The Boston Public Health Commission's Homeless Services Bureau (HSB) provides emergency shelter, job training, behavioral health support, and housing services to unhoused individuals in Boston. We serve close to 5,000 individuals every year and are one of the largest providers of emergency shelter in New England and are the only shelters in the city open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round.

Our aim is to make homelessness in Boston rare, brief, and on time. We do that by problem-solving with new guests at the front door to prevent anyone from entering homelessness to begin with. For individuals who do become homeless we help them quickly find a safe place to go. Once housed, we provide in-home supports to ensure someone does not return to homelessness again.

We use a Housing First framework, believing that housing is a basic need that everyone deserves and that everyone can succeed in housing. We foster evidence-based approaches such as trauma-informed care, harm reduction, and motivational interviewing in the delivery of our housing services and strives to ensure our services are as low-threshold and accessible to our guests as possible. Housing Navigators help clients quickly find permanent housing. To do that, Housing Navigators engage clients in housing conversations, assess clients housing choices, needs, and barriers, ensure clients have required documents, and create strategies to help clients stay up to date on all possible housing options. Housing Navigators identify available units, accompany clients to view units, and coordinate move in logistics, and make referrals as necessary to help clients succeed in housing. The work is fast-paced and rewarding, and requires creativity, compassion, and commitment.

Duties

• Engages with all clients utilizing a Housing First approach.
• Conducts housing search services to identify housing placement opportunities for shelter guests.
• Completes housing intakes and assessments on shelter guests.
• Conducts housing engagement activities for clients
• Schedules, coordinates, and transports guests to unit viewings and lease appointments, and other meetings and appointments to support guests in moving into housing.
• Provides in-home and office-based housing placement and stabilization services to individuals placed in housing, including assistance with paying rent and utilities, helping to resolve landlord/tenant problems, and connecting individuals with community resources and supports. Assists clients with obtaining furniture and moving into housing.
• Maintains up to date and accurate service plans and client files.
• Fosters and maintains relationships with landlords.
• Hosts community-based housing agencies (BHA, HomeStart, etc.) in providing on site housing search assistance.
• Coordinates the delivery of services and referrals to help a client move out of shelter and into housing (family reunification, DSS, obtaining benefits, etc.
• Provides support and assistance to clients to mitigate criminal justice barriers to housing.
• Works in a multi-disciplinary team approach with other social service, work rehabilitation, and health services departments of the shelter. Develops and facilitates budgeting, money management and other life skills groups.
• Participates in weekly housing team and other assigned meetings and trainings.
• Keeps up to date records and case notes and compiles statistical reports using ETO.
• Performs other duties as assigned.