CMHA Kelowna is hiring a full-time Rent Bank Case Manager. This role is 35 hours per week, Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:00pm.
WHAT IS THE RENT BANK?
The Central Okanagan Rent Bank (CORB) is an important addition to the range of services available to residents of the Central Okanagan to help improve their housing situation. The CORB fulfils a need that is not currently served by other housing crisis intervention programs by offering interest-free loans and support to residents who are facing eviction or are having difficulty securing rental property in the region due to a short-term financial setback. The CORB is one of 17 rent banks (figure correct as at March 2021) operating in BC under the BC Rent Bank network, all modeled similarly but delivering their services to separate regions of the province.
To achieve its purpose, the CORB has as its objectives:
- To provide interest-free, repayable loans to pay for housing rental or utility arrears, and
- To provide access to support services that will assist renters to overcome the challenges they face in retaining their rental homes in the long-term.
The Canadian Mental Health Association, Kelowna and District Branch (CMHA Kelowna) is the host agency for the CORB. The Rent Bank Case Manager is an employee of CMHA Kelowna.
WHO IS A RENT BANK CASE MANAGER?
The Rent Bank Case Manager works within the Homelessness Services team and is the primary client-facing role of the Rent Bank. They are responsible for managing all aspects of services provided to clients of the Rent Bank.
WHAT DOES A RENT BANK CASE MANAGER DO?
- responds to client inquiries;
- conducts assessments with clients to determine if they are eligible for a loan;
- considers other services that may benefit a client in addition to, or in lieu of a rent bank loan, and refers clients to those services;
- assists clients in applying for loans;
- reviews loan applications and verifies information submitted including supporting documentation;
- prepares recommendations to a Loan Committee/Approver in cases where the Case Manager believes the client meets the criteria for a loan;
- explains loan terms and conditions to clients and manages loan agreement signing with clients;
- liaises with Finance team members to set up loan repayments;
- maintains contact with clients over the period of loan repayments to manage issues arising during loan repayment and to ensure successful repayment of the loan in full;
- holds a small shared caseload with the Rent Bank Case Manager, of clients who have graduated from intensive case management programs;
- Attends weekly case review and team meetings with the Homelessness Services team.
In addition to the client-facing responsibilities of this role, the Rent Bank Case Manager is responsible for:
- Maintaining program statistics and reports and working collaboratively with other Rent Bank support roles to ensure the success of the program;
- Providing regular updates to CMHA Kelowna management of CORB statistics and key learnings;
- Actively participating in, as the representative of the Central Okanagan Rent Bank, in the network of BC rent banks as facilitated by BC Rent Bank;
- Exploring funding opportunities through direct asks to developers, donors, private companies, and other relevant agencies;
- Acting as the main contact for general enquiries about the Rent Bank program from local service agencies, companies and potential donors;
- Attending relevant meetings and conferences with a direct focus on housing issues;
- Maintaining program forms and marketing materials, as needed; and
- Participating in program evaluation activities as assigned.
- Work closely and collaboratively with the Rent Bank Case Manager, the Market Rental Coordinator, and Finance Department to ensure continuity of services;
The Rent Bank Case Manager interacts with, and is supported in his/her role, by the following individuals or groups:
- CMHA Kelowna Finance team – the finance department is responsible for the financial aspects of Rent Bank loans including cheque issuance, repayment setup and tracking, loan balance reporting and financial reporting relating to the Rent Bank’s operations.
- Rent Bank Loan Committee/Approver(s) – an individual or group that reviews all client applications, as recommended by the Case Manager, in order to decide if a loan will be approved for the client.
- CMHA Kelowna Communications team – maintains/updates CORB information available on the CMHA Kelowna website and manages all contact with media.
- BC Rent Bank (the organization) and other rent banks in the BC networks – these groups provide support, advice and training to Rent Bank Case Managers as well as continued enhancements to rent bank systems operated by BC Rent Bank that CORB uses.
YOUR STRENGTHS AND EXPERIENCE:
- A 4-year degree from a recognized post-secondary institution in Social Work, Human Services, Health Sciences, or other related programs. A relevant two-year diploma plus extensive experience in a related field may also be considered.
- Experience providing services for at-risk and/or marginalized populations.
- Experience in a non-profit organization is an asset.
- Ability to function effectively in difficult, emotionally charged, and/or crisis situations is required.
- Willingness to work holistically with clients to help them access a range of services, depending on needs identified through assessment.
- Comfortable with basic financial concepts and tools such as household budgets, comparing income vs expenses, credit, debt, interest and loans.
- Familiarity with, or willingness to learn and understand basic loan contract terms and conditions.
- Ability to explain the rent bank loan and loan agreement in simple, easy-to-understand terms to clients.
- Comfortable working with computer applications; strong computer skills an asset.
- Knowledge of local resources related to housing, social and financial services is an asset.
- Clear criminal records check.
To apply for this opportunity, please forward a cover letter and resume to Lisa Blue, HR Manager at [email protected].
As an employer, CMHA Kelowna strives to create a workplace that respects and values all individuals, minimizes bias, and promotes the equity, diversity, and inclusion of different perspectives and ideas. At CMHA Kelowna, that means welcoming diversity in mental health, race, ethnicity, and culture. It also means diverse abilities, age, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, gender identities, education, marital status, language, and physical appearance. These values are embedded in the work CMHA Kelowna does every day.
We appreciate and thank all applicants for their interest, however only short-listed candidates and those legally eligible to work in Canada will be contacted.
