Housing Counselor – Foreclosure Prevention
Position: Housing Counselor – Foreclosure Prevention Employee Type: Full-Time, 35 hours per week Neighbors Helping Neighbors (NHN) are seeking a Foreclosure Prevention Counselor to provide counseling and advocacy to homeowners in Brooklyn and New York City. This is a 35-hour, five-day per-week position.
Join an experienced, fun, and growing team as we work to advance and protect affordable homeownership in New York City. We offer a great work environment with friendly co-workers who are passionate about their jobs. Our office is centrally located in Park Slope/Gowanus, a diverse neighborhood with easy access to transportation.
NHN is a non-profit, community-based organization whose mission is to promote racial justice while empowering low- and moderate-income New Yorkers to fight for, secure, and maintain quality housing and build financial assets. NHN is a HUD-approved housing counseling agency providing foreclosure prevention services, homebuyer education, and tenant advocacy. NHN is an affiliate of Fifth Avenue Committee, a 43- year old nonprofit comprehensive community development corporation whose mission is to advance economic, social and racial justice and is a NeighborWorks America chartered member.
Responsibilities include:
• Foreclosure prevention counseling: Meet with homeowners facing mortgage default to review their personal finances and reason for delinquency, assess their home retention options, and develop an action plan to return them to financial stability.
• Loss mitigation advocacy: Work with homeowners to assemble and submit applications to mortgage servicers for loan modifications or other programs to resolve delinquency, communicate with servicers to advocate on behalf of homeowners, escalate cases or refer them to legal services partners when necessary.
• Data management: Record, maintain, and track counseling data using the online CounselorMax database, Excel spreadsheets, and other tools.
• Outreach & retention: Play a lead role in promoting awareness of the program by planning and hosting townhall meetings, networking with elected officials and other community organizations, coordinating social media marketing, and planning other creative and effective outreach and advertising efforts.
• Training, knowledge-building, and certification: Attend regular training sessions to be informed of industry trends and to receive up-to-date information regarding homeownership and foreclosure prevention. Obtain HUD-Certification and NeighborWorks NCHEC Certification in Foreclosure Intervention and Default Counseling. Complete sufficient continuing education credits to maintain the NeighborWorks NCHEC Certification.
• Other duties as assigned. Some evening or weekend hours may be required on a limited basis.
Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Experience in banking, personal finance, and/or social services required.
• Additional experience in foreclosure prevention counseling preferred.
• HUD-Certified or able to apply for HUD-Certification within 6 months months of hire.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. • Strong public speaking skills.
• Ability to engage with low- and moderate-income homeowners in a respectful manner.
• Able to work well on a team as well as independently. • Highly-organized self-starter able to multi-task.
• Excellent computer skills required. • Familiarity with CounselorMax a plus.
• Detail-oriented, thorough, and able to concentrate while meeting deadlines.
Demonstrated patience and flexibility handling complex issues and crises.
• Fluency in a foreign language is helpful, particularly Spanish, Haitian Creole, Mandarin, and/or Cantonese.
• Strong commitment to NHN’s mission.
Compensation & Benefits:
$55,000 to $59,000 annual salary, commensurate with experience. NHN offers a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental and vision insurance benefits (following a 90-day waiting period), voluntary flexible spending plan, 403b retirement plan, and paid leave time including 18 vacation days and 12 sick days. As of Sept, staff may apply to telecommute some work days. To Apply: Please email cover letter and resume with salary expectations to jobs@fifthave.org by July 30th, 2021. Indicate “Foreclosure Prevention Counselor” in the subject line.
No phone calls, please.
NHN is an equal opportunity employer (EEO). People of color, community residents, and women are strongly encouraged to apply.