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.

Full Time: Monday through Friday – 10:00am to 6:00pm

Roles, Responsibilities, and Essential Duties

• 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/Educational Requirements

• College degree in related area; Master’s level degree in Social Work preferred, but not required
• Fluency in spoken and written Spanish required
• Strong writing and research skills

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

• Demonstrated commitment to social justice work
• Familiarity with housing issues and community organizing experience preferred
• Ability to manage workload comprising individual cases, building-wide organizing, and participation in campaigns/coalitions

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

How To Apply

Please email cover letter, resume and recent writing sample to Larry Wood, Director of Organizing, at larryw@goddard.org, with “Tenant Organizer Application” in the subject line.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. 

Thank you!