Manager of Resident Engagement - The Community Builders

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. Our mission is to build and sustain strong communities where people of all incomes can achieve their full potential. We do this by developing, financing, and operating high-quality affordable mixed-income housing, coordinating access to support services, and planning and implementing other community and economic initiatives critical to the communities we serve. Every employee who works for The Community Builders understands what it means to make a significant difference in the lives of others.

About Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant
The Choice Neighborhoods program 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, police, business owners, nonprofits, and private developers, come together to create and implement a plan that revitalizes distressed HUD housing and addresses the challenges in the surrounding neighborhood. The program helps communities transform neighborhoods by revitalizing severely distressed public and/or assisted housing and catalyzing critical improvements in the neighborhood, including vacant property, housing, businesses, services, and schools.

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. Since securing a Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant award in 2018, the Housing Authority, City, and community partners have made significant strides toward their goals, with the first phases of new mixed-income housing on the horizon. Now through the Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant, Buckeye-Woodhill can realize its full potential. The grantee and their partners will: create 800 new, mixed-income rental units; 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.

About Community Life
Community Life 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.

Position Description:

TCB believes a healthy community is an engaged community. In close collaboration with NIMC,BBC, and Neighborhood Connections, the Manager of Resident Engagement and Neighborhood Partnership will work to design and implement resident engagement strategies that seek to empower residents who are active participants in the Woodhill-Buckeye neighborhood transformation initiative. S/he will be responsible for building strong relationships with partners in the neighborhood, as well as to support the peer-to-peer support network and WSW/WCE floor stewards. S/he will promote the importance of resident interconnectedness and its importance to the success of this initiative. S/he will uplift the resident voice to all internal/external strategies and processes of TCB.

We have reached two critical milestones in the 6-year project. The first milestone is the relocation of all residents from Woodhill Homes, 100% of the residents have been relocated to other CMHA developments or the new TCB managed properties (WSW and WCE). This milestone will require the development and implementation of a mobile engagement strategy with the primary goal of ensuring residents remain connected to the initiative while in relocation. The mobile engagement plan should include opportunities for residents to gather in their new temporary neighborhoods. S/he will also work closely with CMHA Property Management and the Service Coordination team to coordinate on-site activities at those CMHA properties. The second milestone is the opening of the two new housing developments, Woodhill Station West (WSW) and Woodhill Center East (WCE). S/he will be responsible for supporting the creation of a cohesive & strong Woodhill community identity at these new sites. S/he will implement strategies to help Woodhill residents integrate into the larger Buckeye-Woodhill community. The Manager of Resident Engagement and Neighborhood Partnership will report directly to the Director of Community Life-PIE.

Core Responsibilities
In close collaboration with BBC and NIMC, engage with residents on Woodhill transformation initiative, and prioritize resident leadership development.
•Ensure aspects of the Resident-Centered Creed are included in all engagement communications, events, and activities.
•Create and implement a mobile engagement plan for residents who are temporarily relocated, with the primary goal of keeping relocated residents connected to the initiative and excited about the transformation.
•Create and implement an engagement strategy & calendar of programming for the residents of WSW/WCE, and future phases that are completed. Coordinate with TCB PM as needed to ensure successful participation.
•Recruit and supervise resident stewards to foster a welcoming environment for all residents at WSW/WCE and subsequent phases.
•Create a network of legacy residents, curating moments where they can have leadership in the decision-making process within this initiative and support other residents
•Participate in the design and implementation of community building activities to bring residents together around shared concerns and interest and create a sense of belonging, agency, and mutual support
•Ensure timely and consistent communication to residents through TCB communication pipeline to relay information and engagement opportunities to residents and partners (ie. dialmycalls, Woodhill What’s happening FB, Youtube channel).

Identify new neighborhood partners and engage existing partners in the Woodhill transformation Initiative
•Serve as a key thought partner in implementing broader Buckeye-Woodhill neighborhood engagement and ensuring residents moving into the new Woodhill housing are part of the neighborhood fabric.
•Actively engage in the Buckeye-Woodhill neighborhood engagement team meetings, community
groups, and events as a TCB
representative.
•Support implementation of the broader Buckeye-Woodhill Community Engagement Plan.
•Work with neighborhood partners to integrate the building community into the greater neighborhood to ensure residents and building become part of the fabric of neighborhood.
•Work closely with CL Senior Manager to define and implement a partnership cultivation and outreach strategy.
•Attend and present at key community meetings or special events to increase exposure to TCB presence in the neighborhood (Ward 6+ Ward 4+ 4th District Police, EENH Community Collaborative, BBC events, etc).

Provide internal support & collaboration to reach CNI goals and outcomes
•Work in close collaboration with the CL Service Coordination team and other leverage partners to meet Choice outcomes and promote resident agency, leadership and engagement.
•Coordinate with TCB PM and Development on communications as part of the Right to Return & lease-up process for all phases.
•Supervise engagement interns, and recruit and manage event volunteers.
•Maintain required documentation for data tracking in CL Connect.
•Support annual collection of Choice CLQ survey
•Prioritize tasks and communicate progress, problems, and needs for additional support to Director of Community Life-PIE.

Training and Experience required:
•Bachelor’s Degree in a related field
•Two years project management experience preferred
•Experience in non-profit organizations
•Comfort in a start-up environment
•Minimum two years’ experience in grassroots community outreach, organizing, and community engagement
•Knowledge and experience of working in diverse and low-income communities
•Excellent organization/planning, networking, relationship-building skills
•Excellent communication (oral and written), and problem-solving skills
•Strong personal initiative, attention to detail, and ability to work independently required
•Ability to travel around the community and to partner events required

Note: this is a grant funded position which will be extended based on future funding

The Community Builders is committed to diversity in its workplace. Applicants from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.