Housing Court Navigator, Eviction Diversion Initiative (Brooklyn)

Brooklyn, NY
Full Time
Housing Justice Initiatives
Entry Level

THE ORGANIZATION

The Center for Justice Innovation is a community justice organization that centers safety and racial justice. Since our founding in 1996, the Center has partnered with community members, courts, and the people most impacted to create stronger, healthier, more just communities. Our decades of experience in courts and communities, coupled with our field-leading research and practitioner expertise, help us drive justice nationwide in innovative, powerful, and durable ways. For more information on how and where we work, please visit www.innovatingjustice.org.  

The Center is a 900-employee, $130 million nonprofit that accomplishes its vision through three pillars of work: creating and scaling operating programs to test new ideas and solve problems, performing original research to determine what works (and what doesn’t), and providing expert assistance and policy guidance to justice reformers around the world.

Operating Programs

The Center’s operating programs, including the award-winning Red Hook Community Justice Center and Midtown Community Justice Center, test new ideas, solve difficult problems, and attempt to achieve systemic change within the justice system. Our projects include community-based violence prevention programs, alternatives to incarceration, reentry initiatives, and court-based initiatives that reduce the use of unnecessary incarceration and promote positive individual and family change. Through this programming, we have produced tangible results like safer streets, reduced incarceration, and improved neighborhood perceptions of justice.

Research

The Center's research teams are staffed with social scientists, data analysts, and lawyers who are academically-trained or have lived experience and who conduct research in the U.S. and globally on diverse criminal-legal system and justice issues. Their work includes evaluating programs and policies; conducting exploratory, community-based studies; and providing research translation and strategic planning for system actors. The Center has published studies on topics including court and jail reform, intimate partner violence, restorative justice, gun violence, reentry, sixth amendment rights, and progressive prosecution. The research teams strive to make their work meaningful and actionable to the communities they work with, policymakers, and practitioners.

Policy & Expert Assistance

The Center provides hands-on, planning and implementation assistance to a wide range of jurisdictions in areas of reform such as problem-solving courts (e.g., community courts, treatment courts, domestic violence courts), tribal justice, reducing incarceration and the use of fines/fees and reducing crime and violence. Our current expert assistance takes many forms, including help with analyzing data, strategic planning and consultation, policy guidance, and hosting site visits to its operating programs in the New York City area. 

Center Support

A dedicated support team within the Center ensures the smooth functioning of operations across various domains, including finance, legal, technology, human resources, fundraising, real estate, and communications. Comprising 15% of the organization's staff, these teams provide essential infrastructure support and innovative solutions aligned with the Center's mission and values. 

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Center for Justice Innovation seeks a Housing Court Navigator for the Eviction Diversion Initiative (EDI) in Kings County. The mission of EDI is to ensure access to the holistic resources needed for tenants and their families to prevent eviction and maintain safe, stable, and affordable housing. EDI helps litigants get assistance with arrears and ongoing rental assistance, legal assistance, public benefits, mental health services, employment, financial empowerment, and connections to other community-based organizations. EDI also facilitates collaboration with court administration, judges, and clerks to review data, identify resources, and problem-solve issues as they arise.

The EDI project is run by the Center for Justice Innovation in Kings and Suffolk Counties in New York State. Reporting to the Project Manager of Eviction Diversion in the Kings County (Brooklyn) Housing Court, the Navigator is responsible for supporting the daily operations of the EDI grant program with Kings County (Brooklyn) Housing Court. The Housing Court Navigator will be responsible for identifying and assisting public housing and housing voucher recipients who are facing eviction as well as other tenants facing eviction or displacement. The selected candidate will be charged with initiating and maintaining relationships and working collaboratively with stakeholders, including attorneys for litigants (including but not limited to attorneys for tenants and attorneys for the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the presiding judge and their court attorneys and clerks, Office of Court Administration (OCA) personnel, Adult Protective Services (APS), Human Resources Administration (HRA), other government and social services agencies, and tenant families. The Navigator will also coordinate case-needs, identify social service needs, facilitating referrals, and record progress and outcomes.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

  • Conduct intakes on new participants and maintain a caseload of clients with pending matters in housing court;
  • Provide individualized case management services and support to housing court litigants, including meaningful referrals to on-site programs or partner agencies;
  • Provide wraparound assistance to litigants in Housing Court on various tenant needs related to non-payment of rent and other sources of eviction risk, including rental assistance, support with subsidies and vouchers, legal services referrals, advocacy, and referrals to community-based organizations; 
  • Work collaboratively and develop relationships with on- and off-site partners, including OCA, NYCHA, HPD, HRA, APS, Housing Court Answers, legal services providers, and others;
  • Assist tenants with navigating the housing court process, including assistance filing court forms with the clerk's office and reviewing petitions and stipulation agreements to best support litigants;
  • Develop and maintain knowledge of community-based resources for health, employment and mental health;
  • Represent the EDI program in court and provide updates as needed;
  • Maintain data and tracking systems for grant deliverables and assist with grant reporting;
  • Document case management and compliance services provided in a centralized database;
  • Attend trainings on new developments/programs with partners and/or OCA, as needed; and
  • Additional tasks as necessary.

Qualifications: Associate's degree and two years of relevant experience is or a high school diploma and 2-4 years of relevant experience is required. The candidate must be a skilled communicator, able to work in a multi-disciplinary setting and maintain strong relationships with multiple agencies and organizations, both onsite and in the community. The candidate should have strong leadership and management skills and possess the ability to multitask. Knowledge of Housing Court in New York City a plus. Preferred experience with electronic case management systems or similar platforms such as Google Suite, Salesforce, or Microsoft Office. Familiarity with NYCHA, subsidies and public benefits is desirable. Language other than English skills are highly desirable.

Position Type:  Full-time, Monday-Friday, from 9-5pm.

Position Location: Brooklyn, NY.

Compensation: The compensation range for this position is $52,000 - $56,300 and is commensurate with experience. The Center for Justice Innovation offers an excellent benefits package including comprehensive healthcare with a national network, free basic dental coverage, vision insurance, short-term and long-term disability, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts including commuter FSA. We prioritize mental health care for our staff and offer services like Talkspace and Ginger through our healthcare plans. We offer a 403(b) retirement plan with a two-to-one employer contribution up to 5%.

The Center for Justice Innovation is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, national origin, age, military service eligibility, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other category protected by law. We strongly encourage and welcome applications from women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and individuals with prior contact with the criminal justice system. Our goal is to create a supportive and respectful environment where everyone, regardless of background or identity, feels valued and included.

At this time, the Center is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application and throughout the duration of employment.

Candidates are expected to provide accurate and truthful information throughout the hiring process. Any misrepresentation, falsification, or omission of material facts may result in disqualification from consideration, withdrawal of an offer, or termination of employment, regardless of when discovered.

As of February 10, 2023, New York City Executive Order 25 rescinded the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for City workers, new hires, and contracted employees. While the Center does not require vaccination, we strongly recommend that all staff, interns, and volunteers stay up to date.

In compliance with federal law, all hires must verify their identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete the required employment verification form upon hire. Please refer to the job posting for relevant contact information. If contact details are not provided, we kindly ask that you refrain from inquiries via phone or email, as only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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