THE ORGANIZATION
The Center for Court Innovation is committed to reducing crime and incarceration, addressing violence, supporting survivors, and building communities while strengthening public trust in justice. The Center seeks justice for marginalized groups, bringing an equity lens – particularly a racial and gender equity lens – to its work. For 25 years, the Center has worked to foster justice and equity to create safe, healthy, and thriving communities and, ultimately, to transform the justice system.
The Center is an 800-employee, $100 million nonprofit that accomplishes its vision through three pillars of work: creating and scaling operating programs to test new ideas and solve problems, performing original research to determine what works (and what doesn’t), and providing expert assistance and policy guidance to justice reformers around the world.
Operating Programs
The Center’s operating programs, including the award-winning Red Hook Community Justice Center and Midtown Community Court, test new ideas, solve difficult problems, and attempt to achieve systemic change within the justice system. Our projects include community-based violence prevention programs, alternatives to incarceration, reentry initiatives, and court-based initiatives that reduce the use of unnecessary incarceration and promote positive individual and family change. Through this programming, we have produced tangible results like safer streets, reduced incarceration, and improved neighborhood perceptions of justice.
Research
Researchers at the Center conduct independent evaluations, documenting how government systems work, how neighborhoods function, and how reform efforts change things. We believe in the “action research” model; accordingly, our researchers provide regular feedback on the results of the Center’s own operating programs. The Center has published studies on topics including youth in the sex trade, reentry, gun violence, and drug treatment as an alternative to incarceration. Our researchers have been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals.
Policy & Expert Assistance
The Center provides hands-on, planning and implementation assistance to a wide range of jurisdictions in areas of reform such as problem-solving courts (e.g., community courts, treatment courts, domestic violence courts), tribal justice, reducing incarceration and the use of fines/fees and reducing crime and violence. Our current expert assistance takes many forms, including help with analyzing data, strategic planning and consultation, policy guidance, and hosting site visits to its operating programs in the New York City area.
THE OPPORTUNITY
The Harlem Community Justice Center (HCJC) is a project of the Center for Court Innovation and community court in East Harlem. The Justice Center's Help Center seeks to address housing instability and empower tenants with knowledge of tenant rights, court procedures, and helps residents navigate the court system and gain access to needed resources. The Help Center also works to provide community members the tools they need to advocate for themselves. The work of the Help Center helps to prevent eviction and litigation, and resolve apartment repair concerns.
The Harlem Community Justice Center is seeking a Housing Navigator to join the Housing Help Desk team to coordinate housing service needs for community residents and those with cases in housing court. Reporting to the Project Manager, Housing & Civil Justice, the Housing Navigator will be responsible for outreach and engagement of community residents and connecting them to the services of the Help Center at the Harlem Community Justice Center. The ideal candidate for this role will have a background of lived or work experience in housing advocacy, services or organizing.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Assist housing court litigants to understand, file and respond to housing court cases in partnership with court’s clerk’s office and legal services;
- Provide individualized case management services and support to high-needs and at-risk housing court litigants, tenants and community members;
- Assist community members with appointment booking with the onsite NYC Human Resource Administration, legal providers and other services;
- Attend housing court proceedings to facilitate problem-solving justice and access to Help Center services on rent, repairs and holdover cases;
- Assist tenants and the housing court with coordination of court ordered access date follow up;
- Respond to repair hazards through documenting violations, communicating access dates, and facilitating compliance with court orders in coordination with landlords, tenants and the court;
- Champion eviction prevention strategies, including but not limited to lease recertifications, tenant grievances, rental assistance applications, court attendance, education on affordability rules, financial empowerment, conflict resolution, etc;
- Assist with the planning and execution of the Help Center and Justice Center community events, outreach and court services;
- Participate in community outreach to promote the Housing Help Center and Harlem Community Justice Center, providing information on tenants’ rights and responsibilities and relevant available programs and resources;
- Assist with the facilitation of community workshops and trainings on housing and civil justice topics in collaboration with legal service providers and advocacy organizations;
- Assist the Project Manager and Help Desk Coordinator with training and managing day to day tasks of AmeriCorps members and interns;
- Represent the Harlem Community Justice Center at tenant association and community meetings, and cultivate neighborhood partnerships to ensure meaningful referrals to Help Center services;
- Keep detailed case notes in case management system and ensure high quality tracking of all Help Center client work;
- Attend all required staff meetings and trainings;
- Other relevant duties, as assigned.
Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have an Associate's or Bachelor’s degree and at least 2 years' experience with human services community organizing, and/or related housing experience. Related experience may include internships, volunteer positions, peer advocate training programs, community leadership positions, and/or participation in community groups such as tenants’ associations. Other qualifications include:
- The ideal candidate will have lived experience within public housing, ties to the East Harlem community, and have an interest in housing justice;
- Strong knowledge of housing court, city agency, and community-based resources and service providers;
- Willingness to work non-traditional hours, including some evenings and weekends;
- The ideal candidate will be a self- directed, dynamic facilitator who feels comfortable working with a wide range of people, and experience with housing advocacy, organizing and/or court;
- Candidate must be a skilled communicator able to maintain strong relationships with multiple agencies;
- Strong verbal and written communication skills;
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office is required;
- Bilingual (English-Spanish) required;
- Must show a demonstrated interest and ability to integrate equitable practices in court and community spaces;
- Must be able to articulate a commitment to racial equity and how they integrate practices into their work.
Position Type: Full-Time, in-person. Candidates must be available to work occasional nights and weekends as necessary.
Compensation: The compensation range for this position is $24.36 - $30.32 per hour based on a 35-hour work week and is commensurate with experience. This position is eligible for overtime at 1.5x the hourly rate above 40 hours per week. The Center for Court Innovation offers an excellent benefits package including comprehensive healthcare with a national network, free basic dental coverage, vision insurance, short-term and long-term disability, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts including commuter FSA. We prioritize mental health care for our staff and offer services like Talkspace and Ginger through our healthcare plans. We offer a 403(b) retirement plan with a two-to-one employer contribution up to 5%.
The Center for Court Innovation is an equal opportunity employer. The Center does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, national origin, age, military service eligibility, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other category protected by law. We strongly encourage and seek applications from women, people of color, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities as well as individuals with prior contact with the criminal justice system.
As of September 9, 2021, all new hires are required to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, unless they have been granted a reasonable accommodation for medical, disability or religious reasons by the Center’s Human Resources Department.
In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete an employment eligibility verification document form upon hire. Only applicants under consideration will be contacted. No phone calls please.