Housing Specialist

Family Promise of West Michigan strives to give parents the hope and encouragement they need to create a better future for their children and end the cycle of homelessness. Through our diversion services, emergency shelters, housing programs, homeownership initiatives, family stabilization, and early childhood services, we have helped more than 2,500 families overcome homelessness and achieve lasting stability.

At Family Promise, our culture is centered on compassion, collaboration, and commitment to families. We value teamwork, integrity, and a solutions-focused approach as we work together to serve our community with excellence and care.

We are seeking a Housing Specialist to join our team. This role works closely with landlords, program participants, case managers, and program managers to find creative solutions to house families.

This position reports to the Director of Housing.

Family Promise of West Michigan Core Values:

• Has Passion for Mission

• Prioritizes Accessibility, Belonging and Community

• Is Dedicated to Hospitality

• Collaborates Intentionally

• Is Hungry, Humble, and Smart

• Assumes Good Intent

• Strives for Excellence and Sustained Impact

Our Ideal Candidate will get to:

• Assist with finding prospective landlord partners by visiting their properties, making presentations to associations and groups, holding landlord recruitment events, etc. 

• Inspect FPWM leased units monthly and create follow up documentation as needed. 

• Responsible for education and materials for program participants related to good tenancy, tenant rights, strategies for securing housing, move-in checklists, and other housing related documentation.

• Complete rent reasonableness checklists, housing inspections, and other requirements for housing units. 

• Assist the Director of Housing with reviewing the rental market, rental laws, legal compliance for landlords and tenants, and fair housing.

• Create, maintain, and identify housing inventory with detailed information to assist in matching program participants with housing options that are suitable. 

• Working with case managers, provide mediation and advocacy with landlords as needed to resolve concerns or problems to help the program participant maintain stable housing. 

• Create and maintain consistent communication channels with all parties involved in a particular housing situation, including the landlord, tenant, case manager, legal services partner, and other collaborating partners

• Work with the Director of Housing to educate staff and community partners on housing solutions.  

• Schedule maintenance work orders for all Family Promise of West Michigan locations.  

• Other duties as assigned.

Our Ideal Candidate will have:

• Bachelor degree or equivalent work experience.

• Experience with, or an understanding of, work with landlords and other housing partners.

• Familiar with the West Michigan rental and housing market.

• Knowledge of rental assistance programs, landlord and tenant rights, and fair housing laws.

• Possess an understand of property management, landlords, customer service

• Has an awareness and understanding of family housing and family homelessness.

• Demonstrates comfort in a faith base organization

• Must have excellent communication skills, including both written and verbal communications

• Must be able to work independently, as well as effectively within a team, with colleagues, volunteers and community members

• Detail oriented and able to follow through on projects in a fast-paced, often pressured environment

• Must be proficient in Microsoft Work/PowerPoint/Excel

• Documents a valid driver’s license.

This position is in-person with the availability to work remotely. Work is performed at Family Promise of West Michigan's administrative building, shelter and housing locations. 

Lifting of materials of up to 20 pounds may be necessary and may have to travel between Family Promise shelter locations. 

Family Promise of West Michigan offers a robust employee benefit package including health, dental, vision, short-term, and long-term insurance, maternity/paternity leave, 401k plan, and paid time off.

Family Promise of West Michigan is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to recruiting, hiring, compensating, and promoting employees based on their qualifications and experience, without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran or military status, marital status, familial status, height, or weight.

We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment background verification checks.

Go to http://www.familypromisewm.org/home to learn more about us.