Community Life Service Coordinator - The Community Builders

Salary Range: $43-45k annually

About The Community Builders:

The Community Builders, Inc. (TCB) is a nationally recognized nonprofit developer, owner, and manager of affordable and mixed-income residential and commercial properties. We envision a world with vibrant, safe and inclusive neighborhoods in which all people live in healthy homes with equitable access to resources and opportunities to pursue their dreams. Our mission is to build and sustain strong communities where all people can thrive. We realize our mission by developing, financing, and operating affordable, mixed income residential communities, neighborhood amenities and resident opportunity programming. Founded in 1964, TCB currently owns/manages 13,000+ units of rental housing across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest.

About Community Life at TCB

Community Life (CL) is TCB’s place-based model that uses stable housing as a platform for connecting families, seniors, and households with disabilities to community resources and opportunities. We engage residents in creating programs and building strategic partnerships with local stakeholders to create pathways to opportunities in early education, economic mobility, youth development, voting registration, health, and resident leadership. Community Life’s goal is to create equitable access to community supports, resources, and opportunities for all residents so that everyone can thrive. The successful candidate will have a chance to join in a once-in-a-generation neighborhood transformation plan made possible through the Choice Neighborhood Implementation Grant.

About Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant (CNI)

The Choice Neighborhoods Implementation grant leverages significant public and private dollars to support locally driven strategies that address struggling neighborhoods with distressed public or HUD-assisted housing through a comprehensive approach to neighborhood transformation. Local leaders, residents, and stakeholders, such as public housing authorities, cities, schools, business owners, nonprofits, and private developers, come together to create and implement a plan that unleashes the full potential of communities by revitalizing severely distressed public and/or assisted housing and catalyzing critical improvements in the neighborhood, including businesses, services, and schools. The Choice grant aims to ensure residents can experience personal and professional transformation, while the physical landscape of the community also transforms. We will achieve these goals by ensuring families are stable in their housing and connected to programs and resources in the areas of education, workforce development, financial education and asset building, and health. Additionally, community engagement and community-building activities are essential to building resident trust and creating a culture of accountability and responsiveness.

Woodhill Homes: The Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority and the City of Cleveland were awarded a $35 million FY 2020 Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant for the Buckeye-Woodhill neighborhood. In 2018, the Housing Authority, City, and community partners secured a Choice Neighborhoods Planning award. Now through the Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant, the partners are moving from planning to action. The grantee (CMHA) and their partners will: create 800 new, mixed-income rental units; develop a new health clinic, early childhood education center, and retail space on a commercial corridor; rehab owner-occupied housing and infill vacant lots; and connect residents to employment, health, early learning and education opportunities. We have reached a critical milestone in the 6-year project, where the majority of families have relocated off-site to their temporary housing while new housing is built. This phase requires SCs to be mobile, doing outreach and home visits in the community where people have relocated to. SCs will work closely with CMHA PM to coordinate on-site activities at those CMHA properties residents have been transferred to.

Position Description:
Reporting to the Community Life Senior Manager-Resident Experience, the Community Life Service Coordinator (CLSC) develops, coordinates, and implements support services for residents of Woodhill Homes. The CLSC will ensure resident and community success through close work with the property management team, the economic stability coordinator, youth development specialist, and all Choice partners. The CLSC will work one-on-one with residents to assist them in achieving personal goals related to health, education, financial self-sufficiency, social connectedness, and housing stability. The CLSC is an integral part of the housing and property team and plays a critical role in the overall positive culture of the property for the enjoyment of its residents and the respect of its neighbors.

The CLSC will work with each family to create family success plans that will guide the support, interventions, and referrals needed by the family and individuals in the home. The family success plans are resident-centered and evolving to ensure resident needs are being met. The CLSC, in collaboration with the Community Life data team and Choice evaluation partner, will track performance measures and administer an annual survey.

Essential Functions:

• Provide mobile case management, meeting with residents once a quarter, at minimum, in their homes or within the community.
• Conduct assessments of resident households for strengths and areas of growth/opportunities.
• Develop and implement a Family Success Plan for each household to assess and develop S.M.A.R.T goals and outcomes aligned with Choice metrics.
• Participate in resident and community meetings that are relevant to advancing Choice goals and outcomes, including steering committee working group meetings, and monthly community-based organization meetings in neighborhoods residents are currently residing in.
• Integrate relocation activities into Family Success Plans to ensure residents experience minimal interruptions to their lives and personal and professional goals.
• Work collaboratively with property management and TCB development team to ensure smooth transitions, housing stability, and clear communications about the Choice grant, construction, and relocation.
• Build positive relationships in the community to build capacity and maintain current partnerships to ensure resources are available.
• Monitor residents’ housing stability on an ongoing basis and provide mediation services between residents and Property Management should there be any issues, maintenance requests, late rent payments, or conflicts of any kind. Coordinate with other agencies/partners services to be delivered to residents in need of rent and utility assistance. Assist in development of plans to address barriers to lease infractions.
• Coordinate and communicate with TCB property management as residents begin returning to the new housing, assisting in the lease up process and welcome orientation clinics conducted by TCB PM.
• Administer an annual survey to residents.
• Attend training and continuing education opportunities offered by the Community Life team.
• Attend weekly and monthly staff meetings.
• Keep CL Senior Manager-Resident Experience apprised of issues affecting residents.
• Document and maintain accurate and up-to-date records in data-tracking software.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to understand and respect values, attitudes, and beliefs that differ across cultures and to respond appropriately to these differences with residents in planning, implementing, and evaluating programs and services
• Willingness to work in the community, enter residents’ homes, and meet residents where they are to provide them with the support needed. Personal transportation required to meet with families in their new temporary residences during relocation phase.
• Ability to attend evening and weekend community events as needed.
• Excellent communication, organization, and writing skills.
• Capable of building and maintaining positive relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders, including but, not limited to: residents, senior staff, volunteers, interns, and community partners.
• Experience working with families to support their aspirations.
• Ability to collect, track and understand data to assess programs and partnerships and inform strategies.
• Operate on time, with consistency and a high level of integrity and professionalism; provide excellent customer service to residents and partners.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local policies affecting housing is a plus.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree with a focus in social work, human services, public health, education, or community development. An Associates in a relevant field combined with professional experience will also be considered. CHW certification or MSW is a bonus.
• 2+ years of overall professional experience working with families in housing or human services agencies required.
• Proficiency with MS Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, and other computer programs.
• Previous engagement, communication, and collaboration with residents of diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds preferred.
• Experience working with partners and team members to implement programs and initiatives.
• Experience working with data management software is a plus.

*Note: this is a 4-year grant funded position which will be extended based on future funding.

The Community Builders, Inc. is committed to ensuring diversity in its workplace, and candidates from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.