St. John's, please visit our website at wecanendit.com.

Applicants should send a resume and cover letter outlining how they meet the specific requirements of the position to Simone Lilly at [email protected] by 4:30pm May 19th.

End Homelessness St. John's is an equal opportunity employer.

While we appreciate all applications, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.