Make the Road New York seeks an energetic and committed tenant organizer in Brooklyn to assist with MRNY’s anti-displacement efforts and housing work in the East New York, Brownsville, and Ocean Hill sections of Brooklyn; to help the legal staff preserve affordable housing for community members, and to strengthen MRNY’s reach in these areas.
About the Organization:
Make the Road New York (www.maketheroadny.org) is a non-profit organization that builds the power of Latino and working class communities to achieve dignity and justice through organizing, policy innovation, transformative education, and survival services. We have 16,000 members and operate four community centers in Bushwick, Brooklyn; Jackson Heights, Queens; Port Richmond, Staten Island; and Brentwood, Long Island.
Background: This tenant organizer will help drive our outreach efforts, and will work with the legal team related to housing justice in the identified areas of Brooklyn. These three areas have been targeted by the City for rezoning, and existing tenants will require additional supports to maintain affordable and quality housing. MRNY is working in collaboration with other legal services providers across the city in this effort, and the tenant organizer will work closely with those partners in bringing legal services to those most in need of representation. The tenant organizer would be based in our Bushwick, Brooklyn office, but would need to be mobile across the borough, particularly throughout the identified areas for rezoning. Regular trips to Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens for meetings would be also required.
Responsibilities: This tenant organizer will conduct outreach, perform intake, and engage in community education for tenants at risk of displacement, assist to advance MRNY’s Brooklyn housing-related work, and to contribute to other areas that MRNY is advancing that may be of particular interest. This will be a part-time position for 20hrs/week through September 1st, 2016. After September 1st, 2016 the position will be for 40hrs/week.
In general, the tenant organizer would be responsible for:
- Leading the outreach efforts in the identified areas of East New York, Brownsville, and Ocean Hill, and identifying community members that are at risk of eviction, facing harassment, or could otherwise benefit from legal assistance on housing issues
- Conducting initial screenings of applicants for legal services, both in person and on the phone;
- Maintaining up-to-date, accurate intake information in our legal database, and assisting with referrals to partners organizations;
- Educating community members on the legal protections available to combat harassment and to maintain safe, affordable housing, as well on the re-zoning impact on the community;
- Following up with and engaging community members identified through outreach efforts
- Collaborating with other staff and community members on anti-harassment planning and strategy;
- Developing know-your-rights materials and facilitating workshops related to anti-displacement
Experience/Characteristics:
- 1-2 years previous outreach experience, or community/labor organizing experience, is strongly preferred
- Bilingual (Spanish/English) required
- Knowledge of Brooklyn and New York City
- Knowledge of and experience with Brooklyn’s low-income Immigrant communities and communities of color.
- Group facilitation and training experience
- Must have strong interpersonal and communication skills and a deep commitment to social justice
- Commitment to the values driving MRNY’s work, and hustle
- Must be open to working some evenings and weekends
- Driver’s License and car preferred
- Ability to start quickly
Please send a resume and cover letter to outreachspecialist16@maketheroadny.org
Salary/benefits: Salary will depend on experience and follow salary scale set by democratically elected Personnel Committee. MRNY has a generous benefits package.
Make the Road New York is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer and seeks to insure equal opportunity and equal treatment of all employees and applicants for employment without unlawful discrimination as to race, creed, religion, color, citizenship, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, gender identity, genetic information and sexual orientation, in all employment decisions including but not limited to hiring, compensation, benefits, training, termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment.
