Housing Advocate

CoAction

Housing Advocate

DIMENSIONAL DATA:

Organizational Unit:                          Housing Division

Job Title:                                             Housing Advocate

Immediate Supervisor:                      Director of Housing Services

Supervisory Responsibilities:             none

ERI:                                                            7707

CC Level:                                                  Professional I

Reviewed/Revised:                            October 2026

ORGANIZATION: 

Area Agency on Aging and Community Action Agency for Northwest Indiana, founded in 1965, the CoAction Mission is to ensure the people who experience financial hardship find opportunities, resources, and respect. We do this by helping individuals of all ages and families, through direct services and referrals. 

Serving residents in Lake, Porter, Jasper, Newton, LaPorte, Pulaski, and Starke Counties 

FUNCTION:

Reporting to the Director of Housing Services, the Housing Advocate works one-on-one with individuals and families, providing and implementing case management techniques, to assist program participants toward self-sufficiency. Responsible for acting as a resource to assigned households, facilitating assessment of need, goals, helping to recognize barriers to stability, and assisting with the development of strategies for meeting participants’ needs and strengthening their support network. 

The Housing Advocate is expected to be an active participant in the agency’s mission, vision, and values and an active participant in promoting and fulfilling the ethical standards of professional case management principles. He/she shall work to ensure that consistent, reliable, responsive, and high-quality services are provided to the agency’s constituents, partners, and customers. He/she will demonstrate enthusiasm, initiative, and flexibility and will maintain positive working relationships with all agency personnel, will be inclusive and communicative with all staff, and will establish herself/himself as a primary resource within the agency for consumer empowerment and self-sufficiency/independence.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

·       Conduct regular, in-home case management meetings with program participants on assigned caseload of 20-30 households. Gather information necessary to assess family needs and determine eligibility and appropriateness for agency services, as well as other programs/services beneficial to the client/family and provide orientation to those services.

·       Responsible for providing comprehensive services with a primary focus on client engagement through face-to-face interactions within the participants’ units. Case management focuses on providing supportive services that help ensure stability, and maximize each participant’s ability to be self-sufficient.

·       Assist families in identifying barriers that prevent them from meeting their basic needs and determine potential solutions for overcoming these barriers.  Help program participants to recognize and use their strengths in working toward their goal(s) by developing housing action plans.

·       Identify resources within the agency and/or community capable of aiding the family in meeting their needs.  Inform and assist the program participants in the process to apply for and receive services and make appropriate referrals.

·       One-on-one instruction to program participants, based on their Housing Plan, by helping program participants meet their lease obligations, and maintain a safe and healthy living environment.

·       Aiding appropriate household members so they can obtain additional training/education, which will lead to obtaining new employment or employment that has higher wages and/or better benefits.

·       Provide intensive financial coaching focused on long-term stability and asset development. 

·       Aiding appropriate household members, in job seeking/keeping skills which will lead to employment thereby helping the family to become more self-sufficient.

·       Encouraging the development of good self-esteem and teaching techniques/methods to promote positive self-esteem in other family members.

·       As appropriate, providing community referrals for parenting education in the areas of child development, parent/child relationships, communication, guidance and supervision, etc.

·       Teaching/encouraging, as appropriate, basic health/hygiene/housekeeping standards to promote healthful, sanitary living conditions.

·       When appropriate, provide transportation to program participants if required to meet their housing goals.

·       Attend internal case conferencing meetings along with intakes for new program participants.

·       Ensure that adequate program and participant records are maintained and that reports, and paperwork are completed, as required.  This includes factual records, documentation of progress and observations critical to case management, keeping accurate attendance records, travel records, monitoring reports, terminations, follow- ups, etc.

·       Establish and maintain effective working relationships to assure successful coordination efforts with community resources, including human service agencies, organizations, schools, employers and individuals. Utilize other potential resources to the advantage of program participants.

·       Interpret various state and federal manuals used to implement agency programs.

·       Carry out mandated reporter responsibilities as required by the Child/Elder Abuse/Neglect law of the state of Indiana.

·       Perform other duties as assigned.