Housing Advocate – Family Shelter

We are looking for a full-time team member to support our newly arrived families in finding
sustainable housing after their stay in our shelter. If you are interested, please email Stacey
Eyman at seyman@casamarianella.org with “Housing Advocate” in the subject line.

Full Job Description

Job Type: Full Time

Our Mission:

Casa Marianella welcomes displaced immigrants and promotes self-sufficiency by providing shelter
and support services.

Job Description:

The Housing Advocate’s goal is to equip residents in our family shelter with the knowledge and skills
to locate and obtain viable housing options that they can afford and maintain after moving out of our
shelter. This is done through multiple conversations with each family to understand their housing
goals and to provide information about what is required to rent in Austin. It also includes research
into available housing options in Austin that can be presented to our residents and follow up to assist
with applications and setting up accounts before move-in. The end goal is that each family will move
into a situation that they can sustain and that they can replicate the moving process when they need
to based on the skills and knowledge they practice with the Housing Advocates. The Housing
Advocate will collaborate with another Housing Advocate and other Family Shelter team members to
support residents.

Activities:

– Collaborate closely with the other Housing Advocate to partner on these tasks
– Meet with each family regularly throughout their stay to talk about their goals, provide
information, offer options, manage expectations, create timelines, etc
– Provide information to residents about apartment requirements
– call housing options to assess their requirements,
– screen client’s documents and income for eligibility
– Present the client with viable options they can visit
– Orient the clients to the housing process
– help clients create housing goals and encourage them to take steps toward reaching
their goals
– follow up with clients to see if they’ve taken the next steps toward housing
– Send clients reminders of timelines and due dates
– problem-solve obstacles to housing
– accompany clients to visit housing options (when necessary)
– help clients fill out and turn in applications
– Help clients navigate opening an energy account and/or renter’s insurance
– Help clients practice getting money orders and all the necessary components to be able
to successfully maintain their housing
– collaborate with a team to help with hands-on tasks and problem-solving
– Update case management notes
– Once accepted, work with the team to gather furniture donations and use the Casa truck
to help the family move out.
– Assist with staff shifts including answering phone calls, enforcing rules, processing
donations, managing the shelter mail and trash and responding to client requests
– Attend weekly staff meetings and case management meetings

Qualifications:

Casa Marianella is a vibrant and diverse community of newly arrived immigrants from many
countries. We value language access, flexibility, and awareness of the challenges immigrants face.
To provide the best services, the Family Shelter Housing Advocate must:
– be proficient in Spanish, French or Portuguese
– have experience and/or strong interest in working with immigrant communities
– be comfortable communicating with clients across different languages and cultures
– show adaptability and problem-solving skills
– have experience and/or strong interest in housing equity and accessibility

Pay and Benefits:

– $13.50/hr starting rate
– 2 weeks paid vacation per year
– 7 paid sick days per year
– Health Insurance

Schedule:

– flexible
– 40 hours per week split between the Family Shelter and off-site visits