Rent Support Coordinator

STARLING COMMUNITY SERVICES IS DEDICATED TO SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES WHERE EVERYONE EXPERIENCES MENTAL WELLNESS, OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYMENT, A PLACE TO CALL HOME, AND A SENSE OF BELONGING.

To better serve the diversity of our community, the agency is committed to embedding anti-racist, anti-oppressive practices, and perspectives into the fabric of our organization. We have implemented mandatory antiracism training, we are actively building safe spaces to host brave conversations for learning, and we are fostering a culture of belonging for all, but especially BIPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+, historically and presently marginalized individuals and communities.

**There is one Full-Time permanent Rent Support Coordinator position available starting on January 27, 2025, working 37.5 hours per week.**

**Your Role**:
**Tasks**:
Client Service:

- Meets with clients and program staff to determine eligibility, based on eligibility criteria.
- Works from a trauma informed approach using progressive engagement, crisis intervention, harm reduction and motivational interviewing skills to engage and provide services.
- Offers and provides service to high acuity individuals with complex mental health, addiction, and physical health issues.
- Works alongside participants from Housing Services and on the PATHS list to navigate homeless system supports.
- Supports the acquisition of necessary identification, income support, proof of income, proof of taxes, housing history and site selections.
- Sets up and coordinates monthly rent payments with program referrals.
- Liaises with Income and Housing Providers to ensure housing and financial supports are provided in a seamless effort to obtain and maintain housing for those experiencing homelessness.
- Works closely with Lutherwood finance team to ensure funds are issued, rent is paid, and monthly reports are sent to Region of Waterloo as funder.
- Works alongside other Housing Services team members to support the matching of participants to housing with financial supports in both fixed site and scattered site units.
- Works in community settings as needed to provide services to support individuals to access housing and financial supports as needed.
- Engages in creative problem-solving to address service gaps.
- Functions as the link between landlords, tenants and Housing Services Teams to address participant financial and other housing stability concerns.

Landlord and Community Development:

- Works as a member of the larger Housing Services Team to develop relationships with public and private market landlords and property management groups to secure housing and arrange rent payments for individuals experiencing homelessness.
- Works with Housing Services Teams team to identify household’s complex housing-related needs and assists them to develop and execute financial and housing retention strategies to promote housing stability.
- Provides support to landlords/property managers to enable them to sustain relationships with participants identifying with complex needs, to prevent housing instability.
- Engages in creative problem-solving to address landlord needs and concerns.
- Maintains a high level of diplomacy in communicating with landlords and community partners.
- Works collaboratively with the Housing Services Teams and community partners to ensure a coordinated approach to services.
- Serves as a linkage between community supports and services for ongoing support and facilitated eviction prevention and housing stability.
- Develops a system to respond to landlord and/or participant tenant concerns.
- Develops a system for consistent completion of Landlord Satisfaction Surveys.
- Evaluates the results of the Landlord Satisfaction Surveys and implements changes as necessary.

Rent Coordination:

- Works closely with Tenants and Housing Services Teams to successfully manage rent subsidy and payments of rent to maintain housing stability.
- Collaborates with the Housing Services Teams team to develop a standardized process to house participants and arrange direct payment of rent to landlord.
- Updates Lutherwood finance department monthly regarding any changes to participant Housing Financial Subsidies.
- Conducts monthly check-ins with landlords to ensure there are no rent or tenancy related concerns.
- Tracks when renewals are due and ensures they are completed and submitted for on
- going financial and housing supports.
- Conducts regular and annual review of participant agreements for financial housing subsidies to verify ongoing participant eligibility.
- Maintains close partnership with the Region of Waterloo to assure participant community housing arrears are paid.
- Conducts in home/community check-ins for participant eligibility renewal.

Administration:

- Establishes and maintains case files.
- Ensures the completion of all documentation to assist with accurate statistical collection.
- Completes program-reporting requirements and documentation.
- Assists in the compilat