Housing and Settlement Worker

Job description

The Housing Help Centre provides primarily housing based settlement services to refugees and newcomers to Canada. Housing and Settlement Worker helps newcomers to Canada understand their rights and responsibilities and help them with services they need. Worker may help clients make plans for housing, employment, education, health care and getting new/renewal of important government documents. Worker is responsible for providing housing and settlement services, making plans for housing, employment, education, health care and more, and one‐on‐one counseling to clients to settle in Toronto/GTA. The worker ensures counseling service quality by adhering to agency policies and procedures, managing related data collection and reporting timely. The worker also effectively supports newcomers through integrated housing help programs such as access to housing, eviction prevention and stabilization. To fulfill these roles the worker must have good interpersonal skills and possess a strong working knowledge of social services.

Main Responsibilities:

• Provide intake and assess newcomer clients’ needs and skill set they have in the development of their settlement plan particularly to refugees and newcomers.
• Assist clients in finding and securing market rent housing and helping with rental applications, including RGI housing
• Organize and facilitate one on one and group oriented monthly information sessions and referral services to newcomer clients
• Establish contacts and working relationships with newcomer community group, resident groups, etc. and distribute information and brochures of the agency
• Work with tenants and landlords to collectively address and resolve housing issues and to sustain tenancies/prevent eviction
• Mediate and advocate with landlords to maintain the tenancy if any disputes between tenant and landlord
• Educate and inform newcomers their rights and responsibilities as tenants/consumers
• Keep administrative records of services and activities, prepare documentation and database entry
• Provide clients with appropriate supports and effective referrals to community resources
• Outreach to educate community organizations and neighborhood residents about THHC’s programs and services available to them
• Assist clients in accessing income oriented housing stabilization programs such as Rent Bank, Utility Programs, and other programs
• Connect with community and government resources such as employment, training and volunteer programs, and other family support services
• Maintain administrative records of services and activities, prepare necessary reports and inputs data using ICARE databases
• Provide housing services to eligible residents at various itinerant offices
• Performs other duties as required by the Supervisor

The candidate should have:

• Social Service Worker Diploma or relevant university degree in social services sector
• Working experience in settlement and/or housing help environment would be an asset
• Familiar with current Immigration legislation, forms, processes, policies and procedures
• Sound knowledge of social housing, market rent, landlord and tenant s’ rights and responsibilities (RTA) and government programs that support low-income families/individuals preferred
• Better understanding of available housing and other related programs within the neighborhood and income support programs in the City of Toronto
• Knowledge of, and working experience of violence against women and/or seniors is an asset
• Able to exercise discretion, compassion, and empathy, and maintain confidentiality
• Be detail‐oriented, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a high‐pressure work environment
• Able to work independently, and utilize sound judgment to perform all assigned duties with minimal supervision
• Fluency in English and at least one more other languages ( Hindi, Gujarati) that spoken commonly in Scarborough and North York area would be an asset.