Housing Navigator Albany Project Hope

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

Albany Project Hope: Since July 2013, Insight Housing has provided street outreach and housing navigation to residents of the City of Albany experiencing homelessness. Outreach is the core of the program: staff conduct daily field-based outreach routes throughout Albany to engage unsheltered residents, complete Coordinated Entry System (CES) assessments, and connect people to housing and services. The program also operates one 4-bedroom master-leased transitional home providing shelter for up to four households through December 2026; the home is scheduled to close January 1, 2027, after which the program transitions to full-time street outreach and housing navigation. Services are delivered using Housing First, Harm Reduction, Trauma-Informed Care, and Progressive Engagement models. Insight Housing serves as a key CES access point for the City of Albany and works in close partnership with Albany CARES, the Albany Police Department, and regional homeless service providers.

Position Summary

Under the supervision of the Program Manager, the Housing Navigator is responsible for street outreach, engagement, housing navigation, and case management for Albany residents experiencing homelessness. This is a field-based position: the majority of the workday is spent outdoors on assigned outreach routes, engaging unsheltered residents where they are rather than working from an office. The Housing Navigator builds trusting relationships through consistent, persistent engagement, completes CES assessments, develops housing stability plans, and supports participants through housing search, placement, and retention. Through January 2027, the Housing Navigator also provides case management to residents of the program’s emergency shelter house and supports their transition to permanent housing prior to the home’s closure.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Conduct daily, field-based street outreach along assigned routes throughout the City of Albany — including the community center, the senior center, the areas around the Safeway and Target stores, Albany Hill, the shower program at the Albany Aquatic Center, Solano and San Pablo Avenues, and the Ohlone Greenway — and other locations where people experiencing homelessness congregate.
• Build and sustain trusting relationships with unsheltered residents through consistent, persistent engagement, using Housing First, Harm Reduction, Trauma-Informed Care, and Progressive Engagement approaches.
• Distribute outreach and basic needs supplies, including hygiene items, weather-appropriate clothing, water, and snacks.
• Respond to outreach referrals and crisis requests from City of Albany staff, Albany CARES, the Albany Police Department, and community partners.
• Assist participants in meeting basic needs for food, shelter, medical and mental health care, identification documents, and benefits enrollment.
• Complete Coordinated Entry System (CES) assessments for all consenting participants engaged through outreach.
• Develop and update individual housing stability plans at least every 90 days for all engaged program participants.
• Monitor CES prioritization lists, advocate for timely permanent housing matches, and attend regional CES case conferences and matching meetings.
• Provide ongoing housing search and navigation support, including obtaining identification documents, applying for and maintaining income, addressing past evictions or poor credit, and building independent living skills.
• Make referrals and linkages to medical care, mental health and substance use treatment, benefits enrollment, legal services, employment services, domestic violence services, and veterans services; coordinate warm handoffs to permanent supportive housing providers upon match.
• Administer flexible housing support funds for barrier removal: transportation assistance, document fees, emergency clothing and food, and essential household items, consistent with participant housing stability plans and agency financial procedures.
• Provide case management to residents of the program’s 4-bedroom master-leased emergency shelter house, which shelters up to four households and is scheduled to close January 1, 2027; conduct resident intake and enrollment, hold weekly case management meetings, and support life skills development including cleaning, cooking, budgeting, and tenant responsibilities.
• Support the responsible wind-down of the transitional home by ensuring all residents secure safe exits to permanent housing through CES matches or other appropriate placements prior to closure; transition to full-time street outreach and housing navigation following closure.
• Complete enrollment in HMIS within 24 hours of acceptance of services and enter case notes within 72 hours of each participant interaction.
• Maintain and track documentation of outreach contacts for individuals not yet enrolled in services, using the Albany outreach tracking spreadsheet.
• Prepare monthly and quarterly statistical and narrative program reports for the City of Albany, and provide accurate participant and outreach data as needed by the Program Manager.
• Adhere to laws regarding confidentiality and reporting requirements; maintain HMIS data security protocols and knowledge of HIPAA standards.
• Maintain collaborative working relationships with City of Albany staff, Albany CARES, the Albany Police Department, and other service providers; attend City-convened coordination meetings, monthly Albany CARES case conferences, and North County Homeless Resource Center meetings.
• Drive own vehicle to outreach sites and other program locations 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.
• Willingness and ability to perform field-based work, spending the majority of the workday outdoors and on foot in varying weather conditions.
• Proficient in use of computer and Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams).
• Ability to complete CPR/First Aid training.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience conducting street outreach and engagement with unsheltered individuals.
• Experience with the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and Coordinated Entry System (CES) assessments.
• Experience with transitional housing or housing retention programs.
• 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, with understanding of and sensitivity to issues affecting people who are unhoused, low income, or living with mental health conditions or substance use disorders.
• 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, with minimal day-to-day supervision in a field-based setting.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and crisis intervention skills with a can-do and flexible attitude; ability to work well under high pressure.
• Ability to multitask, manage competing priorities, 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 walk and stand for extended periods outdoors and in varying weather conditions while conducting outreach, including over uneven terrain.
• 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.