Housing Director

The Urban Justice Center’s Safety Net Project (SNP) provides direct legal and social services in public benefits access, homelessness, and tenant rights. SNP also engages in policy advocacy and community organizing around homelessness and welfare rights issues led by impacted community members, the Safety Net Activists. 

SNP is one of NYC’s Right to Counsel providers representing tenants facing eviction in the Bronx and is also active in various grassroots organizing campaigns fighting for systemic change.  

We are seeking applicants for the Housing Director position. SNP’s housing practice provides Right to Counsel representation to tenants in eviction cases and conducts affirmative litigation and tenant association representation. The Housing Director’s role is to lead SNP’s landlord-tenant legal services and ensure that SNP’s housing staff receive high-quality support and supervision while maintaining the resources SNP needs to sustain a quality high-volume litigation practice.  

We are seeking a Housing Director who is looking for a creative and non-traditional environment, working with passionate and dedicated advocates in the fight against gentrification, displacement, and racist housing systems.  

Primary Responsibilities  

• Lead SNP’s housing practice, including its right to counsel practice in Bronx Housing Court and group litigation practice in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Brooklyn.   
• Directly supervise SNP’s supervising attorneys and managing attorney.  
• Ensure a high standard of legal representation and ongoing professional development across SNP’s housing practice, including development and maintenance of SNP’s housing resources, practice guidance, and calendar of staff trainings.  
• Working across disciplines by collaborating with other attorneys, advocates, and social workers to assess and address client needs, including by maintaining a very reduced client caseload.  
• Work with the Managing Director and Managing Attorney to ensure SNP’s grant compliance,  
• Develop impact litigation projects utilizing a movement lawyering approach.   
• Represent SNP in housing network and coalition spaces as needed.  
• Collaborate with other SNP managers to develop and implement office-wide policies and processes and collectively guide the project.  

Qualifications  

• Admitted to the New York State Bar.  
• Minimum 6 years of litigation experience in landlord-tenant law, including supervisory experience.  
• Excellent research, analytical, written, and oral communication skills.  
• Excellent litigation skills and experience litigating individual and group cases.  
• A commitment to supporting, training, and mentoring housing staff attorneys and paralegals.  
• Sound strategic judgment and the drive to originate and implement practice improvements.  
• Strong anti-oppression and social justice analysis and lens, including a deep commitment to racial justice and housing justice work.  
• Familiarity with or interest in movement lawyering approaches to civil legal services work  
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.  
• Ability to work well independently and collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team of lawyers, advocates, and social workers.  
• Great interpersonal communication skills and experience working with diverse communities.  
• Spanish proficiency is preferred.