Housing Advocate 

The Housing Advocate works with street homeless conducting street outreach with the objective of engaging individuals to determine their eligibility for Street to Home services and to help secure appropriate housing solutions for all people who are street homeless.  If chronic, the Housing Advocate will build a relationship with clients utilizing motivational interviewing to encourage the client to work towards permanent housing.  If not chronic, Housing Advocate will utilize available resources to secure other housing placements.  The Housing Advocate will always work with a partner and will spend most of the shift in an automobile conducting street outreach.  The incumbent will respond to 311 calls and community concerns; participate in Code Blue and Code Red alerts; identify new hotspots/encampments and work to eradicate existing hot spots/encampments; conduct a bi-annual vulnerability index on all clients in their catchment area; and enter all required data into outreach database(s). 

This position has a 35-hour work week. 

 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Engage with all persons on the street who appear homeless 

Create and maintain active registry of chronic homeless clients; non-chronic included in registry 

Conduct vulnerability assessment 

Attend clinical supervision and training 

Develop and maintain recordkeeping files and databases, completion of necessary reports and data entry 

Communicate with team members through progress notes, program databases, reports, staff meetings, and weekly clinical supervision  

Liaison with other service providers on behalf of clients  

Collaborate with Parks Department, NYPD, DSNY, MTA, and other agencies 

Respond to 311 calls 

Participate in Code Blue/Red 

Monitor encampments 

Performs other related duties as assigned 

 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: 

Two years related work experience 

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent education and experience 

Knowledgeable about local benefit agencies and familiarity with substance abuse, mental health, and employment issues 

Strong oral and written communication skills 

Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and electronic record keeping 

Valid NY, NJ, CT, or PA driver’s license with a good driving record, as defined by Breaking Ground, is a condition of employment 

Must maintain a good driving record (as defined by the organization) is a condition of employment 

Bi-lingual (English/Spanish) preferred