Housing Coordinator - Manchester, NH

The mission of the International Institute of New England (IINE) is to create opportunities for refugees and immigrants to succeed through resettlement, education, career advancement and pathways to citizenship.

One of the oldest and largest human services organizations for New Americans in the region, IINE serves more than 4,000 people each year in Boston and Lowell, Massachusetts, and Manchester, New Hampshire.

Our programs include case management, youth and family services, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), employment and skills training, and immigration legal services.

A dynamic, forward-looking, smart, and rapidly growing non-profit organization, we seek well-qualified, mission-driven and solutions-focused candidates who are experts in their respective fields.

Successful candidates will join a committed team of professional staff and volunteers who are devoted to welcoming and serving new Americans.

Overview

The Housing Coordinator identifies and secures housing for resettling refugee and evacuee clients. This position is responsible for securing decent, safe, and sanitary housing for refugee clients based on federal, local, and state housing quality standards.

The Housing Coordinator develops a housing procurement plan, builds relationships with landlords, identifies, inspects, and secures housing, negotiates leases, and works closely with clients and area landlords to support successful tenancy relationships.

The coordinator is responsible for program compliance with housing standards and must remain up to date on Department of Public Health policies, guidance, and regulations.

The Housing Coordinator oversees the rent and utility assistance application process for clients and provides direct hands-on assistance to help clients obtain and maintain emergency assistance for rent, utilities, home energy heating cost, and other costs through Community Action Partnership Agencies.

This position works closely with the Community Services Manager and Community Services team and supports other housing activities and case management services as needed.

This position is contingent upon funding with an anticipated end date of September 30, 2024.

Responsibilities

Housing Sourcing Duties :

• Identify and inspect housing options, negotiate leases, and secure client housing; take possession of keys; support apartment set ups and move-ins.
• Set up utilities for clients. Collaborate with the Volunteer Coordinator and oversee apartment setups and move-in.
• Help clients understand and sign tenant leases.
• Maintain working relationships with property owners and serve as primary contact to all landlords for initial and ongoing issues.
• Provide immediate response to both tenant and landlord concerns, and pro-active follow-up home visits to support successful client tenancy.

Rental Assistance Support Duties

• Work directly with refugees and evacuees to verify assistance eligibility, complete a variety of assistance applications, help collect required documentation, submit, and track application, and support household requalification processes.
• Work with clients on long-term housing goal plans and budgets,
• Create and maintain consistent communication channels, both verbal and written, between several parties (i.e., tenant, landlord, and other collaborating agencies).

Administrative Duties

• Document all interactions and activities in Apricot, IINE’s client database. Maintain required agency records including reports.
• Submit rental requests and confirm rents have been paid by maintaining regular communication with the landlords.
• Ensure rent checks are mailed and direct deposits are set up.
• Participate in regularly scheduled staff and team meetings; participate in program development and planning activities.

Required Skills / Abilities

• Familiarity with MA / New Hampshire housing standards and programs preferred.
• Proficiency in using Microsoft Word and Excel to produce documents and reports.
• Ability to provide guidance to diverse groups and elicit support and cooperation.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to take initiative, work effectively independently with little supervision and in a
• team setting.
• Responsible for all program-related data entry and service documentation.
• A demonstrated interest in the mission of the organization.
• Extremely well organized, detail oriented, flexible, and able to manage multiple tasks
• simultaneously.
• High levels of discretion and professionalism in dealing with confidential information.
• Access to reliable transportation.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in human services, Counseling, or Social Work, or equivalent work experience, preferred.
• A minimum of two years of professional experience in community or customer services or housing assistance preferred.
• Experience working with family-based and / or emergency support services preferred.
• Experience working with non-profit agencies preferred.
• Experience working with immigrants and refugees preferred.
• Experience or knowledge of grant / contract compliance preferred.

Work Environment Conditions

• Exposure to bright, overhead office lighting, use of office technology such as laptops, printers, mail machines, and other in-office equipment.
• Frequent Driving to / from client homes
• Frequent interruptions from employees and clients- must have ability to multi-task.

Physical Demands

• Occasional lifting, pushing, and pulling materials (boxes, equipment) of 50 pounds or more.
• Continuous sitting (or standing) at a desk for long periods of time.
• Occasional driving to and from IINE offices as needed.
• Frequent bending, reaching overhead, and reaching at or below shoulder level required.

Covid-19 Policy

IINE does not require applicants for most positions to show proof of Covid-19. Some federal contracts, however, require IINE staff to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination, and some immigration status adjustments, such as a Green Card, require proof of Covid-19 vaccination as well.

Consequently, for some positions, IINE staff may be required to show proof of vaccination, and in others, IINE staff will be supporting clients who are required by law to have proof of vaccination in order to adjust their status in the United States.

US Work Eligibility Notice

This position requires lawful authorization to work in the United States, and IINE is unable to provide visa sponsorship in connection with this.