HOUSING COURT ADVOCATE
ABCD - Housing and Homelessness Department
Advocate for and represent households at-risk of losing housing with a fourteen or thirty day eviction notice. Interview, assess and assist at-risk households with eviction notices navigate the legal system and prevent eviction. Represent clients at housing court, mediation, and administrative hearings as well as appeals and other housing related activities. Help clients understand the “due process of law” and the housing court/district court legal process. Identify financial resources to assist households in maintaining their tenancies or relocating to other suitable and/or affordable housing. Foster relationships and partnerships with legal aid partners and make appropriate referrals to legal support organizations for cases in which a client’s rights have been violated. Develop and implement an outreach strategy to identify households in need of ABCD services including working with the court system and other court-based partners, social service agencies, hospitals and ABCD’s neighborhood network on client identification. Oversee volunteers and interns, facilitate workshops, conduct training activities and provide reports as needed. Perform other related duties as required.
Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Human Services, Law/Legal Studies, Paralegal Studies or a related field required. Master’s degree preferred. Must have up to one year of related experience. Experience and knowledge of homeless and housing issues, housing subsidies, housing law and benefits programs, Massachusetts General Laws and state sanitary code regarding rental housing required. Must have exceptional written and verbal communication skills. Valid driver’s license required. Bilingual skills preferred. Must be able to work sensitively and effectively with individuals of diverse educational, socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.
ABCD - HR Dept., 178 Tremont Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 02111, United States
Please submit cover letter and resume to: hr@bostonabcd.org.