Job Description

Bilingual Housing Counselor – White Oak, MD

The Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) is a non-profit community development organization founded in 1991. LEDC’s mission is to serve as a catalyst that drives the economic and social advancement of low-to-moderate-income Latinos and other underserved communities by equipping them with the skills and tools to achieve financial independence, acquire personal and business assets, and create generational wealth. We achieve our mission through small business development and financing, homeownership counseling, tenant services, and affordable housing preservation. LEDC is also a HUD-certified housing counseling agency that helps families in the Metropolitan area, and Baltimore to buy their first home and save their homes from foreclosure by providing group education and one-on-one counseling.

We are currently looking for a Bilingual Housing Counselor at our White Oak location! This position is part of our Housing Counseling team and reports to the Housing Counselor Program Manager – MD. Our Housing Counselors provide direct housing counseling and group education to LEDC clients around the home purchase process, financial capability, rental counseling, foreclosure prevention, and first-time homebuyer programs in the Metropolitan area and Baltimore.

While thorough, the position summary below is not all-encompassing of day-to-day activities.

Position Summary

·       Provide individual counseling and technical assistance to residents to support them meeting their housing goals, including:

o   learning about their rights and obligations as tenants – (rental counseling),

o   taking care of their financial health - budgeting, establishing, and improving credit – (financial capability),

o   becoming homeowners – (pre-purchase),

o   protecting and maintaining their investment – (post-purchase and foreclosure prevention).

·       Analyze and discuss clients’ financial capacity to buy a home and create financial action plans with clients.

·       Provide in-person or virtual counseling to residents ready to apply to various programs, such as down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers, financial assistance for homeowners, tax credits, utility assistance, and more.

·       Maintain consistent communication with those involved in the home buying process, such as underwriters, loan officers, realtors, and settlement agents.

·       Document and track data related to housing counseling services utilizing CounselorMax and other applicable tools.

·       Conduct group workshops and presentations on home purchasing, foreclosure prevention, and financial capability.

·       Conduct community outreach for housing counseling services.

·       Participate in the housing counseling and foreclosure prevention efforts in the markets that LEDC operates.

·       Other tasks as assigned.

Location & Schedule

This position reports to our White Oak office, located at: 2520 Prosperity Drive, Suite 200 Silver Spring, MD 20904.

This is a full-time, exempt role which typically requires 40 hours per week, and requires the incumbent to work one day a week from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and at least one Saturday per month. Some travel is required.

Requirements

·       Bachelor’s Degree or 2-3 years commensurate work experience.

·       Bilingual in English and Spanish, with the ability to write, speak, and communicate proficiently.

·       Obtain the HUD-Housing Counseling Certification within 90 days of hire.

·       Strong computer skills with proficiency in Client Management Systems, and Microsoft Office Suite with capacity to learn others.

·       Organizational and time-management skills to meet deadlines and program goals.

·       The ability to work a flexible schedule, which includes some evenings and Saturdays.

·       Documentation and case management experience, preferably as related to housing counseling.

·       Obtain and maintain applicable NCHEC certifications.

Nice-to-haves:

If you…

o   are already an experienced certified housing counselor, preferably HUD-certified.

o   are energetic and detail-oriented team player with a deep commitment to high-quality housing counseling and service delivery.

o   have at least two years of previous housing counseling experience.

o   work well with others, are a good listener, think creatively and work independently.

o   have a strong desire to help others from a diverse group of individuals, including limited English-speaking communities.

…we strongly encourage you to apply!

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $50,929 - $59,111 annually, dependent on experience and team budget. LEDC is proud to offer a generous benefit package including healthcare, vision, dental, disability and life insurance plans available to employees at no cost, sick, vacation and personal days and more!

How to Apply

Send your cover letter and resume to housingjobs@ledcmetro.org, with a subject line of: MD Bilingual Housing Counselor- White Oak, MD. No phone calls please!

Notices

Equal Opportunity

Equal access to programs, services, and employment is available to all qualified persons. Those applicants requiring accommodation to complete the application and/or interview process should contact HR@LEDCMetro.org. LEDC is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, with a drug-free workplace, and complies with ADA regulations as applicable.

All applicants are considered for all positions without regard to race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, personal appearance, national origin, ancestry, physical/mental disability, medical condition, military/veteran status, genetic information, marital status, ethnicity, alienage, or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

E-Verify

LEDC participates in the federal government’s E-Verify program, which confirms employment authorization of all newly hired employees and most existing employees through an electronic database maintained by the Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security. For new hires, the E-Verify process is completed in conjunction with the Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification on or before the first day of work. E-Verify is not used as a tool to pre-screen candidates. For up-to-date information on E-Verify, visit e-verify.gov.

Background Checks

Given our industry, the types of services we offer and communities we serve, the organization may obtain consumer reports, or investigative consumer reports, in connection with your employment application. Investigative consumer reports include investigations conducted by consumer reporting agencies through personal interviews on information as to character, general reputation, personal characteristics, or mode of living.

You may make a written request for disclosure of the nature and scope of any investigative consumer report. Investigative consumer reports include record checks and may contain information culled from interviews with former employers, business references, and/or personal references. You can access a separate document entitled “Summary of Your Rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act” here. Reports will be obtained from Insperity Employment Screening, 19001 Crescent Springs Dr., Kingwood, TX 77339.

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