ABOUT US:
SFHDC is a 33‐year‐old, non‐profit agency working to foster stability in low‐ and moderate‐income communities of color in San Francisco through the development of affordable housing, the provision of holistic supportive social services, the facilitation of financial empowerment as well as homeownership, and the economic revitalization of our community.
The goal of SFHDC’s Financial Empowerment Center (FEC), is to create well‐informed and empowered consumers and default-resistant homeowners. We provide no‐nonsense, “no-holds-barred” education, counseling, coaching, financial products, and tools that are based on outcomes that aim to build or restore credit, increase savings, reduce debt, and attain an array of personal financial goals, including securing an apartment, purchasing a home, building & sustaining savings, or starting a small business. The FEC Team is a cohesive, fun‐loving group that works extremely hard yet maintains a balanced, supportive, and caring environment. As one of our team members often says, “Team Work Makes The Dream Work!”
OVERVIEW OF RESPONSIBILITIES:
SFHDC’s Financial Housing Counselor provides comprehensive individual counseling services to renters, prospective homebuyers, and existing homeowners. These sessions may cover a broad array of areas related to the skills, knowledge, and confidence necessary to secure and maintain affordable housing, build financial capabilities, and buy, repair, maintain and keep a home. The Counselor’s main responsibility is to assess the Customer’s Mission, Vision, & Core Values, their immediate and longer-term financial goals, as well as both the internal and external obstacles faced by the customer in the pursuit of their financial goals, and then to assist them to develop and apply a corrective action plan which can function as the customer’s “roadmap to success.” The Counselor’s role is one of educator and coach: by utilizing tools relating to budgeting, debt reduction, credit re‐building, and consumer awareness, the Counselor helps facilitate the Customer’s progress towards their goals. The Customer’s role is to take the necessary action steps identified together by the Counselor and the Customer to accomplish the desired result.
The Financial Housing Counselor is also responsible for planning and facilitating motivating, educational workshops on a variety of topics including rental readiness, homebuyer education, credit building & repair, and basic financial planning and money management.
Workshops & Individual Counseling are currently offered virtually via Zoom and GoToWebinar.
The Financial Housing Counselor also assists the FEC Director to develop systems to measure and track the success of our education, counseling & coaching services.
Our Bi‐lingual Financial Housing Counselor is also responsible for reaching out to SF’s monolingual and bi‐lingual populations, especially in the Bayview Hunters Point and elsewhere in Supervisory District 10, as well as in the Western Addition and Sunnyvale.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
- Determines services and assistance needed by the client through individual counseling;
- Determines client eligibility for specific programs;
- Assists client to develop goals and objectives;
- Create case files and monitor client progress
- Develops and maintains a network of referral agencies;
- Able to meet aggressive program and funders’ goals;
- Provides information on housing programs to clients, other service providers, and the general public;
- Conducts group workshops and training on homeownership, rental readiness, budgeting, credit repair, and financial management
- Develops and maintain effective partnerships with Realtors, lenders, and developers
- Creates and maintains necessary files, documentation, and databases;
- Develop analytics to support program planning and development;
- Develops outreach activities to inform the public about the program;
- Represents SFHDC in various community forums
- Ready, willing & able to serve as a member of a highly‐functioning team
- Capable of managing time effectively and working independently
- Performs other duties as required
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
Financial Empowerment Housing Counselor I
Must possess a minimum of 2+ years’ experience and working knowledge in at least one of the following areas:
- The techniques, principles, and practices of
- Rental counseling
- Pre‐purchase housing counseling
- Post-purchase housing counseling
- Mortgage default housing counseling
- Pre and post-purchase education techniques, practices, and principals;
- Federal, state, and local housing programs & regulations;
- Activities and services of local and regional human service agencies.
In addition, must be able to demonstrate skills in generating and maintaining statistical information, quantitative and financial analysis, preparing technical reports, use of a personal computer and related software. The successful candidate will be able to convey complex information on an individual or group
basis, to clients, other human services agencies, and the general public, communicate effectively orally and in writing, able to assess client needs, and able to work with detailed information with a high degree of accuracy.
Must be able to plan and organize work, and establish working relationships with clients, civic and community organizations, and other human service agencies and co‐workers.
Must possess exceptional communication skills – writing and speaking, possess strong interpersonal skills, and enjoy working with people.
Must be willing to adopt and adhere to the National Industry Standards for Housing Counseling & Education
Financial Empowerment Housing Counselor II – In addition to the above-stated knowledge, skills, talents, and education requirements, at the senior level, the Financial Empowerment Housing Counselor possesses:
- A minimum of 5+ years experience in real estate, mortgage lending, loan servicing, loss mitigation, financial counseling, or housing counseling
- Loss Mitigation & Loan Servicing experience a definite PLUS
- Excellent presentation skills and the ability to facilitate both small and large group educational workshops on a variety of housing-related topics.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
- Ability to negotiate successfully
- Possesses a passion for helping people
- Ability to calculate & verify income according to conventional underwriting guidelines
- Ability to analyze federal tax returns, profit & loss statements, household budgets, and income & expense statements
- Ability to assist clients with no experience completing federal tax returns, profit & loss statements, household budgets, and income & expense statements, and to create & understand such financial documents
- Ability to analyze bank statements to verify income and living expenses
- Ability to craft appropriate Action Plan to address basic financial management skills, including credit counseling for maximum results as determined by the clients’ stated goals
- Ability to understand & interpret loan product qualification guidelines, for assisting clients with either modification or refinancing of their current loan(s), as well as applying for other appropriate financial products designed to help low to moderate-income clients build credit, reduce debt or increase savings
- Ability to develop loss mitigation options & create various loan scenarios based upon clients’ financial data, DTIs, and program guidelines
- Ability to analyze & explain the lender’s perspective with regard to loan modifications and/or refinancing in the current economic market
- Ability to write concise, convincing & brief modification proposals based upon provided formats
- Ability to maintain appropriate boundaries with clients experiencing extreme stress & remain compassionately detached from the client’s challenge and/or crisis
- Ability to think on your feet, be creative and innovative in finding solutions to assist the client
- Ability to say “no” or provide “bad news” when the client’s case is “incurable” or the client is ineligible for a particular program or product
- Ability to maintain accurate and complete files
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
- Minimum of 3 years of progressively challenging responsibilities in real estate or mortgage industries.
- Possess both Pre‐Purchase and Foreclosure Counseling HUD certificates (Level II Counselor position)
- A combination of work experience and education may be considered in lieu of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university with major work in housing counseling, housing planning, real estate, or related field and some experience in housing services.
- Familiarity with the San Francisco network of service providers, businesses, churches, and philanthropic community, especially those serving the Bayview Hunters Point, Western Addition, and/or Fillmore; and
- Bilingual Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Mandarin, and/or Cantonese IS A PLUS (must be able to read, write and speak fluently in ENGLISH AND either Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Mandarin, and/or Cantonese)
- Bayview Hunters Point residents and/or Persons of Color are STRONGLY encouraged to apply SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Must possess a valid driver’s license issued by the State of California.
- Must have reliable transportation.
- Must be able to work some evenings and weekends as appropriate.
- Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment and still meet deadlines.
- Must be able to travel out of state for quarterly training events & continuing education.
- Loss Mitigation & Loan Servicing experience a definite PLUS
SALARY AND BENEFITS: Salary will be commensurate with experience. SFHDC offers a benefits package that includes up to 100% employer‐covered health insurance for the employee, 13 paid holidays, flex time, paid sick leave, and vacation time. We support and pay for ongoing continuing education and professional development.
PHYSICAL CONDITIONS AND NATURE OF WORK CONTACTS:
Currently, most staff is working remotely. Upon resumption of full in-person activities, this will be a hybrid remote/in‐office position. When at the office and/or in a classroom setting. Involves frequent walking or standing, as well as frequent contact with clients, outside agencies, private housing providers, financial institutions, Realtors, and the general public.
Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.
NOTICE: This description is to be used as a guide only. It does not constitute a contract, commitment, or promise of any kind. SFHDC reserves the right to change, add, delete, upgrade or downgrade the position as dictated by business necessity at any time with or without notice.
SFHDC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender (including actual or perceived gender, and gender identity), sexual orientation, age, marital status, medical condition, religious affiliation, veteran status, national origin, citizenship status, mental or physical disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable state, federal or local law. SFHDC will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. If you need reasonable accommodation in order to apply for a job, please let us know. If the reason you need accommodation is not obvious, we may ask for documentation confirming your functional limitations.
SUBMIT RESUME AND BRIEF COVER LETTER TO:
ATTN: TIKILA MCDAVID, OPERATIONS & COMPLIANCE ASSISTANT TIKILA@SFHDC.ORG OR FAX: 1‐866‐652‐4077
FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT CENTER
JOB TITLE:
Financial Empowerment Housing Counselor I or Housing Counselor II
LOCATION: Financial Empowerment Center/4439 Third Street * Western Addition Satellite Office @ 455 Fell Street * Virtual/Remote
PAYGRADE: DOE, Salaried
IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR:
Director of Financial Empowerment & HUD Housing Counseling Programs
FLSA STATUS: Exempt, FT or PT available
DEADLINE: Open Until Filled
The San Francisco Housing Development Corporation
is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Drug-Free Workplace and is committed to the belief that each individual is entitled to equal employment opportunity.