Tenant Coordinator

ABOUT SAJE

Since 1996, SAJE has been a force for economic justice in Los Angeles. We believe that all people have a right to the city, and that the future of neighborhoods should be decided by those who dwell there. For over 25 years, we have worked side-by-side with our members to improve our community by advocating for tenant rights, healthy housing, and equitable development. We focus on housing policy because it is a root cause of economic and social inequality, shaped by decades of redlining, racial covenants, and most recently, predatory lending and foreclosure practices. Our work seeks to protect vulnerable communities from eviction, lockouts, and harassment, preserve existing affordable housing, and promote the production of additional affordable housing in new construction. Ultimately, our aim is to decommodify housing through the creation of permanent affordable housing, community land trusts, and public and social housing that prioritizes people over profits.

SAJE’s Tenant Coordinator is primarily responsible for coordinating Stay Housed LA (SHLA) deliverables by conducting outreach, workshops, tenant navigation, and legal referrals. The Tenant Coordinator will also support SAJE’s mission to develop the leadership of our members through community organizing as well as support SAJE’s policy campaigns for tenant rights through outreach and education.

The successful candidate has case-management experience and has served as an empathetic advocate for clients navigating complex city and county agencies. They are passionate about housing justice and familiar with tenant rights and tenant protections across the city and county. We will consider candidates seeking to change careers who have case-management experience in social work or legal support work.

This is a full-time, hybrid position. All SAJE employees must be vaccinated against infections and diseases according to the recommendations of medical professionals and the CDC. The following provides a general overview of the activities and responsibilities of the position but does not represent an exhaustive list of job duties.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Perform and Lead Tenant Navigation. The Tenant Coordinator will support and oversee tenant navigation across our team by lending peer-to-peer support, as needed, for individual tenant cases and providing applicable resources, direction, and support to our team members. This includes but is not limited to: tracking tenant interactions on our spreadsheets and giving appropriate feedback and suggestions to the tenant, referring team members to helpful resources, staying up to date on tenant protections, and sharing progress with the team every week.

Lead Peer-to-Peer Working Groups. The Tenant Coordinator will help maintain the SHLA team’s resource library and support our tenant navigation process, consistent with our service-to-membership pipeline, by coordinating spaces that will help our team stay up to date on tenant protections and housing resources.

Coordinate Referrals. The Tenant Coordinator will coordinate all internal and external referrals to ensure that the tenant receives contact and support from the SHLA team. This includes but is not limited to supporting case management, coordinating SHLA Rental Assistance Applications, and external referrals to appropriate agencies.

Conduct Community Outreach. The Tenant Coordinator is primarily and consistently in the field connecting with renters through in-person door knocking, eviction court outreach, building canvassing, and to a lesser extent phone banking calls and text banking.

Perform Membership Recruitment, Leadership Development, and Tenant Navigation. The Tenant Coordinator will ensure tenants are connected to services and referrals. This can include but is not limited to, phone calls, in-court support (via SAJE and/or in collaboration with the Tenant Empowerment Program), court observation, and in-person support.

Participate in SAJE Activities. These duties include participating in all SAJE all-staff activities, flyering, door knocking, public comment, and attending SAJE organizational meetings and events. Duties may also include limited support of our team’s policy advocacy by attending meetings and gatherings.

Track and Report Work Progress. The Tenant Coordinator will keep track of work progress following procedures set by their direct supervisor. They will regularly create work plans and reports which will record and document deliverables work, tenant engagement and recruitment.

Lead SHLA Workshops. The Tenant Coordinator will be responsible for:

Planning and developing curricula for monthly SHLA workshops

Conducting outreach to invite tenants to SHLA workshops and following up to refer tenants to necessary resources

Leading facilitation and co-facilitation of SHLA workshops.

Participate in SHLA Events. This can include but is not limited to in-house and network wide trainings, retreats, collaborations, and events with other SHLA community-based organizations across the city and county.

Participate in SAJE Activities. These duties include participating in all SAJE all-staff activities, flyering, door knocking, public comment, and attending SAJE organizational meetings and events.

QUALIFICATIONS

Preferred: 1 to 2 years of tenant protections experience

Is able to work a hybrid position in-person at the SAJE office and in the field

Has basic computer skills, can use software including Excel and database systems, and can learn successfully with new software applications

Has a strong commitment to social justice

Is able to prioritize work amid distractions and interruptions and quickly adjust priorities

Possesses strong capacity for independent and collaborative problem solving

Is able to work independently and in a team environment

Is aligned with SAJE’s mission and values

Demonstrates a commitment to social, racial, gender, and economic justice

Has a valid driver’s license

Is up-to-date with vaccinations according to CDC recommendations

MUST BE ABLE TO

Communicate verbally and in writing in English

Work well in teams and communicate effectively with others

Stand and walk for long periods of time

Lift weights up to 50 pounds

Carry on appropriate conversations, participate attentively in meetings and trainings, and develop productive professional relationships with members, elected officials, peer organizations, and colleagues

Perform a variety of duties even with distractions or interruptions and adjust priorities quickly

Work on weekends and restorative Mondays occasionally, when necessary

MUST BE

Committed to justice

Warm and positive with community members

Flexible in time and mind: there will be weekly evening commitments and work required during the weekend

Organized and detail-oriented; possess excellent time-management skills, the ability to prioritize work, and a strong capacity for independent and collaborative problem-solving

COMPENSATION

All SAJE staff are expected to work in the office or field at least three days per week. This hybrid position will require you to work Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in the office and field. Work-from-home days are typically Mondays and Thursdays. This is a full-time, hourly position that will average 72 hours per every two-week pay period. The pay for this position is $30.29 – $31.79 per hour plus benefits (including medical, vision, and dental), with three weeks of vacation for the first year of service (four weeks per year after two years of service) and 13 holidays.