Housing Community Organizer

Job Objective: The Housing Community Organizer will play a key role in the organizing department, leading Banana Kelly’s tenant organizing work in buildings threatened by predatory equity, while also supporting the broader organizing work around resident engagement, healthy neighborhoods, and the potential rezoning of Southern Boulevard.

Job Responsibilities: The Community Organizer will lead our participation in the Stabilizing NYC campaign, coordinating strategy and actions with partner organizations across the Bronx and New York City, while developing tenant associations in buildings targeted by predatory equity in our neighborhoods. The organizer will also support the overall organizing department goals which include but are not limited to:

• Support residents of rent stabilized buildings in forming tenant associations
• Participate in base building activities including, but not limited to:
  • Door knocking
  • Conducting one-on-ones
  • Phone banking
  • Surveying / Distributing fliers
• Preserve and expand low income housing through participation in city-wide coalitions
• Research housing data to identify buildings to organize in and create campaign strategies
• Collect, manage and report data on organizing activities
• Work with tenant associations to plan and implement building, neighborhood, borough-wide and city-wide actions
• Coordinate support for tenants including legal services and code enforcement
• Conduct trainings and support overall leadership development activities
• Build and maintain relationships with other neighborhood partners and stakeholders, including elected officials
• Expand representation and participation of Banana Kelly residents in the Resident Council
• Expand representation and participation of neighborhood residents around the Southern Blvd Neighborhood Study
• Support our work to organize local residents to promote and expand access to healthy foods, activities and overall health justice
• Support the larger Banana Kelly mission through coordination with other departments

Qualifications:

• Strong commitment to building leadership in Bronx residents, who holds our members in high regard
• Ability to work in diverse communities with people from various backgrounds
• Willingness to be in challenging situations, and who is teachable/coachable
• Demonstrated commitment to an anti-racist community organizing model of change
• Spanish/English bilingual strongly preferred
• Highly motivated individual with a passion for engaging communities, ideally a self-starter with creative vision
• Ability to work most evenings and some weekends
• 1-3 years applicable work experience, including tenant organizing
• Basic computer skills (MS Word, Excel, flyer-creation) required; knowledge of database programs such as PowerBase or SalesForce preferred
• Strong and effective communicator; attentive listener who is able to ask open-ended questions as well as make clear and specific requests; competent writing skills
• Ability to vision and work plan forward to accomplish specific goals related to a city contract
• Ability to document, organize and compile work progress in a comprehensive report
• Strong relational skills and ability to connect, engage, and inspire community members
• Able to make connections between individual experiences and collective, systemic and structural forces and to polarize a situation as necessary
• Experience living through challenging circumstances
• Desired Attributes: Commitment to racial and economic equity and justice, generous spirit, curious mind, friendly yet fierce, heart for the people, engaging, humble