Housing Navigator (Personal Services)

Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania is a nonprofit organization that funds job training, education, and other community programs by selling donated clothing and household items in Goodwill stores and online. We offer life-changing work on a mission-minded team. We are 1,000 working as one and each of us is essential to helping our community thrive. For three years running, Goodwill has been named to Forbes' list of America's “Most Inspiring Companies”.

We offer a wide range of career opportunities ranging from entry-level to management in retail, human services, and administrative fields. Learn more about working at Goodwill. You can help. We can show you how.

POSITION SUMMARY:

As the Housing Navigator  you would be responsible for assisting homeless families and individuals enrolled in Goodwill's Housing Programs with securing safe, affordable housing in a timely manner. This position engages and builds relationships with landlords within the private market, as well as marketing Goodwill's Housing programs and advocating for our clients as future tenants.  This role would assume primary responsibility for ensuring that rental properties meet habitability quality standards, that valid leases and reasonable rents are secured and for providing mediation between clients and landlords as needed. The Housing Navigator works closely with all members of the Housing team in order to ensure that permanent housing is maintained.

Duties will also include but are not limited to:

• Network with landlords and property managers for potential housing units.
• Document all aspects of participant housing searches, meeting deadlines as required by agency and program regulations.
• Coordinate with Goodwill housing team, as well as outside providers, in supporting participants to identify and secure permanent housing in a timely manner.
• Diplomatically address housing issues such as maintenance of apartments, restoration of apartments upon participant exits, tenant disputes and landlord issues in a timely manner.
• Create and implement participant workshops in order to increase responsible tenancy and long-term stable housing.

External Hiring Range: $20.08-$20.88/hour

Retention Bonus: $1,000 after successfully completing 90 days of employment. 

Travel Required:  Yes, locally

QUALIFICATIONS:

• High School Diploma or Equivalent AND 5 years experience required. OR
• Associates' Degree AND 3 years experience required. OR
• Bachelors' Degree AND 1 year of experience required. 

Required Experience: must be related to working with with the rental market and social service system. 

Preferred Experience: must be related to homeless/affordable housing, real estate/rental market.

REQUIRED CLEARANCES, LICENSES, AND CERTIFICATIONS:

• Candidates are expected to provide current valid clearances (Child Abuse Clearance, FBI Fingerprints Clearance, and PATCH) upon hire.  
• Must have a driver's license and reliable transportation.

#zr

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c) Human Services