Community Housing Advocate

The Law⠀Foundation⠀of Silicon⠀Valley⠀advances⠀the rights⠀of⠀historically⠀excluded⠀individuals⠀and⠀families⠀across⠀Santa⠀Clara⠀County⠀through⠀legal⠀services,⠀strategic⠀advocacy,⠀and⠀educational⠀outreach.⠀We serve⠀over⠀10,000⠀individuals⠀and⠀families⠀each year⠀through⠀our⠀Housing⠀Program,⠀Children &⠀Youth⠀Program,⠀and Health⠀Program.⠀Our⠀attorneys,⠀social⠀workers,⠀and⠀advocates⠀use legal⠀advocacy⠀as a tool⠀for social⠀change by⠀crafting⠀inventive⠀solutions⠀to the⠀legal⠀issues⠀facing⠀low-income⠀people in⠀our⠀region.

With⠀a staff of⠀90⠀employees,⠀we are the⠀largest⠀provider⠀of free⠀legal⠀services⠀in the⠀South Bay⠀region of⠀the Bay⠀Area. Our⠀work is⠀collaborative⠀and⠀meaningful⠀and⠀includes⠀plenty of⠀opportunities⠀for⠀professional⠀growth. As⠀a staff,⠀we⠀actively⠀engage in⠀discussions⠀about⠀race,⠀equity,⠀and⠀inclusion,⠀and are⠀actively⠀working⠀towards a⠀Black,⠀Indigenous,⠀People of⠀Color⠀(BIPOC)-centered⠀legal⠀services⠀practice⠀that⠀incorporates⠀community⠀and⠀movement⠀lawyering.

What You’ll Do

The Law⠀Foundation⠀of Silicon⠀Valley is⠀seeking a⠀full-time⠀Community⠀Housing⠀Advocate⠀(CHA) to⠀join its⠀Housing⠀department.⠀The⠀Housing⠀department⠀works to⠀incorporate⠀community⠀lawyering⠀and other⠀race⠀equity⠀tools into⠀its⠀practice⠀to provide⠀the best⠀possible⠀housing⠀services⠀to our⠀clients.⠀The⠀Housing⠀department⠀has a⠀strong⠀focus on⠀anti-displacement⠀and⠀dedicates⠀resources⠀to both⠀direct⠀services⠀work and⠀system⠀change.

The⠀team of⠀CHA’s⠀will share⠀responsibility⠀for the⠀tasks and⠀duties⠀outlined⠀below.⠀Community⠀Housing⠀Advocates⠀investigate⠀and⠀document⠀what is⠀happening⠀in the⠀community,⠀transmit⠀legal⠀knowledge⠀to⠀community⠀members,⠀and⠀identify⠀and⠀initiate⠀policy⠀campaigns⠀and impact⠀litigation⠀for the⠀Housing⠀department.⠀They have⠀frequent⠀contact⠀with the⠀community⠀and⠀significant⠀influence⠀in⠀directing⠀the work⠀of the⠀Housing⠀department.

Primary Duties

• Conduct⠀phone and⠀in-person⠀intake⠀interviews⠀with⠀low-income⠀tenants to⠀screen for⠀legal⠀issues⠀such as⠀reviewing⠀eviction⠀notices⠀and⠀responding⠀to Housing⠀Authority⠀requests
• Provide⠀legal⠀information⠀and⠀referrals⠀regarding⠀housing-related⠀legal⠀matters
• Provide⠀brief⠀legal⠀services⠀under the⠀supervision⠀of an⠀attorney⠀to⠀low-income⠀tenants,⠀including⠀drafting⠀legal⠀demand⠀letters⠀and⠀preparing⠀Court⠀paperwork⠀related to⠀eviction⠀cases
• Provide⠀representation⠀to tenants⠀under the⠀supervision⠀of an⠀attorney⠀in⠀administrative⠀proceedings⠀such as⠀housing⠀subsidy⠀termination⠀hearings⠀and⠀administrative⠀hearings⠀with⠀housing⠀providers
• Provide⠀legal⠀support to⠀attorneys⠀on⠀affirmative⠀and impact⠀litigation,⠀including⠀formatting⠀and⠀drafting⠀legal⠀documents,⠀assisting⠀with⠀client and⠀witness⠀preparation,⠀investigating⠀legal⠀claims,⠀translating⠀and⠀interpreting⠀for⠀attorneys,⠀filing⠀documents⠀with the⠀Court,⠀organizing⠀and filing⠀case-related⠀documents⠀and⠀keeping⠀files⠀organized⠀for⠀attorneys
• Engage⠀in policy⠀advocacy⠀pertaining⠀to⠀anti-displacement⠀and tenant⠀protections⠀including⠀rent⠀stabilization,⠀and just⠀cause⠀eviction⠀protections⠀by⠀attending⠀community⠀meetings,⠀attending⠀City⠀Council⠀and Board⠀of⠀supervisor⠀meetings,⠀and⠀providing⠀oral⠀and/or⠀written⠀testimony
• Help⠀to⠀organize⠀and engage⠀community⠀members in⠀policy⠀campaigns
• Investigate⠀potential⠀legal⠀claims and⠀systemic⠀issues⠀including⠀research,⠀writing,⠀public⠀records⠀reviews,⠀document⠀reviews,⠀interviewing⠀clients⠀and⠀witnesses,⠀and⠀in-person⠀surveying
• Attend,⠀monitor,⠀and⠀provide⠀feedback⠀at⠀community⠀meetings,⠀government⠀body⠀meetings,⠀task force⠀meetings,⠀and other⠀meetings/hearings⠀related to⠀systemic⠀advocacy
• Conduct⠀outreach⠀and⠀community⠀education⠀presentations⠀and⠀produce⠀educational⠀materials
• Support⠀program⠀and⠀organization-wide⠀initiatives,⠀including⠀race⠀equity and⠀inclusion
• Maintain⠀detailed⠀and⠀accurate⠀data and⠀case notes⠀for all⠀intake and⠀case⠀matters⠀the⠀Housing⠀Program⠀takes⠀on
• Interpret⠀or⠀translate⠀when⠀necessary⠀for staff⠀and pro⠀bono⠀attorneys
• Provide⠀support⠀for pro⠀bono⠀clinics,⠀including⠀assisting⠀with⠀client and⠀volunteer⠀scheduling⠀and⠀tracking,⠀clinic⠀coordination,⠀and other⠀administrative⠀tasks

Who You Are

This position may be a good fit for you if you have:

• Strong⠀organizational⠀skills and⠀attention⠀to⠀detail
• Ability⠀to⠀multi-task⠀and⠀perform⠀well under⠀pressure⠀in a⠀fast-paced⠀environment
• Ability⠀to work⠀independently⠀and⠀effectively⠀work as a⠀part of a⠀team, both⠀internal⠀and⠀external⠀to the Law⠀Foundation
• Demonstrated⠀initiative⠀and⠀proactivity
• Ability⠀to issue⠀spot and⠀clearly⠀convey⠀legal⠀information⠀to⠀clients
• Excellent⠀written⠀and verbal⠀communication⠀skills
• Experience⠀in policy⠀advocacy⠀and/or⠀organizing
• Experience⠀in⠀community⠀organizing
• Connections⠀to and⠀experience⠀working⠀with⠀diverse⠀populations,⠀including⠀communities⠀of color⠀and people⠀living⠀with⠀disabilities
• Ability⠀to⠀interact⠀compassionately⠀and⠀effectively⠀with⠀individuals⠀in⠀crisis
• Passion⠀for social⠀justice⠀and race⠀equity, as⠀well as a⠀desire to⠀assist⠀underserved⠀populations

Required Qualifications

• Willingness⠀to work⠀non-traditional⠀hours,⠀including⠀some⠀nights and⠀weekends⠀in order⠀to meet⠀community⠀needs
• A⠀minimum of⠀two years⠀working in⠀the⠀community⠀or⠀equivalent
• Bilingual⠀in⠀Vietnamese/English

What We Offer

The annual⠀salary⠀scale for⠀this role⠀is $30.05⠀- $41.83⠀per hour.⠀All⠀compensation⠀is⠀determined⠀by the⠀wage table⠀of the⠀current⠀Collective⠀Bargaining⠀Agreement⠀between⠀SEIU Local⠀521 and⠀LFSV.⠀Placement⠀on the⠀wage table⠀will be⠀based upon⠀an⠀applicant’s⠀experience⠀in⠀comparable⠀roles. The⠀salary⠀scale can⠀be found⠀on our⠀LFSV⠀Salary⠀Scale⠀2022-2023.⠀Excellent⠀benefits⠀are⠀provided⠀including:

• 19 paid⠀holidays⠀per⠀year
• 3-5⠀weeks of⠀vacation⠀per⠀year
• 12⠀days of⠀sick leave⠀per⠀year
• Up⠀to 6⠀months of⠀parental⠀leave
• Fully⠀paid⠀medical,⠀dental,⠀and vision⠀insurance⠀premiums
• A⠀robust⠀Employee⠀Assistance⠀Program⠀that⠀includes⠀free/discounted⠀mental⠀health⠀therapy⠀and⠀wellness⠀services⠀for⠀employees⠀and their⠀dependents
• A⠀401(k)-retirement⠀plan with⠀employer⠀contributions
• A⠀sabbatical⠀after 5⠀years of⠀employment
• An⠀annual⠀budget for⠀professional⠀development
• The⠀option to⠀work a⠀hybrid⠀schedule