Housing Case Manager (Formerly Housing Navigator)

Company Overview

For more than 50 years, Insight Housing has provided a comprehensive range of housing, food, and support services to help those in need move from homelessness into a safe and affordable home of their own. We serve in seven counties in the bay area - Alameda, San Francisco, Contra Costa, Solano, Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Amador County. We are proud of our team members who are very dedicated to our mission of ensuring everyone in our community has a home through supportive, equitable, and sustainable housing solutions.

Program Overview

Shelter Plus Care (S+C): Funded by the City of Berkeley, the Shelter Plus Care program provides permanent supportive housing to adults who are chronically homeless and living with disabilities, including substance use disorders, mental illness, dual diagnosis, and/or HIV/AIDS, who have been prioritized through the Alameda County Coordinated Entry System. Participants receive a rental subsidy paired with ongoing supportive services, including housing navigation, tenancy sustaining services, home visits, life skills counseling, benefits advocacy, and case management.

Berkeley Respite: Also funded by the City of Berkeley, the Berkeley Respite Program is a temporary shelter and intensive housing navigation program serving eight households experiencing homelessness across two shelter homes in Berkeley. Respite is not permanent housing; residents work closely with a Case Manager toward permanent housing, income, and independence, with progress reviewed weekly, monthly, and quarterly.

Position Summary

Under the supervision of the Program Manager, the Housing Case Manager carries a blended caseload across two City of Berkeley–funded programs: approximately 11 Shelter Plus Care participants and 8 households in the Berkeley Respite Program. Shelter Plus Care caseload size is approximate and may fluctuate based on referrals, placements, and contract requirements. For Shelter Plus Care participants, the Housing Case Manager provides housing navigation for those not yet placed and tenancy sustaining services for those in permanent housing, conducting regular home visits throughout Berkeley and Alameda County. For Respite residents, permanent housing placement is the primary goal of every stay: the Housing Case Manager drives an active housing search with each household, builds landlord relationships, removes housing barriers, and supports lease-up and move-in, while also overseeing day-to-day operations of the two shelter homes. The position requires the ability to move fluidly between crisis response, housing search, and long-term stabilization work.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Shelter Plus Care (approximately 11 participants)

• Maintain a caseload of approximately 11 Shelter Plus Care participants housed throughout Berkeley and Alameda County; caseload size may fluctuate based on referrals, placements, and contract requirements.
• Coordinate the participant intake process; conduct initial assessment and eligibility determination for new referrals received through the Coordinated Entry System; create and maintain participant files electronically in a timely manner.
• Provide housing navigation for participants who are not yet placed, including housing search, landlord engagement, unit viewings, application support, document readiness, and move-in assistance.
• Provide tenancy sustaining services for housed participants, including lease education, rent payment support, addressing lease violations, mediating landlord and neighbor conflicts, and eviction prevention.
• Conduct regular home visits to assess housing stability, unit habitability, and service needs.
• Develop individualized service and housing stability plans with each participant; monitor services provided and update plans regularly.
• Assist participants with Activities of Daily Living (ADL) skills, budgeting and money management, and household upkeep.
• Facilitate Medi-Cal applications; engage in referral, coordination, and monitoring of Medi-Cal services; arrange or provide non-emergency, non-medical transportation to Medi-Cal covered services.
• Provide benefits advocacy and assist participants in applying for and maintaining income, including SSI, SSDI, General Assistance, and employment.
• Work closely with City of Berkeley Shelter Plus Care program staff, subsidy administrators, and property owners.

Berkeley Respite (8 households, two shelter homes)

• Provide intensive housing navigation to eight households residing in two Berkeley Respite shelter homes, with permanent housing placement as the primary goal of every resident’s stay.
• Conduct resident orientation and intake, including assessment of housing history, barriers, needs, and goals; develop an individualized permanent housing plan with each household early in their stay and update it regularly.
• Complete and maintain Coordinated Entry System (CES) assessments; monitor CES prioritization lists, advocate for timely permanent housing matches, and attend regional CES case conferences and matching meetings.
• Conduct active housing search with residents, including identifying available units, reviewing listings, scheduling and accompanying residents on unit viewings, and completing rental applications.
• Locate and build relationships with landlords and property managers willing to rent to Respite residents; match landlord criteria with resident needs and advocate on residents’ behalf.
• Complete documentation for housing such as identification, income and benefits verification, credit and rental history, and required program documentation so households can obtain housing.
• Identify and address housing barriers, including past evictions, poor or limited credit, criminal history, and lack of rental history.
• Assist residents in applying for and maintaining income, including SSI, SSDI, General Assistance, CalFresh, and employment; connect residents to benefits advocacy and employment services.
• Work with residents to build budgets and save toward move-in costs; identify and secure deposits, move-in assistance, and household goods, including arranging off-site storage as residents prepare to move.
• Meet with residents regularly, both one-on-one and in group house meetings, to review housing plan progress weekly, monthly, and quarterly.
• Support lease-up and move-in, including lease review, unit walk-through, utility setup, and coordination of transportation and furnishings; provide warm handoffs to permanent supportive housing providers or ongoing case management as applicable.
• Follow up with residents after placement to support early housing stability and reduce returns to homelessness.
• Oversee day-to-day operations of the two shelter homes in support of residents’ housing goals, including weekly and as-needed room checks to confirm rooms are safe, clean, pest-free, and within belongings guidelines.
• Uphold program guidelines; issue verbal and written warnings, develop behavioral contracts, and prepare exit documentation in coordination with the Program Manager.
• Maintain the confidentiality of shelter locations and enforce visitor, overnight attendance, smoking, alcohol and drug, and weapons policies.
• Respond to maintenance and repair requests and coordinate with contracted vendors and facilities staff; support bed bug prevention and response protocols.
• Assist residents with move-out logistics and transportation upon exit from the program.

Both Programs

• Provide crisis intervention as needed, including coordination with the Mobile Crisis Unit and emergency services.
• Effectively seek out and use community resources; make referrals and linkages to medical and dental care, mental health and substance use treatment, benefits enrollment, legal services, employment services, and domestic violence services.
• Maintain accurate records and prepare monthly and quarterly statistical and narrative reports for the City of Berkeley in a timely manner.
• Maintain HMIS database records, including participant intake, program entry, and program exit; ensure data is entered within required timeframes.
• Adhere to laws regarding confidentiality and reporting requirements; maintain knowledge of HIPAA standards.
• Address participant concerns and grievances at the first level and escalate to the Program Manager in accordance with the agency grievance procedure.
• Respond to reasonable accommodation requests and coordinate review with the Program Manager.
• Work closely with other agency case managers and counselors to ensure consistency in philosophical and practical approaches to services.
• Drive own or agency vehicle to various sites as required; document and report mileage according to agency procedures so that services can be provided in a timely manner; comply with agency driving policy at all times.
• Participate in promoting a safe, healthy, and clean working environment consistent with the agency’s health and safety practices.
• Attend and participate in all meetings and trainings as assigned.
• Complete and submit timesheets in a timely and accurate manner.
• Work within the framework of Insight Housing’s Code of Conduct.
• Perform other tasks as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• High school required. Bachelor’s degree in Social Services or a related field a plus.
• One year of experience providing direct support services to individuals experiencing homelessness, mental health conditions, substance use, or other social issues, required. Translatable military experience, relevant internship and volunteer experience, or administrative experience will be considered. Prior customer service, mentorship, administrative, extensive documentation, or experience providing life skills training or eligibility advisement will be considered.
• Proficient in use of computer and Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams).
• Ability to complete CPR/First Aid training.

Preferred Qualifications

• Basic knowledge of HUD’s Shelter Plus Care program and the ability to describe the nature and goals of the program; prior Shelter Plus Care experience.
• Experience providing tenancy sustaining services, housing retention support, or eviction prevention.
• Experience with housing navigation.
• Experience with the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and Coordinated Entry System (CES) assessments.
• Experience working in a shelter or congregate residential setting.
• Knowledge of HIV/AIDS.
• Lived experience of homelessness or housing instability.
• Training or certification in trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, or similar evidence-based practices.
• Bilingual or multilingual abilities relevant to the population served.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Commitment to serving individuals experiencing homelessness, alcohol and drug dependency, and other mental health conditions, and to a trauma-informed approach to care.
• Ability to balance a blended caseload across two programs with different service models, settings, and documentation requirements.
• Ability to set and hold clear, consistent boundaries in a congregate shelter setting while maintaining supportive, respectful relationships with residents.
• Ability to interact in a supportive and professional manner with staff and program participants of diverse cultural and economic backgrounds.
• Ability to provide good customer service; communicate effectively and maintain a calm demeanor in stressful situations.
• Capable of working independently and as part of a team.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and crisis intervention skills with a can-do and flexible attitude; ability to work well under high pressure.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision, multitask, maintain confidentiality and appropriate professional boundaries, and meet deadlines.
• Ability to maintain professional conduct, attitude, and appearance at all times.

Special Requirements

• This position requires frequent driving. A valid California driver license, reliable personal vehicle, current personal auto insurance as required by law, and an MVR sufficient to obtain and reasonably maintain insurability under agency auto liability policies.
• Must be able to receive and maintain criminal records clearance.
• Must be able to obtain TB clearance.

Physical Requirements

• Regularly required to use hands and fingers to handle, feel, or operate objects, tools or controls, and reach with hands and arms.
• Frequently required to stand, walk, sit, climb stairs, talk, hear, and see clearly.
• May be occasionally required to stoop, kneel, or crouch.
• May be required to lift or move up to 50 lbs.