THE AGENCY
Since 1971, Project Sentinel, a non-profit, civil rights agency, has advanced fair housing goals by counseling and investigating complaints of housing discrimination. We seek to develop and promote fairness and equality of opportunity in all areas of housing for all persons. In addition to fair housing investigation and enforcement, the agency also has a separate program that provides comprehensive Tenant/Landlord counseling and dispute resolution services to tenants, landlords and managers of rental properties. The agency currently makes its services available to 6.5 million people in eight diverse Northern California counties: Alameda, Monterey, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Stanislaus, Sacramento and Merced. For more information about Project Sentinel, please visit our website at www.housing.org.
THE POSITION The Fair Housing Coordinator provides outreach and education on fair housing matters, counseling on fair housing and landlord-tenant matters, and conducts investigations of allegations of housing discrimination in the assigned local jurisdiction. We are looking for one full-time Fair Housing Coordinator to work out of our new Salinas office, with responsibility for the agency’s housing discrimination work in the City of Salinas, Monterey County, and the City of Gilroy. Project Sentinel has only recently begun providing fair housing services in Monterey County, so this position presents a unique opportunity to build a service from the ground up in an area of great need, and establish and build relationships with other social service providers and fair housing stakeholders. Fluency in Spanish is required for this position.
Duties and Responsibilities • Build and deliver a comprehensive set of fair housing services, including networking and building relationships with key organizations, establishing case referral sources, and identifying outreach and education opportunities. • Conduct screening and intake of callers with housing problems, both on the phone and in person, and provide fair housing counseling, case evaluation and referral to appropriate alternative resources. • Conduct fair housing investigations, including case intake and processing of complaints, coordinate tester activities, compile case records and tester reports, draft case analysis and investigation summaries, prepare and file administrative complaints of discrimination with HUD or DFEH; provide advocacy for the agency and/or complainants in the administrative process; refer cases to attorneys and provide investigative support to attorneys for cases in litigation. • Conduct community outreach and education on fair housing issues to housing seekers, housing providers, social service agencies and other community organizations, and act as the agency liaison with government officials and other organizations. • Monitor rental advertisements and other housing advertising forums for fair housing violations, and conducting audits to test appropriate properties for discrimination. • Research and draft articles on current fair housing issues for publication in newspapers and on the agency website; • Conduct fair housing tester recruitment and training. • Maintain accurate and complete case management database records, case files and information and referral records for all cases and calls. • Prepare and submit timely activity reports on a quarterly and annual basis to funding sources; • Work cooperatively with other fair housing coordinators to achieve agency objectives, including attending staff meetings and working on special team and individual projects to affirmatively further fair housing; • Perform other miscellaneous work as assigned, including answering phones, recording and compiling data, attending meetings, and participating in training programs. • Assist in other projects as needed,
QUALIFICATIONS • Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Law, Human Services, or related field or J.D. required; legal background highly desirable. • Candidate must have a desire to work on behalf of civil rights protections and have a desire to work and interact with, as well as demonstrate respect for, individuals and groups without regard to race, religion, sex, color, national origin, sexual orientation, familial status, or disability. • Experience in community-building or collaborative work with multiple organizations a plus; • Demonstrated interest or experience in public interest work a plus; • Experience in diverse communities. • Ability to work independently and responsibly –good judgment is essential. • Excellent oral and written communication skills. • Experience speaking in front of groups highly desirable. • Capacity to work without close supervision, with an active case load and short timelines. • Highly motivated, and capable of working in a busy environment. • Organized and able to maintain accurate records with attention to detail. • Excellent computer skills. • Fluency in Spanish is required for this position.
COMPENSATION Project Sentinel offers a competitive and comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Salary is commensurate with experience. Unfortunately, however, Project Sentinel is unable to pay relocation expenses for the successful candidate.
TO APPLY Please submit a resume, a one-page cover letter and a brief (3-5 page) writing sample by email to mcurrent@housing.org, referring to FHC SALINAS in the subject line. No phone inquiries please.
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Only candidates that are referred for interviews will be contacted.
Project Sentinel is an equal opportunity employer.