About Project Hope Boston

For over 40 years, Project HOPE Boston, Inc. (PHB) has been a leader in advancing housing stability and economic mobility for families in Roxbury and North Dorchester. Founded in 1981 by the Little Sisters of the Assumption in response to the family homelessness crisis, PHB has grown from a family shelter into a comprehensive community hub offering job training, adult education, housing counseling, and empowerment programs.

Located on Dudley Street in Boston’s first LEED Silver-certified building, PHB combines innovation with a deep commitment to social equity, addressing the Social Determinants of Health to drive transformative change. With programs rooted in racial equity and a steadfast dedication to the community, PHB continues to open doors of opportunity for families across Boston.

Position Summary

The Housing Family Partner (Homelessness Prevention Specialist) provides intensive, family-centered case management to households at risk of or experiencing homelessness, helping them stabilize their housing and build a path to long-term stability. Reporting to the Director of Operations, the Housing Family Partner serves families referred for homelessness-prevention services through partner agencies, families who access eviction-prevention funding and services through Project HOPE Boston’s community walk-in process, and other families assigned by their supervisor.

The role combines crisis intervention, resource navigation, and sustained follow-up, with a strong emphasis on tenancy preservation and on connecting individuals to benefits and community supports.

Key Responsibilities

Assessment & Service Planning

•     Conduct in-depth, trauma-informed client assessments in a thoughtful and compassionate manner.

•     Develop Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs) with each client, setting goals that lead to long-term housing stability.

•     Identify potential housing solutions and resources for each client and partner with the client to determine next steps.

Homelessness & Eviction Prevention

•     Assist clients with applications for eviction-prevention and emergency housing assistance, including RAFT (Residential Assistance for Families in Transition) and HomeBASE, submitted through the Commonwealth’s Housing Help Hub and Regional Administering Agencies.

•     Collect and organize the documentation required by each funding source.

•     Maintain constructive communication with property owners and mediate tenant–landlord disputes as needed, including support through the Massachusetts summary process (eviction) timeline and court-connected mediation.

•     Assist clients with housing search where needed and support program participants in establishing and sustaining successful tenancies.

Benefits, Financial & Workforce Navigation

•     Determine which programs, services, and benefits a family may be eligible for, and assist the family with the application process.

•     Support clients in building money-management skills, such as budgeting and savings plans.

•     Assess education and workforce-development needs and make referrals to PHB’s Adult Education and Workforce Development departments or to external adult basic education, job-readiness, and employment programs.

Documentation & Data

•     Enter all required data into the Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) system, including HUD assessments, the Project HOPE assessment, case notes, and housing-placement and eviction-prevention touchpoints.

•     Maintain accurate, confidential client records in keeping with funder and agency requirements.

Follow-Up & Community Partnership

•     Maintain regular contact with clients for 12–18 months following housing intervention to support sustained stability.

•     Cultivate knowledge of area resources and benefit programs, build strong professional linkages, and participate in established collaborations with other agencies.

•     Make appropriate referrals and meet with representatives of partner agencies to ensure efficient, effective service delivery.

Team Participation

•     Participate in staff and team activities, including Housing and Case Management staff meetings and trainings.

•     Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Qualifications

Required

•     Strong commitment to Project HOPE Boston’s mission, values, and dedication to racial equity.

•     Minimum of three years of eviction-prevention and/or housing-search experience.

•     Proven ability to work successfully with high-risk families and culturally diverse populations, with knowledge of poverty-related issues and resources.

•     Ability to establish and leverage critical community resources and build strong professional linkages.

•     Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to build healthy relationships while maintaining well-established professional boundaries with families.

•     Excellent written and oral communication skills.

•     Excellent organizational and time-management skills.

•     Experience with data collection, report writing, and outcome-driven programs.

Preferred

•     Bachelor’s degree in social work or a related field.

•     Knowledge of the Massachusetts eviction process and tenants’ rights.

•     Familiarity with state housing-assistance programs and resources (e.g., RAFT, HomeBASE, EOHLC).

•     Bilingual (Spanish) candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Systems & Equipment

•     Microsoft Office Suite: Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams

•     Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) database

•     Salesforce CRM

•     Commonwealth housing-assistance portals (e.g., Housing Help Hub), as applicable

•     Zoom and other video-conferencing platforms

•     General office equipment: computer, phone, copier

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

•     In-person role based at PHB’s Dudley Street location, with regular community-based meetings, home visits, and partner- or court-site visits.

•     Occasional availability outside standard business hours to respond to client needs; reliable transportation for community-based work is helpful.

•     Regularly required to sit, stand, and move about the office and program spaces; ability to lift items up to 25 pounds occasionally.

Project HOPE Boston, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity in its workforce. Candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Consistent with applicable law, PHB does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, age, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.