Resident Advocate

Resident Advocate at the Joyce Front Desk

How to Apply 

Submit your resume and cover letter to jobs@cpahoregon.org with the subject line: Resident Advocate – [Your Name]. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. 

Location: Onsite, The Joyce Apartments in Downtown Portland

Job Type: Full-Time, Hourly, 24/7 Shift Coverage

Shift: Wednesday-Saturday, 2 PM - 11 PM

Salary Range: $22.00/Hour

Reports To: The Joyce PSH Services Manager

About CPAH

Community Partners for Affordable Housing (CPAH) advances housing justice by building sustainable housing, delivering supportive services, and providing people with a place to call home. CPAH is a growing organization, building and providing affordable housing for over 600 households in Washington County and SW Portland and supporting almost 200 households who are exiting homelessness. This position will support CPAH’s ability to develop and maintain high-quality affordable housing while providing a range of resident services for youth, seniors aging in place, people exiting homelessness, working families, and some of our most vulnerable neighbors.

About the Role

The Joyce is a Permanent Supportive Housing building. The Joyce has prioritized having a 24/7 front desk presence to foster positive outcomes, maintain building and community safety, and ensure long-term housing stability and wellbeing for tenants with complex needs. The Joyce provides trauma-informed permanent supportive housing for adults exiting long term homelessness. While it is an independent living environment, there is an array of support available on site to help residents maintain housing stability. Residents of The Joyce are very low-income adults with at least one disability who have experienced chronic homelessness. They experience many challenges, and have strengths, resilience, and skills to carry them through those challenges.

The Resident Advocate at The Joyce Front Desk plays a vital role in the building. The RA helps ensure the safety and security of the residents and the building, respond in a trauma-informed manner to acute incidents, and document interactions so that case managers and the property manager are aware and can respond. The Resident Advocate as part of the front desk creates a welcoming environment for residents and helps to ensure that services and property management have information necessary to support residents in maintaining their housing stability.

Key Responsibilities

● RA will create a safe and welcoming environment for residents by answering the phone in a professional manner, greeting residents and their guests, checking in guests, responding to resident requests and concerns, and providing emotional support

● Document resident interactions in communications log throughout shift. Complete and send End of Shift Summary to Services and Property Management teams.

● To maintain safety and security, RA will monitor camera system in the building and ensure staff/resident/building safety and appropriately respond to emergencies that may arise by calling security or police, as necessary.

● Complete walkthroughs of the residents’ floors, bathrooms, and outside perimeter of the building.

● Participate in shift change. Read the shift log at the beginning of each shift and document any relevant details that occur during each shift.

● To ensure cleanliness at the Joyce, RA will sweep and mop the main lobby, keep entryway and hallways free of any clutter, take out trash cans to the curb, wipe up accidental spills, and any other task needed to maintain cleanliness of the building.

● Respond to reports of property damage or out of order restrooms, follow up with responsible parties, and install signage to communicate any outage to residents.

● To ensure 24/7 coverage, RA will be on time for their scheduled shift and complete their entire shift.

● Respond using de-escalation and crisis intervention skills when resident behavior escalates.

● Assist other staff members in providing quality programs to all residents.

● Assist with special projects and tasks assigned by the Joyce PSH Services Manager or Director of Programs.

● Work closely with Property Management, Case Managers, Resident Service Coordinator, and the Joyce PSH Services Manager.

● Attend staff and regular supervision meetings. Participate in staff training.

● Maintain accurate log entries in The Joyce SharePoint, resident tracker, end of shift summaries, and guest check in.

● Adhere to CPAH’s policies and best practices.

● Maintain accurate log entries in The Joyce SharePoint, resident tracker, end of shift summaries, and guest check in.

● Adhere to CPAH’s policies and best practices.

What We’re Looking For

● At least one year’s experience working with individuals experiencing homelessness, including people with symptoms of mental health and substance use diagnoses.

● Passionate about CPAH’s mission and impact.

● Basic Word, Excel, and Outlook required.

● Experience in customer service.

● Strong verbal and written communication skills, including ability to effectively communicate with individuals in distress.

● Experience using participant centered, trauma informed, and de-escalation practices.

● Ability to maintain appropriate professional boundaries with residents.

● Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

● Effective problem solving, communication, and interpersonal skills.

● Display a high level of tolerance and understanding for individuals with behavioral health and physical health needs.

● Demonstrate empathy and maintain a non-judgmental attitude while interacting with residents.

● Familiar with the Housing First Model, Harm Reduction, Trauma Informed Care approach, and program philosophy.

Preferred Qualifications

● Experience working in substance use treatment, mental health treatment, and/or crisis intervention desired.

● Experience working with historically underserved populations and communities of color, providing culturally responsive services.

● Bilingual (Spanish/English) or fluency in another language relevant to CPAH’s resident community (bilingual pay differential available). Work Environment & Physical Requirements

● This job is on-site at The Joyce apartment building in downtown Portland.

● The schedule for these positions varies, day, swing, night shift, full and part time.

● Occasionally required to lift more than 25 lbs.

Why Join CPAH?

CPAH offers a mission-driven, supportive workplace with a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our benefits include:

● 100% employer-covered medical, dental, and vision insurance.

● Employer-funded 403(b) pension plan.

● Paid vacation, holidays, sick leave, and bereavement leave.

● Short-term and long-term disability, life insurance, and parental leave.

● Four-week paid sabbatical after seven years.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

CPAH encourages bilingual and multicultural candidates to apply. We prioritize historically and currently underserved communities in housing, services, and our workplace. CPAH values experience working with communities of color and other marginalized populations and offers a pay differential for staff who can speak languages relevant to our resident community.

Equal Opportunity Statement

CPAH is committed to creating an inclusive and diverse work environment. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, particularly those from historically underserved communities. If you meet most but not all of the qualifications, we still encourage you to apply.