Housing Options Specialist

**About Durham Association for Family Resources and Support**

Durham Association for Family Resources and Support is a Durham-based, family support and resource organization that partners with families to imagine, plan, and implement for good lives in community, one person at a time, for and with their family member with disability. We consider the person in the context of their family (born or chosen) where their relationships most often ensure that this is where the voice of the person might best be heard, supported and augmented.

Durham Family Resources is largely but not solely funded by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS). We also work at times with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Housing, Regional governments, and federal government departments. Our work is shaped by our relationship with a range of over 300 families and our mutual understanding of their potential and capacity, and of what supports, resources, and information they might welcome in order to pursue a positive Vision of a good life for their family member within their neighbourhood and community.

**Position Summary**

The Housing Specialist will assist families in their individual person-centered approaches to plan and secure housing for and with their family member with a disability. They may do this on their own with a family, or in collaboration with the other Family Support facilitator involved. Tapping into a combination of existing and typical community options, personal assets, ideas, and creativity, the Housing Specialist will bring their passion for “home” and housing, and dynamic interpersonal skills to this role.

Guided by the principles of _Imagining Home_, the Housing Specialist will work collaboratively with each family and support them as they become ready to move forward with creating a home of one’s own for their family member; delving into what captures “home” for each person and helping to build sustainable, reliable and relevant plans of home and support. Sustainable plans that are rooted in companionship often look towards housemate situations. The Specialist will assist thew team and families to evolve in understanding and support t bring about this role in situations where this is desired.

The Housing Specialist will also take a lead role in developing and co-facilitating monthly group meetings with interested families, ensuring rich and relevant material for each meeting.

In addition to direct work with families and facilitated group meetings, a key to this role will be leveraging community capacity and leadership. Under the direction of families, _Imagining Home’s _guiding principles and the team lead, the Housing Specialist will keep a “finger on the pulse” of current and emerging housing issues, seeking out allies, collaborators, innovative opportunities and solutions, that address housing issues that affect families.

Research, grant writing, evaluation and ongoing reporting in professional and public formats will be important elements within the scope this role. Some of this time will be allocated to support the work and direction of the Intentionally Build Communities incorporated family group, and where necessary with municipalities, The Region, local organizations and businesses.

A final core focus will be to use various methods to share our learning with interested partners and stakeholders in order to advance more individualized, sustainable home and housing models.

Housemates - to assist both families and Team to evolve in understanding and bring about this role in home situations where desired.

**Responsibilities**
- Provide individualized support to each family to guide them through the decisions and resources to secure housing that will best suit them
- Facilitate monthly group meetings and manage expectations from a diverse population
- Provide information and options for housing including details regarding type, location and social aspects of home choices
- Work collaboratively with DFR facilitators to assist families to be in a position to move forward on their established housing plans
- Collaborate with families involved in the housing groups, helping to build capacity and leadership that will ensure a strong and sustainable group into the future
- Work in conjunction with the long-term planning and facilitation supports available to each person
- Assist in developing a Home & Housing Resource kit of information suitable for future families to begin the same kind of creative process on their own
- Maintain a pulse and communicate pertinent housing developments, initiatives, incentives and policies to staff and families
- Plan and engage in conversations with realtors, bankers, and other resources to secure housing solutions
- Connect and collaborate with community members, organizations and local government to further housing initiatives
- Develop and maintain a “Brain Trust” of community members skilled and willing to provide assistan