Job Description

YOU MUST BE PERMANENT IN THE JOB OPPORTUNITY SPECIALIST TITLE FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR. THIS IS A PROVISIONAL APPOINTMENT, WHEN A TEST BECOMES AVAILABLE IN THE ASSOCIATE JOB OPPORTUNITY SPECIALIST (AJOS) TITLE, YOU MUST TAKE AND PASS THE EXAM TO REMAIN IN THE AJOS TITLE.

The Homelessness Prevention Administration (HPA) works to keep New Yorkers in their homes. HPA works with the Department of Homeless Services (DHS), the NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA) and many other organizations and City agencies to assist families and individuals in need in obtaining and maintaining stable, affordable housing.
HPA / HHSI Rental Assistance Unit (RAU) assists in the prevention of homelessness and provides grants under certain conditions to New Yorkers facing housing emergencies, to prevent evictions. Payments are generally made for rent arrears or new apartment expenses and may also be made for mortgage and property tax arrears. RAU may also authorize other expenses related to the emergency, such as moving costs. RAU’s overall goals are to prevent evictions, and to help applicants/participants remain in their homes.

HPA/ Rental Assistance / Housing Court Unit (HCU) is recruiting for one (1) Associate Job Specialist 02 to function as a Housing Court Coordinator /Specialist, who will:

- Review and authorize contracted Advocates, and Legal provider’s requests for payment of services provided for representing participants facing eviction for FHEPS related matters; review and assess requests for exception to policy received from Job Centers.

- Review the legal provider’s submission and authorize payment of arrears (rent, mortgage, taxes) conduct interviews with family heads to determine the need for emergency rent deposits and verify the information utilizing various databases.

- Initiate cash assistance applications on one-shot deals (OSD)

- Work closely with attorneys representing both landlords and tenants, as well as with Housing Court judges, to facilitate, expedite, and negotiate the best course of action to prevent evictions; and consult with HRA Office of Legal Affairs.

- Process requests for authorization of payment of rent arrears to prevent participant’s eviction as well as intervene in emergency cases to prevent evictions.

- Maintain chronological logs of activities in order to record case disposition.

- Complete reports


Various schedules (9am-5pm, 10am-6pm)

141 Livingston St, Brooklyn NY

Qualifications

1. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent, and three years of
full-time satisfactory experience working directly in social/human services or a
related setting, providing either:
a) Client services.
b) Employment planning/counseling services which involves job development,
skills assessment, and employment placement or other economic
opportunity programming.
2. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college; plus eighteen months of full[1]time satisfactory experience working as a Benefits Opportunity Specialist; or
3. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college; plus eighteen months of full[1]time satisfactory experience as described in one (1) above.
4. College credit from an accredited college may be substituted for this experience
on the basis of 60 semester credits for 9 months of the work experience described
above. However, all candidates must have at least 18 months of full-time
satisfactory experience working as a Benefits Opportunity Specialist or performing
social/human services work as described in one (1) above.