Housing Counselor

JOB TITLE: Housing Counselor – Full Time / Exempt

REPORTS TO: Director of Operations

Overview: The Housing Counselor coordinates one-on-one counseling sessions to evaluate the client’s situation and prescribes the pertinent plan of action.  Assist the Marketing Coordinator to develop and implement marketing and outreach strategies to identify victims of or potential victims of predatory lending and foreclosure and make them aware of the available services at NHS.

1.     Provides customers with counseling services:

• Assists customers through the process of owning a home or preventing foreclosure; provides counseling establish permanency or otherwise; coordinates individual counseling sessions.  S/he provides program and financial stability homeownership counseling services to customers as requested by his/her supervisor.
• Facilitates seminars/workshops.  Identifies clients who would utilize NHS’ services; develops curricula and prepares educational materials for customers and staff.  Prepares regular program-related reports for the supervisor or director.  Is a source of information for customers about budgeting needs.  Collects budget and financial information from clients and creates a system that customers can utilize to improve financial stability.    
• Assists the customers in understanding and obtaining pertinent information and documentation about homeownership, foreclosure prevention, insurance and rental services, and acts as a liaison between customers and the various service providers.
• Maintains monthly reports or provides other reports as requested by his/her supervisor.
• Provides post-purchase counseling to ensure that the customer continues to meet homeownership responsibilities to prevent foreclosure and homelessness.
• Attends workshops and regular training and stays up-to-date on the regulations and issues impacting the home buying and the foreclosure prevention process.
• Provide tenant related counseling to ensure that customers receive housing assistance
• Must be fully certified as a Full-Cycle Lending counselor within 12 months of employment.

2.     Coordinates individual counseling sessions, lectures, classes, seminars, workshops, and club meetings pertaining to NHS Programs.

• Assists the Directors, and others as required by NHS management, to develop curricula, prepare materials and identify instructors for education classes, seminars and clubs.
• Informs clients, lending institutions, NHS of Brooklyn Staff, NHS of Brooklyn Board of Directors and its committees about Homeownership and foreclosure education initiatives.  S/he disseminates information on a timely basis and keeps accurate records of all correspondence.
• Provide comprehensive case management services to all clients including: intake assessment, benefit assessment, goal setting, long-term case plan development, individual money management, tenant education, advocacy and referrals. 

3.     Marketing and Outreach Strategies

• Communicates with social service agencies, public officials, community and business groups, and lending institutions regularly to develop good public relations with customers through information received from banks realtors and real estate attorneys.
•  Identifies locations where the target populations reside.  S/he initiates surveys and compiles pertinent data and information.
• Analyzes data and makes recommendations; reports to management on issues relating to customer needs, market segmentation and program development.
• Assists the Director and his/her immediate supervisor in developing and actively implementing strategies to market Foreclosure Prevention Program, Tenant Services and other homeownership services to target population.  S/he facilitates specific seminars/presentations in house, at neighborhood offices and other community areas.

4.     Is a network for information about buying, maintaining and insuring a home:

• Stays current on the issues that are important to home buyers and home owners including credit, features of alternative mortgage products, homeowners’ insurance and foreclosure prevention.
• Stays current on the issues of tenants in New York City
• Knows the various NHS programs and loan products, and can explain them in one-to-one counseling sessions and/or group presentations.
• Maintains up-to-date records, and tidy customer file with current information on the status of all individual counseling sessions and loan applications.  S/he can provide this information in report format on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, and must have well prepared file available at a moment notice.  S/he must be able to provide customer files and customer names, at the request of his/her supervisor for review by funders or for use in NHS’ marketing.  S/he will provide information to the NHS staff responsible for generating status reports and/or enter the relevant information into the computer on a timely basis.

5.     Customer Service:

• Assists in other areas as requested by his/her supervisor.
• Attends NHS staff and team meetings and other meetings as needed.
• Assists on other projects and assignments as needed.
• Attends seminars and other training as scheduled by the office supervisor and participates in NHS mandatory requirements, including examinations, for the position.
• Housing Counselor is expected to adopt and promote the core organizational and interpersonal values; meet internal and external deadlines on reporting and contractual obligations, and meet and exceed internal/external customer expectations.
• Housing Counselor is expected to establish, develop and maintain relationships of high quality designed to acquire cooperation, access to information, sponsorship of ideas. 
• Informs clients, lending institutions, NHS of Brooklyn Staff, NHS of Brooklyn Board of Directors and its committees about Homeownership and foreclosure education initiatives.  S/he disseminates information on a timely basis and keeps accurate records of all correspondence.

Qualifications: Degree and/or experience in real estate, mortgage products, underwriting, housing counseling, strong administrative, interpersonal, marketing, sales, and presentation skills required; proficient in the use of computer software. Bilingual is a plus.

Starting Salary: Commensurate with experience.

Job Type: Full-time

Salary: $48,000.00 - $55,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift

Work Location: One location