JOB ANNOUNCEMENT VISTA Tenant Organizer Position About Tenants & Neighbors:
Tenants & Neighbors is a small, dynamic, grassroots organization that harnesses the power of tenants to preserve at-risk affordable housing and strengthen tenant rights in gentrifying neighborhoods throughout New York. We have two affiliate organizations: one that does grassroots tenant organizing at the building and community level to preserve at-risk affordable housing developments and one that does tenant-led legislative organizing and advocacy to address the underlying causes of loss of affordability.
About the NAHT VISTA Tenant Organizer Position: The VISTA tenant organizer position will be funded by the federal AmeriCorps Program as part of a national tenant organizing project in partnership with the National Alliance of HUD Tenants (NAHT). The Safe & Healthy Homes VISTA project seeks to build the capacity of tenants in privately-owned, federally assisted multifamily housing to form tenant associations and work to preserve affordable housing, improve health and safety standards, recover from the impacts of COVID-19 and increase resident awareness of their rights and responsibilities.
The tenant organizer will be trained to assist, inform, educate, and engage tenants living in buildings that are at risk of loss of affordability, assist in campaigns to preserve HUD-assisted affordable housing and participate in a national movement to preserve at-risk affordable housing with the National Alliance of HUD Tenants (NAHT). We seek a VISTA Tenant Organizer to conduct research, education, and organizing work.
Qualifications:
● High school diploma/GED
● At least 18 years old
● Be confident, personable, highly motivated, well organized, and detail-oriented
● Willing to learn about federally subsidized housing and tenant’s rights.
The tenant organizer will:
● Identify eligible buildings for outreach, organizing, and tenant engagement and prioritize buildings at risk due to expiring use restrictions and substandard physical or social conditions.
● Engage in door-to-door outreach, identify and recruit tenant leaders to help form or strengthen independent tenant associations or organizing committees that meet HUD standards in 3-4
● With Supervisor, provide training in tenants’ rights, HUD housing subsidies, and organizational and leadership development to targeted tenant associations.
● Help tenants identify critical areas of need, goals, and strategies for selected buildings.
● Coordinate tenant efforts to engage owners, public officials, HUD, and other agencies to preserve and improve targeted properties.
● Assist tenant associations in networking and building alliances with other tenant associations and allies in their local areas and nationwide.
● Assist targeted tenant associations in obtaining services through negotiation with owners and referrals to other agencies.
● Participate in at least bi-weekly NAHT Network training calls and NAHT Network task forces, as appropriate.
● As appropriate, help plan and arrange tenant participation in regional “Eyes and Ears” meetings between tenant associations and HUD Headquarters and Regional staff.
● Develop written reports on “best practices, " victory stories, and related materials to share with project partners and tenant associations.
● Track the number of organizations and tenants that receive capacity-building services through an activity log.
● Track increased requests for organizing assistance made to local sponsoring organizations.
● And support the broader goals and mission of the placement organization.
Program benefits:
● Stipend of $1,209.18/biweekly
● $6,495 educational stipend, available upon completion of the program.
● Tenants & Neighbors also provide a monthly metro card.
● For details about AmeriCorps VISTA healthcare benefits, relocation allowance, and childcare assistance, please visit http://www.vistacampus.gov/healthcare.
To Apply: Send a thoughtful cover letter and resume to employment@tandn.org.
HUD tenants are encouraged to apply.