Supervisor, Shelter Rights Monitoring Team

Reporting to the Deputy Executive Director for Advocacy, the Supervisor of the Shelter Rights Monitoring Team (“Supervisor”) will be a dedicated advocate for unhoused individuals and families in New York. A key member of the Advocacy Department of the Coalition for the Homeless (“Coalition”), the Supervisor will play a critical role in ensuring the City’s compliance with Callahan v. Carey, which established the legal Right to Shelter in New York, and applicable state and local laws and policies governing shelters operated by, or under contract with, the City’s Department of Homeless Services (“DHS”).

This role will entail managing a small team of Coalition staff members focusing on monitoring, and conducting outreach at, DHS shelters (“Shelter Specialists”). The Supervisor will also visit shelters throughout the City as part of formally scheduled daytime joint inspections with DHS as well as unscheduled visits, in order to document violations and other problems. Together with the Shelter Specialists, the Supervisor will engage with shelter residents for the purpose of providing referrals to Coalition programs and, as appropriate, communicating directly with the Coalition’s legal counsel and/or City staff to immediately resolve residents’ problems. In collaboration with other Advocacy Department staff (including the ENACT Supervisor who oversees the Coalition’s work with unhoused asylum seekers and other new arrivals) and the Coalition’s legal counsel, the Supervisor will establish priorities and goals for monitoring and related advocacy. The Supervisor will also help organize, support, and mobilize shelter residents for various campaigns and events.

DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES:

Working under the direction of the Deputy Executive Director for Advocacy, the Supervisor will:

Programmatic Work

• Conduct monitoring of shelters during daytime, evening, nighttime, and weekend hours as needed, to assess and document: (a) problem conditions; (b) compliance or lack thereof with the legal right to shelter, other court orders, and applicable State and City regulations and agency procedures (collectively, “Shelter Legal Obligations”); and (c) the needs of residents
• Work with DHS to develop the schedule of regular joint inspections of DHS shelters
• Schedule and maintain shared department calendar to reflect inspections to be performed by Shelter Specialists
• Identify the need for, and schedule, unannounced inspections
• Review data collected by Shelter Specialists for trends and other compliance issues
• Work with Deputy Executive Director for Advocacy to identify and update data collection tools and fields to increase effectiveness of monitoring work and ability to advance goals of Advocacy Department

Management Duties

• Assist in the training and orientation of Shelter Specialists and fellow members of the Advocacy Department, including but not limited to accompanying staff on field visits and ensuring they understand the rights of shelter residents
• Review and revise Shelter Specialists’ reports to DHS for clarity, grammar, spelling, and accuracy of citations to applicable Shelter Legal Obligations
• Supervise the day-to-day activities of the Shelter Specialists, including visits to shelters
• Facilitate regular meetings with the Shelter Specialist team which may, in coordination with the ENACT Supervisor, occur jointly with members of the ENACT team
• Meet with each Shelter Specialist separately for regular supervision
• Complete various administrative tasks for each Shelter Specialist, including probationary and annual reviews, reviewing and approving timeslips, and approving time off requests

Advocacy & Policy Development

• Advocate for individual needs of shelter residents as necessary and possible during field visits
• Provide shelter residents with information and referrals, as appropriate
• Document individual and systemic problems relating to shelter residents for follow-up with DHS as directed
• Communicate with DHS regarding compliance with Shelter Legal Obligations and track communications to ensure the agency responds and, when appropriate, corrects issues identified by Coalition staff
• Work with Advocacy Department staff and Coalition’s legal counsel to provide litigation support, which may include identifying and liaising with potential plaintiffs for affirmative cases or to otherwise defend and expand the rights of homeless individuals and families
• Identify issues for systemic advocacy based on data collected and other information learned from Shelter Specialists, other Coalition staff, or partner agencies
• Collaborate with Director of Research and Policy Development to highlight issues in State of the Homeless or any other Coalition reports

Community Engagement

• Assist the Director of Government Affairs and Strategic Campaigns with (a) the development and implementation of the Coalition’s campaigns; (b) organizing shelter residents and formerly-homeless individuals and families for the purpose of City and State-level advocacy on a range of public policy issues that impact homeless and low-income individuals; and (c) engaging shelter residents to inform Coalition’s policy agenda.
• Together with other Advocacy Department staff, help organize, support, and guide the Client Advisory Group (“CAG”), a key tool for organizing homeless and formerly-homeless individuals and families
• Attend and actively participate in CAG meetings
• Engage in public education activities identified by the Deputy Executive Director for Advocacy

Other Duties

• Liaise with other departments and programs of the Coalition to provide resource materials and increase awareness about the work of Shelter Specialists and to include other staff in Advocacy Department campaigns and events
• Obtain regular supervision with the Deputy Executive Director for Advocacy to review team operations, policy, and other issues/concerns
• Participate in weekly staff and other meetings as directed, such as meetings with DHS, in-service trainings, and staff development and orientation activities
• Perform all other duties as may be assigned by the Deputy Executive Director for Advocacy

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS NOT A REMOTE POSITION.

During the probationary period, the Supervisor will be required to work in the Coalition’s office five days a week (which in office time includes any visits to shelter facilities). Once the probationary period is over, the Supervisor will be able to work on a hybrid schedule each week consisting of at least four days in the office (or in the field monitoring shelter facilities) and one day remote.

Requirements

• BA/BS required, with a strong preference for coursework in social work, human services, legal studies, or a health discipline
• At least three years of relevant advocacy, case management, and/or organizing experience on behalf of homeless and/or low-income people required, with at least one year of experience supervising staff or volunteers desirable
• Experience working with unhoused communities is a plus
• Must have a deep commitment to social justice and, in particular, identifying and addressing the systemic and bureaucratic obstacles encountered by unhoused individuals
• Excellent oral advocacy, writing, editing, computer (particularly Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and Zoom), and analytical skills as well as a desire to work as part of a team required
• Ability to work some evenings, nights, and weekends required
• Physical Demands:
  • This job primarily operates in both an office environment and in shelters, and occasionally in public and outdoor spaces at all times of the year
  • Must be able to travel by public transportation to multiple locations across New York City and move around buildings that are not ADA-compliant
  • Requires some standing for extended periods of time, extended periods of computer and/or telephone work, and moving between standing and seated positions
  • Requires the ability to communicate constantly with people and exchange accurate information in these situations
  • Must be able to operate a computer, smart phone, and copy machine
  • Occasionally requires lifting and carrying items up to 10 lbs