Community Housing Advocate

Posted Date 11 Dec 2023



Experience Icon Experience 2 Years Salary Salary 30USD - 41USD
Job Type Icon Job Type Full Time Company Company Law Foundation of Silicon Valley
Job Category Icon Job Category Social Services Qualification Icon Qualification BS Communication
Gender IconGender Both Date Last Date 10 Mar
Vacancies IconVacancies 1 Remote IconRemote No
Location Location(s) California , United States

Description Job Description


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.

Requirements:

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


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