The Goddard Riverside Law Project provides free legal services and organizing support to low-income individuals, families, and groups of tenants in the west side of Manhattan. Our mission is to empower tenants and preserve affordable housing through advocacy, legal representation, relationship building, and grassroots education. We aim to protect tenants’ rights and hold bad actors accountable while working towards establishing pro-tenant laws and sound housing policy through city and statewide coalition work. To these ends, we integrate tenant voices and collaborate with the community, particularly SRO tenants and marginalized populations.
This is a full-time non-exempt (hourly) position with working hours from 10 am to 6 pm, Monday through Friday.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES OF TENANT ORGANIZERS
▪ Community organizing: Organize SRO and apartment tenants at a building-wide and neighborhood-wide level to address housing-related issues, including conflicts with tenants’ landlords; conduct outreach and know-your-rights trainings; mobilize tenants for demonstrations, rallies and forums; facilitate tenant meetings; assist in developing organizing strategy.
▪ Advocacy & case management: Assist low-income tenants with housing-related issues and concerns; negotiate with landlords; advocate on behalf of tenants with different entities, including government agencies; help tenants with housing-related complaints and applications to government agencies; assist unrepresented tenants with filing court cases, e.g. concerning housing conditions; assist tenants with addressing related issues and accessing resources.
▪ Campaigns & coalitions: Represent the tenant community and take leadership roles in citywide campaigns and coalitions to advance and reform policies consistent with our mission, including preservation and production of affordable housing and safe living conditions; advocate for stronger enforcement of city codes regarding physical condition of buildings; testify before legislative bodies; conduct outreach to community leaders and elected officials; resist excessive rent increases.
▪ Provide support to legal staff in court cases and assist in the legal representation of tenants; depending on language ability, provide translation assistance where appropriate.
▪ Fulfill administrative responsibilities as required, including reporting on organizing efforts and results, preparing records of tenant intake and case disposition, inspections, meetings, and other personnel matters.
QUALIFICATIONS
▪ Demonstrated commitment to social justice work.
▪ College degree in related area; Master’s level degree in Social Work preferred, but not required.
▪ Fluency in spoken and written Spanish, French or Mandarin preferred, but not required.
▪ Familiarity with housing issues and community organizing experience preferred.
▪ Ability to manage workload comprising individual cases, building-wide organizing, and participation in campaigns/coalitions
▪ Strong writing and research skills.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
▪ Organizers are expected to visit tenants in their homes, conduct outreach in buildings, and attend events outside the office.
▪ Climbing stairs may be required at times.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
▪ Most work will be conducted at our office site; in addition, work may be required at buildings, other offices, and outdoors.
Please email cover letter, resume and recent writing sample to Larry Wood, Director of Organizing, at jobs@goddard.org, with “Tenant Organizer” in the subject line. Applications should be submitted by March 10, 2017 but will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Application deadline March 10, 2017
