Job Description

Programs:

Ending Veteran's Homelessness - Reconciliation and Equity Focus (EVHI-2); Warming Centre (Temporary); and Building for Recovery (CMHC Solutions Lab).

Reports to:

Manager of Housing and Homelessness Supports

Positions Available:

1 full-time (35 hours per week)

Salary Range:

$30.17-$37.37 per hour (based on agency salary grid).

Benefits:

Extended health benefits, EAP, 3% RRSP matching (after probation), generous vacation, sick, and personal time; substantive professional development opportunities.

About Porchlight Counselling and Addictions Services

For 85 years, Porchlight Counselling and Addictions Services has been supporting our community with counselling, building healthy relationships, community engagement, addictions services, and targeted supportive housing. We want everyone to have access to affordable, caring, person-centred, trauma-informed, culturally appropriate supports that meet their unique needs. Our vision is for a community where there is equality, respect, empathy, and inclusion, and this is why we get up in the morning and do the work that we do.

Our team enjoys working collaboratively, and we strive to value each other, because we know people are our most important resource. Our staff and volunteers work to support each other and value a healthy work-life balance. We see our clients as people first and aspire to walk alongside them towards growth and healing. We invest in our staff and work to support their growth as both individuals and team members.

While our team has a history of providing supportive housing, our housing programs are newer to the agency and are funded by the Government of Canada and administered by the Region of Waterloo. Through multi-agency partnerships, these programs aim to support Veterans experiencing homelessness in Waterloo Region, offer warming supports to vulnerable community members during extreme weather, and to advance housing innovation and sustainable recovery-oriented housing models.

That's where you come in.

The Opportunity

We're hiring a Housing Program Coordinator to be the operational backbone of our housing portfolio. This position will primarily support the Ending Veteran's Homelessness Initiative (EVHI-2) while also contributing to coordination and administration for Porchlight's Warming Centre and Building for Recovery programs.

You'll coordinate referrals and logistics, manage data and reporting requirements, review policies and procedures, and that all of our housing programs are in compliance with our directives and agreements with our funders. You'll also contribute to the continuous improvement of our communication systems, bringing organization, creativity, and a strong sense of trust, reliability, and collaboration to the team.

Areas of Professional Responsibility:

Our programs exists to support members of our community in breaking the cycle of homelessness and to transition to long-term stabilization in permanent housing. This position primarily plays a vital role in helping Veterans remain housed by offering consistent, structured support, engaging landlords, navigating systems, and collaborating with community partners. It is the intent of this service to use a relational model of holistic engagement to determine how to appropriately support individuals and their communities.

This is a coordination role supporting multiple housing programs, with responsibility for administration, logistics, data/reporting, and inter-agency liaison functions. The Coordinator will collaborate closely with field staff (Housing Support Workers, Outreach) and may occasionally attend in-home community visits or wellness checks.

Demonstrate familiarity with housing laws and policies, including the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA), the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), and subleasing regulations, ensuring tenants' and landlords' rights and obligations are upheld.

Identify and track housing opportunities and landlord leads (listings, partner referrals, community contacts); maintain a current leads pipeline and share these with the Housing Support Worker for landlord engagement.

Prepare unit summaries and landlord information packets for the Housing Support Worker; schedule introductions when requested by the Support Worker (the Housing Support Worker remains the primary point of contract for landlord relationships and negotiations).

After a unit is confirmed by the Housing Support Worker, facilitate administrative/logistical steps (document collection, rent-supplement paperwork, utilities setup, key pickup, and move-in scheduling and transportation) in collaboration with the field team.

Coordinate referrals to the Ending Veteran Homelessness Program and dispatch outreach workers and/or support workers to public meeting sites/times; arrange cabs/transport for participants, where necessary.

Identify community resources that will maintain stable housing and coordinate housing logistics (e.g., submit furniture requests, complete service agreements for food bank access, complete applications for low-income monthly bus passes, provide information on free tax clinics or Veteran-specific bank accounts and community trustees, etc.).

Support the development of a Quality By-Name List and warm onboarding of Veterans experiencing homelessness from equity-deserving groups (e.g., Indigenous or racialized Veterans, 2SLGBTQIA+, or women, living with disability/ies).

Maintain consistent, reliable coordination and communication that enables field staff to offer structure and routine to participants.

Collaborate with the Veteran Outreach Worker (EVHI-2) and Veteran Program Coordinator (EVHI-1, Cambridge Shelter Corp) for comprehensive intakes by:

o Determining participant eligibility in the program;

o Confirming Veteran status through Veterans Affairs Canada;

o Updating HIFIS Client Profiles (e.g., basic profile information including emergency contacts, housing history, financial profiles, verification documents and IDs);

o Collecting and filing household financial profiles, signed attestation forms, bank statements, rent, housing contributions, arrears/debts or other bill payments, utilities, parking, key deposits, storage, etc.

o Determining if the household falls within the Low-Income Measure, along with 30% of the rental income required to meet program eligibility requirements;

o Complete housing applications, track status, and follow-ups or documentation requests;

o Ensure program intake packages are complete, including informed consent, health information or data sharing agreements.

Walk alongside field teams as they navigate systems (e.g., social assistance, financial trusteeship, mental health, addictions, legal, medical, etc.), ensuring administrative steps and referrals are completed accurately and on time.

Support field team's connections to internal and external resources including:

o Porchlight's Mental Health Clinic, Recovery Homes and/or Addictions Programs

o Veterans Affairs Canada

o The Royal Canadian Legion

o Community, Regional and Provincial health and housing pathways.

Participate in regular team meetings, supervision, and partnership meetings; assist with the development of presentations for community engagement efforts and the writing of briefing notes/meeting minutes.

Abide by the relevant Housing Stability System Frameworks and approaches including but not limited to:

o Prioritized Access to Housing Support (PATHS) Framework, Guidelines, Protocols (Region of Waterloo)

o Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative (CHPI) - Supportive Housing Program Standards

o Housing First Approach and Human Rights-Based Principles

o The Service Prioritization and Decision Assistance Tool (SPDAT), the common assessment tool used to assess the strengths and vulnerabilities of people experiencing homelessness as related to housing stability or another standard, evidence-based tool implemented through the Region of Waterloo.

Complete all required documentation and forms accurately and in compliance with requirements from external agencies such as Veterans Affairs and the Royal Canadian Legion. This includes adhering to agency-specific procedures and timelines and maintaining accountability to multiple program funders and regulatory frameworks.

Assist with the preparation, process, and evaluation of the program, including collection of outcomes and monthly/quarterly reporting; help draft reports and ensure on-time submission to the Region of Waterloo. Maintain deliverable calendars and checklists.

Organize filing systems, review policies and procedures are in compliance with programming directives, create program intake packages, draft service agreements with partnering agencies (e.g., harm reduction, emergency needs, etc.).

Promote anti-oppressive, harm reduction, and trauma-informed in all interactions.

Other responsibilities as mutually agreed upon with the Manager of Housing and Homelessness Supports and/or the Executive Director.

Qualifications:

Relevant educational background that will support you in this role, such as socil services, public administration) and/or significant related experience.

Experience working in housing/homelessness or community services.

Knowledge of social assistance programs, rent supplement systems, and regional health/housing resources; familiarity with Veterans Affairs Canada, ODSP/OW, NIHB and CHPI preferred.

Experience and strong understanding of serving people from diverse backgrounds and vulnerable populations.

Ability to work independently as part of a larger, multi-agency/multi-disciplinary team.

Excellent initiative, time management, case-coordination, and self-motivation skills.

Strong collaboration and communication skills.

Comfortable using digital case management systems (e.g., HIFIS); advanced spreadsheet/document skills an asset.

Must have valid driver's license and access to a vehicle; ability to support community-based work as needed.

Criminal records check specific to vulnerable populations required.

Committed to Porchlight's mission, vision and values and to building an inclusive workspace, including striving to be anti-racist, accessible, 2SLGBTQIA+ positive, aware of class dynamics and power/privilege

About You

You are a passionate, enthusiastic individual who enjoys working with people facing complex challenges and barriers

You are professional, hardworking, and organized

You are creative and value the importance of a flexible and growth mindset

You approach your work with a holistic perspective

You value inclusion/belonging and accessibility for all in our community

Employment Conditions

The successful candidate will be offered a 1-year contract, full-time (35 hours/week) with the potential to renew and expand, given the program's success. Compensation is based on the agency salary grid, ranging from $30.17 to $37.37 per hour including enrollment in extended health benefits, EAP, and 3% RRSP matching (after probationary period). This position starts with 3 weeks of vacation, along with generous sick and personal time allocations, substantive opportunities for professional development, and a flexible and supportive working environment. This position will start as an in-office position, with flexibility to move to fully remote after probation.

Application Instruction

As a community-based organization, we strongly encourage applications from candidates who reflect the diversity of our community including those who identify as Black, Indigenous, racialized, living with a disability, and/or 2SLGBTQIA+.

Interested applicants should submit their cover letter, resume, and references to jessb@porchlightcnd.org stating the job title in the subject line. This posting will close at midnight on October 26th. We thank all candidates for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls or email inquiries please.

In recognition of the equity considerations with interviews, we want to be respectful of your time. As such, candidates selected for an interview will receive a $50 honorarium in recognition of their time and preparation in their application.

Job Types: Full-time, Fixed term contract
Contract length: 12 months

Pay: $30.17-$37.37 per hour

Expected hours: 35 per week

Benefits:

Casual dress Company events Dental care Disability insurance Employee assistance program Extended health care Life insurance Mileage reimbursement On-site parking Paid time off RRSP match Vision care
Work Location: In person