Housing Advisor

We are excited to have successfully opened a home to provide transitional and emergency housing as well as mental health and support services to 33 LGBTQI2S youth. To further support this monumental accomplishment, we are looking for a Housing Advisor who can work closely with internal and external stakeholders to design and implement a social housing strategy for our LGBTQI2S youth. 

Toronto, ON

Friends of Ruby

Friends of Ruby (previously Egale Youth Services) was founded by Egale Canada in 2014 to meet the needs of LGBTQI2S youth in Toronto. To date, we have supported more than 900 youth, and prevented over 470 mental health crises and visits to hospital emergency rooms, saving nearly $300,000 in health care costs. At the Friends of Ruby's drop-in space, LGBTQI2S youth (16-29 years old) find meals, activities, support groups, and community. We offer barrier-free one-on-one counseling, support with gender identity and sexual orientation, and help to access housing, health care, and employment. http://friendsofruby.ca/

keywords: who we are,the opportunity,who you are,what's in it for you,who is ruby?,why join us?,design and rollout the housing strategy,develop a housing framework for lgbtq+ youth,make connections,experience,knowledge,a collaborative approach,additional requirements

Experienced

Overview: <p><strong>Who we are</strong></p> <p>Friends of Ruby is a registered charity dedicated to the progressive well-being of LGBTQI2S youth through housing and social services. A trusted source of counselling and tangible solutions such as drop-in programming and support groups, warm meals, therapeutic groups, case management, and housing support. Since 2014, Friends of Ruby's front-line workers have met with and supported over 900 youth, averting almost 500 mental health crises.</p> <p>Friends of Ruby is a welcoming space for LGBTQI2S youth with a heightened awareness, sensitivity, and openness to our Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (POC) community members. We believe that every person is a gem - perfectly unique and precious - and we go above and beyond to ensure that the youth who come to our doors feel embraced, accepted, and empowered with the social and wellness tools they need to thrive.</p> <p>This is a mission that is a genuine part of who we are as individuals and as an organization. If you are a member of the LGBTQI2S, Black, Indigenous or POC community, have a shared experience living with someone from the community, or you are an active ally for equality, diversity, and the needs of our community's youth, please consider joining us.</p> <p><strong>The opportunity</strong></p> <p>We are excited to have successfully opened a home to provide transitional and emergency housing as well as mental health and support services to 33 LGBTQI2S youth. To further support this monumental accomplishment, we are looking for a Housing Advisor who can work closely with internal and external stakeholders to design and implement a social housing strategy for our LGBTQI2S youth. You will gain insights and make recommendations through active participation in and research into best practices for the social housing sector.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Who you are</strong></p> <p>You may be a Masters student or you may be coming from a private or public sector research-based role. You are an analytical, knowledge seeker with a passion for bringing research findings to formulate meaningful strategies and recommendations. You are passionate about empowering the LGBTQI2S community. You have academic or professional awareness of the programming and supports needed to overcome mental health and housing challenges. You have experience social programming, project management, and client services.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>What's in it for you</strong></p> <p>Impact and fulfillment. You want to make a critical contribution to the success of our housing program providing insights to create and execute a housing strategy.&nbsp; This is a life-altering offering for the youth we serve - the chance to be heard, nurtured, and empowered with the skills as part of LGBTQIA2S youth&rsquo;s quest for long-term, stable housing. You will have an opportunity to collaborate with and harness the knowledge from different internal and external stakeholders (e.g., staff, community organizations and youth). It's a purposeful next step in your career with a chance to channel your academic and work experience towards helping youth experiencing homelessness.</p>
Responsibilities: <p><strong>How you will make a difference as our new Housing Advisor:</strong></p> <ul> <li><em>Design and roll out a social housing strategy.</em> You will support the evaluation of existing housing programs and services to identify and advise on strengths and opportunities for replication and knowledge sharing. You will write regular and user-friendly summaries, briefings, reports, presentations to present to the leadership team and the Board with insights to support strategic decision making. You will report on strategic opportunities, provide advice to leadership, develop solutions through process enhancement, new programs and services.</li> <li><em>Develop Friends of Ruby's Housing framework for LGBTQI2S youth.</em> You will conduct research on trends and best-practices, consult with stakeholders, participate in relevant tables and networks, and others. You will collaborate across teams to develop insights into our current status and plan for future offerings, including integrated housing programs and services.</li> <li><em>Make connections.</em> You will establish key relationships and participate in meaningful sectoral discussions to gain, structure and manage expert insight into social housing trends and LGBTQI2S youth needs. You will maintain a close relationship with the City of Toronto and the Province of Ontario to gather early insights into trends and changes in housing standards, requirements, systems, policies, and other sectoral activities.&nbsp; You will identify and engage with key stakeholders in the Social Housing Sector and maintain ongoing and collaborative relationships to facilitate partnerships for programs and services.</li> </ul>
Requirements: <p><strong>What you bring to the team as our new Housing Advisor:</strong></p> <ul> <li><em>The experience.</em> You have a Bachelor&rsquo;s degree and you may be pursuing a Master&rsquo;s degree in social work, nonprofit management, business administration or a related area. You have a vested interest in social services, emergency shelter, or affordable house. You can lead research, conduct analysis, and synthesize and interpret complex data to produce reports and make presentations to stakeholders. You have expertise in developing and implementing critical programs and services needed to support youth experiencing homelessness and its associated challenges.&nbsp;</li> <li><em>The knowledge.</em> You bring an understanding of how to apply anti-racist and anti-oppression frameworks and an equity lens to your research parameters and interpretations. Ideally, you have an understanding of how barriers to support for mental and physical health issues including substance use and harm reduction impact access to stable housing and livelihood.&nbsp;</li> <li><em>The collaborative approach.</em> You know how to gain trust and respect while understanding it's not about you. You can work as part of a team or independently, and you have the patience and personality to work closely with youth and staff. You have excellent interpersonal skills and a willingness to offer support to anyone who needs it.&nbsp;</li> <li><em>Additional requirements.</em> You have satisfactory clearance under the Vulnerable Sector Police Check Program. You must be eligible to work in Canada legally. You are open to a flexible schedule, including occasional evenings and weekends. You can travel to other community-based settings as needed.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Who is Ruby?</strong></p> <p>Ruby is a golden retriever, but she is not just any dog. She is a beloved friend and an empathetic listener. If she could, Ruby would tell you about the pain and angst the youth who visit her feel; how sometimes all it takes is a comforting paw and unbounded love to brighten their lives. Ruby would tell you that sometimes, it takes so much more than what she feels she can offer - real crisis intervention, mental health support, tokens for transit, and counselling. That's why Ruby has surrounded herself with a team of incredible people to help her friends.&nbsp;</p> <p>Our Front Line and in-office teams are made up of individuals who are truly dedicated to what we do, excited to be part of our restructuring and growth, and eager to see the impact of our work and the services we provide every day.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Are you ready to make an impact with us?</strong></p> <p>We foster an atmosphere of diversity, belonging, and compassion for others. We come together for staff meetings (remote or in-person), collaborate and support the ideas of others, and provide access to advancement opportunities within our existing and new groups and projects.</p> <p>We are committed to ensuring that members of traditionally marginalized groups from a broad range of communities feel empowered to apply for positions within the organization. We recognize that a diverse workforce and volunteer base are critical to accomplishing our mission, and encourage anyone who feels they meet at least 70% of the qualifications listed, to apply. We promise to consider your full potential and application.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Statement on Employment Equity and Diversity</strong></p> <p>Friends of Ruby is dedicated to taking proactive steps to overcome historical patterns of discrimination in our society which have created barriers of race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, language, class, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression for some individuals and have resulted in the denial of their full participation in society</p> <p>Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. If you require an accommodation (including alternate format materials, accessible meeting rooms, or other accommodation), please let us know, and we will work with you to meet your needs.</p> <p><strong>Career Coaching and Job Seeker Resources</strong></p> <p>For candidate support with resume writing, job searching resources, interview tips, and additional support during the process, visit our recruitment partner TalentMinded's coaching portal, to book time with one of their coaches, for free! Visit their portal <a href="https://www.talentminded.ca/we-are-all-in-this-together-coaching">here</a>.</p>