Organization Summary: Established in 1993, Operation Dignity is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing pathways to health, housing, and stability for people experiencing homelessness, with a particular focus on veterans and individuals living in encampments. Serving Alameda County and surrounding communities, the organization provides a comprehensive continuum of care that includes street outreach, interim housing, permanent housing, and supportive services for veterans, veteran families, single adults, seniors, and transition-age youth. Through our programs in Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, and neighboring communities, Operation Dignity works to meet immediate needs while promoting long-term housing stability, dignity, and self-determination. The organization’s work is grounded in respect, inclusivity, and a deep commitment to improving outcomes for some of the region’s most vulnerable residents.
Position Summary: The Housing Navigator provides individualized, housing-focused navigation and stabilization services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness or housing instability within the City of Emeryville. The Housing Navigator works directly on the field with clients to identify housing barriers, obtain required documentation, connect with Coordinated Entry and regional housing resources, complete housing applications, locate appropriate housing opportunities, engage landlords, coordinate move-in activities, and strengthen long-term housing stability. This position works closely with the Outreach Coordinator, program leadership, City of Emeryville representatives, housing providers, landlords, Housing Resource Centers, healthcare partners, school-based personnel, and other community organizations. The Housing Navigator maintains an active field presence while also completing the administrative, documentation, and landlord-coordination work necessary to move clients toward interim or permanent housing.
Case Management/Client Engagement
- Conduct intake and assessment engagement with each client to identify housing status, strengths, needs, preferences, eligibility, income, benefits, health and behavioral-health considerations, support systems, documentation gaps, and service barriers; collaboratively develop, review, and update individualized housing and service goals that support housing readiness, stabilization, and long-term retention.
- Provide consistent case management/navigation engagement through scheduled check-ins, field-based follow-up, warm handoffs, motivational interviewing, and client-centered goal settings that supports housing readiness, stabilization, and long-term retention.
- Support clients with housing navigation activities, including gathering required documents, completing housing applications, preparing for unit viewings, resolving eligibility barriers, coordinating inspections, and maintaining communication with property owners, landlords, housing providers, and partner agencies.
- Coordinate with outreach coordinator supervisor, city of Emeryville, school district, behavioral health providers, and community partners to ensure clients receive timely referrals, service linkages, transportation support, crisis response, and follow-up assistance.
- Document all client contacts, housing-navigation steps, referrals, service barriers, safety concerns, progress updates, and next steps in the required data systems and client files in accordance with program, funder, confidentiality, and quality-assurance standards.
Housing Navigation Search, Placement, and Stabilization
- Identify affordable, subsidized, rapid-rehousing, permanent supportive housing, shared housing, and other appropriate opportunities based on client eligibility, household needs, income, accessibility, and preferences.
- Assist clients with obtaining identification, income verification, homelessness verification, benefit records, rental history, references, and other documents required for housing applications.
- Help clients complete housing applications and track application status, missing documents, deadlines, denials, appeals, and next steps.
- Prepare clients for housing interviews, eligibility appointments, unit viewings, inspections, lease signing, and move-in.
- Coordinate housing-related transportation and connect clients with authorized resources for deposits, rental assistance, application fees, move-in costs, utilities, furnishings, and other eligible expenses.
- Prepare clients for successful tenancy by providing guidance on lease compliance, budgeting, utilities, household responsibilities, and communication with property management.
- Develop housing-retention plans, provide up to 30 days of post-placement stabilization support when needed, and coordinate warm handoffs to longer-term services.
Landlord Recruitment and Housing Partnerships
- Recruit and maintain professional relationships with landlords, property managers, housing providers, housing authorities, and subsidy administrators throughout Alameda County and surrounding counties.
- Maintain current information regarding available units, landlord contacts, eligibility requirements, rental-assistance resources, and application procedures.
- Coordinate with landlords and housing programs to resolve application and lease-up barriers without making unauthorized commitments regarding eligibility, financial assistance, or program approval.
Coordinated Entry and Regional Coordination
- Support clients with connection to Alameda County Housing Resource Centers, Coordinated Entry access points, and other regional housing systems, including documentation readiness, referrals, follow-up, and case conferencing.
- Complete Coordinated Entry-related activities only when appropriately trained, authorized, and provided required system access.
- Coordinate with housing, healthcare, behavioral-health, benefits, employment, legal, and community partners when those services support the client’s housing plan.
Family, Youth, and School-Based Coordination
- Coordinate with Emeryville Unified School District personnel and other designated partners when serving children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
- Connect families with appropriate housing, homelessness prevention, education, benefits, healthcare, and stabilization of resources while maintaining confidentiality and professional communication.
Documentation, Collaboration, and Compliance
- Maintain timely, accurate, objective, and complete records of client contacts, housing plans, applications, landlord activities, placements, referrals, and stabilization services.
- Enter required information into HMIS and other authorized tracking systems within established program timelines and protect confidential client information.
- Support City and organizational reporting, file reviews, audits, data-quality improvement, and contract-monitoring activities.
- Participate in supervision, team meetings, client case debriefings, training, and program-planning activities.
- Maintain professional communication with clients, coworkers, City staff, landlords, housing providers, and community partners; follow Operation Dignity policies, ethical standards, safety procedures, and contractual requirements.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications:-
- At least two years of relevant experience providing housing navigation, homelessness services, case management, rapid-rehousing support, landlord engagement, benefits navigation, or related direct services.
- Knowledge of affordable-housing systems, rental applications, documentation requirements, and common barriers experienced by people who are unhoused or economically marginalized.
- Ability to manage multiple clients, applications, appointments, deadlines, and follow-up activities with limited supervision.
- Strong written, verbal, interpersonal, organizational, documentation, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality, professional boundaries, cultural humility, and sound judgment in field and office environments.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office or comparable applications and the ability to learn HMIS and other electronic tracking systems.
- Valid California driver’s license, acceptable driving record, and ability to operate an agency vehicle.
Preferred Qualifications:-
- Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, sociology, human services, public health, housing, or a related field. Relevant experience may substitute for formal education.
- Experience with rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing, subsidized housing, Coordinated Entry, Housing Resource Centers, or landlord recruitment.
- Familiarity with Alameda County’s homelessness-response and affordable-housing systems.
- HMIS experience or training in trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, de-escalation, harm reduction, fair housing, or Housing First practices.
- Bilingual or multilingual skills and personal or professional experience that strengthens understanding of homelessness, housing instability, or systemic barriers to housing.
- Physical and Work Requirements
- Ability to work in office, community, vehicle, and outdoor field environments and travel throughout Emeryville, Alameda County, and surrounding counties.
- Ability to walk over uneven terrain and remain outdoors in varying weather conditions.
- Ability to sit, stand, walk, drive, enter and exit vehicles, and use a computer for extended periods.
- Ability to lift, carry, push, or pull materials weighing up to 25 pounds and respond calmly to challenging or unpredictable situations.
Equal Employment Opportunity:-
Operation Dignity is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values diversity, equity, inclusion, and lived experience as essential to its mission. Operation Dignity does not discriminate based on sex, race, color, creed, national origin, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, disability, or any other protected status in admission to, access to, treatment in, or employment in its programs and activities. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, veterans, people with disabilities, and individuals with lived experience of homelessness or housing instability are encouraged to apply.
Pay: $30.00 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Application Question(s):
- We appreciate your interest in joining our team! Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we’re only able to contact candidates whose qualifications best match the requirements of the position. If you meet the qualifications, we will be in touch to discuss next steps. Thank you for your understanding.
- Employment Relationship Disclosure
To help ensure appropriate reporting relationships, please disclose if you have a relative, household member, or close personal relationship with anyone currently employed by the organization.
If yes, please provide the employee’s name and department: __________
Work Location: In person
