Affordable Housing Project Associate (Bilingual), Co-op Improvement Program

The Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB) seeks a full time bilingual Spanish-speaking Project Associate for our Co-op Improvement Program Department. The primary functions of this role are to work with housing cooperatives, prevent foreclosure, develop resident leaders, and preserve affordable housing in New York City.

About UHAB

UHAB empowers low- to moderate-income residents to take control of their housing and enhance their communities by creating strong tenant associations and lasting affordable co-ops. Since 1973, UHAB has helped form hundreds of tenant associations and transformed troubled rental buildings into 1,200 Housing Development Fund Corporations (HDFCs), providing homeownership opportunities for over 25,000 households. With democratic community control at the core of our mission, we work to sustain this thriving affordable housing community for this generation and those to come.

We organize residents to be active participants and decision-makers in shaping their neighborhoods. UHAB’s programs address a full spectrum of affordable housing needs: from building resident power and organizing tenants as community leaders, to developing thousands of units of affordable housing across the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan, to making small loans to first-time homeowners, to preserving affordable co-ops through training, education, and technical assistance. UHAB’s programs address the needs of future generations through long-term solutions: developing new affordable co-ops, increasing energy efficiency and introducing renewable technologies, and strengthening housing policy.

About the Co-op Improvement Program

UHAB’s Co-op Improvement Program (CIP) works directly with low-income homeowners in Housing Development Fund Corporation (HDFC) co-ops at risk of losing the equity in their homes. The CIP team carries out a complete assessment of the distressed HDFCs and works with building residents to create individualized remediation work-out plans. Work-out plans include training, stabilizing leadership, preparing budgets for repairs, and facilitating loan packaging to help buildings get the financing they need for repairs and other expenses. Some of the many goals are to complete a total assessment of all distressed HDFC co-op buildings, provide case by case remediation work-out plans, and to help each HDFC get on track to full financial recovery and/or provide them with the resources they need to take necessary next steps.

Position

This is a great opportunity for someone who has an interest in all aspects of affordable housing preservation and stewardship. The CIP Project Associate will report to the Director of CIP, which is part of the broader division of Co-op Preservation, and will work cross-departmentally and collaboratively with several other departments within the organization, including Co-op Development, Organizing and Policy, Member Services, and Training. UHAB’s culture is one of cross-program collaborations, and this position will give the Project Associate the opportunity to take full advantage of the wide breadth of knowledge housed within each department while advancing UHAB’s mission.

The successful candidate for the CIP Project Associate is a bright, motivated professional who wants to make a tangible, positive impact on both our team and on the residents with whom we work. In addition, the candidate will express a willingness and a passion to work across neighborhoods and cultures and to cultivate and foster relationships with government agencies and officials. The successful candidate will be fluent in Spanish.

Responsibilities include:

Cooperative Improvement Program (CIP), Preservation and Stewardship Oriented activities (85%)

• Conduct outreach to a pipeline of “at risk” co-ops with the goal of engaging them for assessment and ongoing assistance toward remediating physical and financial conditions.

• Develop strategies to assist distressed co-ops though mechanisms such as tax relief or loan packaging for debt reduction or capital improvements.

• Assist shareholders to collectively identify problems, determine goals, and implement democratic work plans to improve the performance of their co-ops.

• Attend resident and board meetings at buildings.

• Establish effective professional and trust-based relationships with leaders and residents of HDFC co-ops and rental buildings, with real estate professionals, particularly property managers, owner/developers, attorneys, bank representatives, and government officials

• Conduct outreach and provide technical support for renewable energy projects, including budgets and analysis to determine financial feasibility and funding sources.

• Working in close coordination with UHAB’s Director of Contracts, create reports and invoices to bill for services provided under the contracts that support our work.

Organization-wide work (15%)

• Assist with the coordination and facilitation of a policy committee including relevant staff to support legislative initiatives to improve the financial health of HDFC co-ops and the cooperative sector.

• Participate in UHAB-wide meetings, committees, and activities and contribute to improving and promoting the organization.

• Support cross-department project of organizing shareholder leaders to fight for broader recognition of and support for alternative models of housing ownership, including co-ops

Qualifications

• Self-motivated and creative

• Excellent organizational, multitasking, follow-up and interpersonal skills, and careful attention to detail

• An ability to communicate complex ideas, orally and in writing, in a clear and accessible way

• An ability to establish, cultivate and maintain relationships with many different types of individuals and groups promoting solidarity, inclusion and respect

• An ability to work as part of a team or individually, in a fast-paced environment that values and requires openness, transparency, and information sharing

• Strong commitment to social and economic justice and grassroots mobilizing

• An understanding of and interest in cooperative housing and alternative models of ownership

• Interest in serving and supporting low-income residents through programmatic work and activities

Bonus/preferred qualifications:

• Relevant financial or underwriting acumen

• Community outreach and organizing experience, or experience with cooperative housing

• Leadership development, team building, or conflict resolution skills

• Experience with facilitation, teaching, or training adults

• An interest in project management and learning about and discussing the technical aspects of cooperative living (heating systems, solar panels, legal agreements, etc.).

• At least one-year prior experience working as a community or labor organizer, project manager or other related employment in NYC or similar experience in the college or university setting.

Location

UHAB’s work is carried out by over 35 staff members in our main office in Lower Manhattan. This position is hybrid, requiring in-office presence and in-person site visits and attendance at events across NYC, as well as some allowance to work from home.

Salary & Benefits

The salary for this position is $57,500 annually.

UHAB offers a generous benefits package including employer paid medical and dental insurance; long-term disability insurance; a 403b retirement plan; medical and dependent care flexible spending accounts; 3 weeks of paid vacation for new employees and 4 weeks of paid vacation after 2 years of employment; 15 paid holidays, 12 sick days, and 1 personal day per year; and bereavement leave.

We are proud that UHAB’s staff is unionized with RWDSU. The candidate hired into this role will be part of the collective bargaining unit and benefit from the terms and protections of the union contract.

How to Apply

Please email a cover letter and resume to jobs@uhab.org with the subject line: CIP Project Associate.

UHAB works with a diverse community of tenants, community members and co-op shareholders and believes that the UHAB Staff should reflect this diversity. Women, people of color, LBGTQ+ people, and people with lived experience of economic and housing instability are encouraged to apply. UHAB is an equal opportunity employer.