Job Summary
The Housing Advocacy Coordinator – Emergency Housing Services is responsible for coordinating Atria Collective's emergency housing program, including shelter and hotel/motel safe home services, while supporting the agency's broader housing advocacy efforts to ensure survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, and stalking can access safe, stable, and supportive housing. This role blends direct service, systems advocacy, crisis response, and community engagement to reduce housing barriers and promote survivor-led solutions. The Housing Advocacy Coordinator works closely with survivors, service providers, and community partners throughout Addison County. The Housing Advocacy Coordinator reports to the Director of Advocacy. This position is in-person at the Atria Collective office. All members of Atria Collective are committed to our values of collective liberation, transformation, safety, justice, and joy.
Duties & Responsibilities Include the Following:
Housing Advocacy & Emergency Housing Coordination:
- Collaborate with the direct service team to support housing-related programming and services.
- Coordinate Atria Collective's emergency housing services, including shelter and hotel/motel safe home placements, in accordance with agency policies, grant requirements, and survivor-identified needs.
- Conduct emergency housing screenings, coordinate placements, and provide ongoing advocacy to survivors utilizing emergency housing services.
- Respond to urgent housing crises by assessing survivor needs, triaging available resources, coordinating emergency placements, and collaborating with community partners to address immediate safety concerns.
- Develop individualized housing plans that support survivors' transition from emergency housing to longer-term housing stability.
- Build trusting, ongoing relationships with survivors as they work toward housing stability.
- Provide individualized advocacy, referrals, and case management focused on budgeting, employment readiness, and public benefits.
- Provide individualized support in accessing emergency, temporary, transitional, and permanent housing.
- Coordinate the disbursement of housing-related funds, track expenditures, and develop spending plans.
- Conduct Coordinated Entry assessments and participate in Housing Solutions, Homelessness Taskforce, and Coordination of Care meetings.
- Attend statewide Housing Advocacy Task Force (HATF) meetings and other relevant coalitions.
- Support the Associate Executive Director in preparing required housing-related grant reports.
- Submit and track Vermont Network Housing Fund applications and follow-up data.
- Maintain emergency housing records, occupancy information, and required documentation in compliance with grant and agency standards.
- Stay current on housing laws, trends, and best practices related to survivor support; share updates with staff and community partners.
Community Partnerships & Engagement:
- Maintain strong partnerships with grant partners, grant collaborators, and housing-focused agencies.
- Develop and sustain collaborative relationships with landlords, housing managers, and rural housing contacts.
- Advocate with Vermont State Housing Authority (VSHA), Economic Services, hotels, landlords, and other housing partners to increase survivor access to emergency and permanent housing resources.
- Support participants in navigating legal options for eviction prevention and housing disputes, including referrals to legal aid and clinics.
General Direct Service:
- Provide direct services to survivors via the hotline and in-person requests.
- Assess survivor needs, triage incoming housing requests, and coordinate timely responses to support survivor safety and access to emergency resources.
- Offer survivor-centered, ongoing emotional support and case management, including safety planning, crisis management, resource navigation, and exploration of available options.
- Make referrals to, and offer advocacy with, community agencies, courts, hospitals, and housing programs.
- Facilitate or assist with peer support groups, as needed.
Participate in Collective and/or Assigned Tasks:
- Participate in regular staff meetings.
- Provide reliable and consistent back-up coverage to the 24-hour crisis hotline, including responding to in-person hospital requests.
- Maintain direct service statistics through timely and accurate data entry in the Osnium database.
- Maintain accurate paperwork and meet necessary deadlines.
- Assist in the coordination of volunteer training and related activities.
- Perform other related duties within the agency as requested by supervisor, the Associate Executive Director, Executive Director, or as decided in staff meetings.
- Commit to anti-oppression and anti-racist work and social equity.
Minimum Qualifications
- An intersectional feminist understanding of gender justice issues, specifically those of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual violence, stalking, and human trafficking.
- Ability to adhere to strict confidentiality policy.
- A strengths-based and non-judgmental approach to supporting all survivors.
- Domestic and/or sexual violence training and work or volunteer experience.
- Crisis intervention skills and ability to remain calm under pressure.
- Demonstrated ability to effectively triage multiple requests, prioritize competing demands, and exercise sound judgment in crisis situations.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment while managing frequent interruptions, shifting priorities, and time-sensitive situations.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Exceptional attention to detail, organization, and flexibility across tasks.
- Strong organizational skills.
- Knowledge and awareness pertaining to working with people from diverse communities.
- Flexibility and willingness to take on responsibility and new tasks.
- Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent experience (each six months of relevant full-time experience can be substituted for one semester of full-time college work).
- Access to reliable transportation.
Desirable Qualifications
- Bilingual in Spanish or another language.
- Awareness of local community resources and housing programs.
- Experience coordinating emergency shelter, hotel/motel programs, housing navigation, homelessness services, or survivor housing programs.
- Familiarity with Coordinated Entry, housing vouchers, rapid rehousing, or other state and local housing systems.
- Ability to build collaborative relationships with service users, housing providers, and community partners.
- Experience managing crisis response, emergency housing placements, or other time-sensitive direct service work requiring rapid assessment and decision-making.
- Excel in a team environment.
Atria Collective is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the organization. We devote special attention to dismantling all forms of oppression, including gender-based violence and racial injustice and recognize that diversity in our workforce is critical to fulfilling our mission. We are committed to the diversity of our staff and encourage applicants from marginalized communities and survivors of gender-based violence to apply. All applicants must be dedicated to working in and sustaining an environment of inclusion that affirms and celebrates the backgrounds, learned and lived expertise, whole identities, and individual perspectives of our staff. Applicants are encouraged to include in their cover letter information about how they will further this goal.
To apply: all applications must include a cover letter and resume to be considered. Please send your cover letter and resume to [email protected]
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: From $55,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Flexible schedule
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
