Fair Housing Specialist

FAIR HOUSING SPECIALIST JOB POSTING

The Fair Housing Center of Southwest Michigan is currently accepting applications for a Fair Housing Specialist. This is an excellent opportunity for candidates with an interest in social justice who want to fight housing discrimination in their community. 

EMPLOYER INFORMATION

The Center is a non-profit Fair Housing/fair lending organization whose mission is to eliminate all forms of housing discrimination in Southwest Michigan through Fair Housing education, enforcement and advocacy. Our office serves Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, and Van Buren counties. The Center’s office is in downtown Kalamazoo.

The Fair Housing Center of Southwest Michigan actively works to investigate complaints of illegal housing discrimination. State and federal law prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, disability, marital status, and age. Local ordinances in some cities also include protections for sexual orientation and gender identity.

DUTIES

The Fair Housing Specialist’s duties will include, but are not limited to:

• Taking housing discrimination inquiries in person, over the phone, and via email
• Following up with clients to gather additional information or to provide answers to questions
• Accurately inputting information into the Center’s case management system
• Keeping up-to-date records within the case management system when following up on issues • Using existing forms to draft correspondence when necessary
• Develop, participate in and maintain partnerships with community-partners, referral agencies, administrative bodies and others in order to further Fair Housing
• Participate in/represent the Fair Housing Center at meetings, community resource fairs, volunteer fairs, and other outreach opportunities
• Assist in the planning, organizing, and coordinating in-person and virtual training events, webinars, and meetings
• Assist in the management of all social media accounts
• Preferred bilingual and/or proficiency with the Spanish language
• Any other duties as assigned

HOURS

Full-time (40 hours per week) or part-time (19 hours per week), evenings and weekends as seldom required. Work hours can be flexible based on the candidate's schedule but will primarily be during normal business hours in our Kalamazoo office on a computer or over the phone. 

QUALIFICATIONS

• Must support and embrace inclusion and anti-racism philosophies and be willing to discuss issues related to race, disability, and other related topics
• Well-organized and detail-oriented                                                                             

• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to patiently listen and empathize with callers is essential
• Experience performing legal analysis and/or experience with social justice in Southwest Michigan is a plus, but not required
• Bachelor’s degree in a human service field and/or equivalent experience
• Has knowledge of Spanish speaking social service agencies SW Michigan
• Has the demonstrated ability to work independently
• Has demonstrated an ability to work collaboratively with others in a challenging environment
• Has experience working with diverse community groups
• Has the demonstrated ability to achieve results while efficiently managing multiple projects
• Has demonstrated excellent verbal and written communication skills (preferred bilingual/multilingual but not required)
• Has the demonstrated public speaking and writing abilities to convey information accurately and effectively
• Fair Housing knowledge or experience is not required.

PHYSICAL CAPACITY REQUIREMENTS

This position requires the abilities to speak and hear, finger dexterity, and visual acuity. Reasonable accommodations will be provided, as necessary, for individuals with disabilities who can perform the essential job functions of the assignment.

COMPENSATION

$16.00 - $18.00 per hour plus benefits

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Monday, October 31, 2023 at 5:00 P.M. EST.

APPLICATION PROCESS

If you possess all or some of these attributes, please send a cover letter, resume, and professional references and apply via the link.

The Fair Housing Center of Southwest Michigan is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. The Center does not discriminate against any person in matters of employment, application for employment, and/or benefits on the basis of age, color, disability, genetic information, gender identity, height, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), or sexual orientation.

The work that provided the basis for this publication was supported by funding under a grant with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The substance and findings of the work are dedicated to the public. The author and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this publication. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Government.