The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, the leading champion of empowerment and opportunity, is seeking a highly motivated individual with a passion for helping others to join our St. Clair County team as a Housing Advocacy Specialist.

The Housing Advocacy Specialist will:

• Provide a general assessment of client housing issues and provide relevant housing assistance.
• Develop and maintain working relationships with DCFS, St. Clair County Housing Authority, East St. Louis Housing Authority, HUD, realtors, lenders, social service agencies, and other housing counseling agencies.
• Assist in the placement of families referred by Illinois Department of Children and Family Services into decent, safe and affordable housing.
• Guide clients to local resources to help meet their housing needs.
• Provide education training in the areas of home upkeep, tenant/landlord rights and responsibilities and household budgeting.
• Become familiar with the HUD website and how to file an on-line housing discrimination complaint.
• Keep abreast of the new developments in the housing market including knowledge of federal, state, and local programs to assist homeless individuals.
• Distribute housing assistance funds per guidelines and regulations.
• Distribute Norman Cash Assistance and other related funds per guidelines and regulations.
• Conduct pre-purchase homebuyer workshops in accordance with program requirements as to frequency, location, and number of clients to be served under the contract.
• Provide prescreening of clients who consider entering into the homebuyer market to help them evaluate their credit worthiness.
• Work one-on-one with clients to assist them with rectifying credit issues and/or assisting them through the lending process.
• Identify and recruit workshop presenters and other resources to enhance training sessions.
• Participates in internal and external committees and groups required to fulfill project goals.
• Promote fair housing including educational outreach activities for the Fair Housing Act.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualified candidates must have excellent customer service skills and the ability to communicate ideas and instructions, as well as the ability to write reports and business correspondence. Candidates must also demonstrate tact and discretion in preparing, disclosing, and handling information of a confidential and sensitive nature; establish work priorities and remain flexible; efficiently respond in a calm and effective manner to a variety of demands and projects; demonstrate effective verbal and written communication skills; meet established deadlines; understand and interpret procedures, policies, and guidelines; communicate clearly and distinctly with visitors and telephone callers, provide courteous information and service to the public, organize and maintain record and filing systems; type correspondence accurately; work independently and make sound decisions. A Bachelor's Degree in Business Human/Social Services or related behavioral science field or extensive experience in a Human Services related field is preferred.