Housing Specialist

The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) supports people who have lost or left their homes due to forcible displacement. For over 100 years, the unwavering commitment of our leadership, team, network of service providers, and advocates has helped redirect the destiny of countless vulnerable lives. In neighborhoods, in North Carolina, and around the world, we break down barriers and demand justice for refugees and immigrants as they successfully integrate into new communities. We provide essential social and legal services to rebuild productive lives, turning tragedy into prosperity. We are a purpose driven organization with a mission to protect the rights and address the needs of persons in forced or voluntary migration worldwide and supporting their transition to a dignified life. To learn more about our work, please visit our website at www.refugees.org. 

Overview: 

The North Carolina Field Office of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI NC) is seeking a Refugee Housing Security Specialist to identify housing opportunities for its clients. This specialist will proactively establish and maintain relationships with both private and non-profit landlords. The Refugee Housing Security Specialist will focus on securing housing opportunities within Raleigh, surrounding counties, and key potential satellite sites, including Fayetteville, NC. The goal of this position is to expand the housing program and enhance its positive impact on refugee communities. Working closely with the USCRI Housing Coordinator, the specialist will focus on the strategic development and future growth of the housing program, ensuring that USCRI can effectively meet the current and future housing needs of all its clients. This position is time-limited and funded through September 30th, 2024. Extension depends on available funds.  

Key Responsibilities

• Expand the USCRI-NC housing footprint, outreach, and funding.  
• The housing specialist's responsibilities include working with housing coordinator to liaison with community organizations, government agencies, and property owners to source the means and negotiate terms that enable the housing department to secure safe sanitary and affordable housing.
• Maintain and develop relationships with area landlords, housing trusts, housing authorities, and property management agencies; Investigate the community for untapped housing opportunities. 
• Working with landlords and local governmental officials to reduce housing barriers for people experiencing access difficulty, including credit checks, reducing deposit amounts, and waiving application fees and increasing access to low-income housing for USCRI clients.
• Expand USCRI housing funds by securing new partnerships, grant funding, and local or state connections. 
• Report on new or changing housing initiatives in the community
• Assist previous and exiting clients in long term housing success home ownership via education and assistance. 

Deliverables

The deliverables for the Housing Specialist include creating a pool of new housing opportunities for USCRI NC case managers to place clients by proactively seeking out and cultivating relationships with private landlords, non-profit organizations, and city/county and state agencies. The specialist will identify concerns that limit landlord engagement, make recommendations, and work with USCRI NC staff to improve landlord participation in refugee resettlement. A Housing Directory will be developed to include key contact information and facility notes, easily updated and expanded in the future. In collaboration with the USCRI-NC Housing Coordinator, the specialist will explore potential communities for satellite resettlement services by evaluating housing availability and affordability in towns such as Goldsboro, Mt. Olive, Kinston, and Fayetteville, and recruiting willing landlords if these communities are viable for resettlement programs. Additionally, the specialist will design a landlord risk mitigation program to address the disadvantages of renting to newly arrived refugees, providing measures like rent subsidies, security deposits, rent guarantees, and additional payments for physical damages or hardships. Model program elements and implementation guidelines will be provided. Furthermore, the specialist will develop and implement a long-term housing education program to teach clients how to navigate the homebuying process, understand and improve credit scores, and take necessary steps to become homeowners, empowering clients to achieve long-term housing stability and financial independence.

Required Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in administration, communication, human services,