Help Solid Ground develop our dynamic, passionate team.
Solid Ground believes poverty is solvable. Our communities are stronger when we support stability and break down the barriers to overcoming poverty. Solid Ground does both. We combine direct services with advocacy to meet basic needs, nurture success, and spread change. Through our programs, people gain stability and build skills that equip them to move forward in their lives. Through advocacy, we work toward ending racism and other oppressions embedded in our institutions, policies, and culture that hold people back from succeeding. We bring the voices of people experiencing poverty into the political process, furthering social justice and supporting our entire community to reach its potential.
- Demonstrate the initiative to learn and enhance skills that promote anti-racism, cultural competency and an understanding of oppression and its impact.
- Participate in intentional learning efforts, including events relating to understanding and dismantling institutional racism and building cultural competency.
Job Summary:
The Landlord Engagement Specialist supports the JourneyHome Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) program with a team of Case Managers and other staff to help families experiencing homelessness in King County to obtain permanent housing and reduce the length of time experiencing homelessness. Emphasis is on building relationships and partnerships with area landlords and acting as a liaison for landlords to resolve concerns with prospective or actual tenancy. The majority of time is spent connecting over the phone, email, and in person with housing providers, landlords, and case managers with some participant interaction for households with extensive housing barriers. The Landlord Engagement Specialist also completes housing habitability and lead-based paint inspections and is responsible for maintaining a Landlord Database to track landlord outreach, partnerships, and housing placements.
Essential Responsibilities, Duties & Tasks:
50% – Identify housing options and negotiate tenancy for program participants with landlords/property managers. Meet regularly with Case Managers and occasionally with high- priority families to match families’ needs and preferences with potential housing units. Partner with case managers to develop individualized housing plans and timelines for JourneyHome RRH participants. Partner with case managers to assist in navigating the housing system, including filling out applications for housing and holding deposits. Negotiate with creditors of past rental housing debt on behalf of participants, to lower the amount due or set up a payment plan. Conduct Housing Quality Standards safety inspections. Negotiate with landlords and secure move-in. Collaborate with Consortium partners on housing search and landlord engagement efforts. Travel throughout King County and outlying areas to meet with landlords and occasionally with participants in order to secure permanent housing for JourneyHome participants. Maintain on-going communication before, during and after participants move into housing with housing providers, landlords, and housing authorities as necessary. Receive and respond to landlord concerns regarding housed participants. If a resolution cannot be immediately reached through mediation, quickly route concerns to appropriately parties. Monitor landlord- tenant interactions for evidence of discrimination or unfair treatment, report to appropriate civil rights authorities as needed.
20% – Conduct outreach and create partnerships with For-Profit and Non-Profit landlords/property managers, established landlord-facing organizations, and tenant support organizations in the King County Region. Collaborate with housing locators/specialists from other agencies to coordinate outreach to landlords. Regularly review listings for apartments and unit openings from websites and referrals from other participating landlords, local renters associations, working groups, and property management companies. Maintain relationships with partner or prospective landlords with an emphasis on identifying housing opportunities for JourneyHome RRH participants and building a solid base of properties that are willing to rent to our participants. Attend landlord and community meetings to recruit potential landlords and build partner relationships. Lead the JourneyHome RRH team’s planning and implementation landlord appreciation efforts and events. Provide information to Landlords on mitigation process when applicable. Create promotional materials or handouts in partnership with Communications team to market the program to prospective landlords.
20% – Maintain accurate and confidential participant case records and electronic files in the program database. Maintain accurate and timely statistics and documentation necessary for program administration and funding requirements in conjunction with federal and state contractor guidelines. Maintain and regularly update landlord database with new partners, contact information, policies, current openings, and housing placements.
10% – Participate in program, Department and agency meetings and relevant training as required, as well as inter-agency groups (including RRH Learning Circles and RRH Consortium) that provide assistance and advocacy to homeless families.
The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.
Full Job Description