Housing & Settlement Coordinator

NOC 42201 – Social and community service workers

Reporting relationship: This position reports to the Housing & Settlement Manager

Hours of work: full-time (5 days/week) generally 9am-5pm and one hour for lunch. Some flexibility. Occasional evenings and weekends.

About Romero House:

Romero House is a community of welcome for newly arrived refugee claimants in Toronto. We are a charitable organisation offering transitional housing and immigration and settlement support in the spirit of good neighbours, valuing dignity, mutuality, and care. We are a diverse community where all are welcome. Romero House is unique in that we are not only a housing and settlement service provider but an intentional community (some of our staff live in our housing) very connected to our neighbourhood and each other.

Job purpose:

The Housing and Settlement Coordinator accompanies refugee claimant individuals and families during their year at Romero House, with a particular focus on supporting their transition into stable, long-term housing. The role centres on building trusting relationships with residents, helping them navigate the housing market, access benefits and community resources, and develop the knowledge and confidence needed to move successfully into independent living.

Working closely with residents throughout their stay, the Coordinator supports housing planning from early assessment through move-out, while also contributing to intake, settlement support, volunteer coordination, and community programming. This position combines direct accompaniment, practical problem-solving, and systems navigation to help residents move toward long-term stability and belonging in Toronto.

Duties and responsibilities:

Housing Search Support & Case Management

• Support claimants in exploring housing options and developing individualized housing plans
• Assist with budgeting, housing search strategies, and defining housing criteria
• Meet regularly with claimants to monitor progress and address barriers
• Ensure claimants have a general understanding of the housing market, tenant rights, and relevant housing laws
• Maintain relationships with landlords, property managers, realtors, and housing agencies
• Advocate for claimants during housing searches, including negotiating leases and rental agreements
• Guide claimants through the move-out process from Romero House and transition to permanent housing
• Assist with housing-related documentation and applications
• Coordinate volunteers to help with apartments searches, viewings, language interpretation, transportation and other tasks as needed
• Recruit, train and onboard Housing Search volunteers
• Develop and deliver structured training and orientation sessions

System Navigation & Benefits Access

• Assess eligibility and support applications for benefits (Ontario Works and Housing Stabilization Fund, Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB), Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) housing and others as available).
• Refer claimants to other social services or assist claimants in locating and utilising community resources

Program Coordination & Data Management

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date claimant records, files, and case notes
• Track and maintain accurate and up-to-date program data, metrics, and outcomes for reporting purposes
• Contribute to program evaluation, reporting, and continuous improvement efforts
• Identify opportunities to improve workflows, documentation, and service delivery systems

Workshops & Community Engagement

• Plan, schedule and facilitate workshops for claimants on housing rights, financial education, mental health, and promote the workshops and increase participant engagement
• Facilitate Housing Search Workshops for clients of partner organizations
• Actively participate in and help plan community events, gatherings, and initiatives within Romero House and with external partners

Intake & Organizational Support

• Provide settlement services to refugee claimants who live outside Romero House, as needed
• Supervise intake students and volunteers, providing ongoing feedback
• Develop and deliver training and orientation sessions for intake students and volunteers
• Participate actively in intake program planning and evaluation
• Support integration between intake, housing, and settlement services

Partnership Development

• Build and maintain relationships with refugee-serving organizations and partners
• Represent Romero House in external meetings and community spaces, as required
• Strengthen community partnerships by identifying opportunities for collaboration, joint events, and shared initiatives

Other Duties

• Contribute to a positive, respectful, and inclusive community environment
• Actively contributes to building a strong, engaged community through participation in events, activities, and shared spaces
• Such other responsibilities as may be assigned

Qualifications (Required)

• Proficiency in English
• Proficiency with computers
• Experience in a social service environment as an employee, placement student, or volunteer OR experience in relevant educational programs such as social work, social service work, immigration and settlement studies, or psychology
• Ability to manage multiple responsibilities independently and as part of a team

Assets (Helpful but not required)

• Proficiency in other languages, especially Spanish
• Experience working in diverse communities
• Self awareness with respect to power, privilege, and prejudice and tools to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion
• Experience living at Romero House
• Proficiency with Google Workspace, including Google Sheets
• Experience with digital translation tools such as Google Translate
• Experience with Salesforce or similar client records management software

Working conditions

• Working indoors
• Working with vulnerable populations including recent migrants, low-income, trauma survivors, non-English speaking
• Communicating with claimants using digital translation tools, volunteer and professional interpreters
• Hybrid work (combination of office work, offsite work, and work-from-home (if desired)). Office location, minimum 3 days/week: 1558 Bloor Street West, Toronto
• Frequent use of email and instant messaging
• Frequent face-to-face meetings and phone calls
• Frequent individual work and regular team work
• Meeting twice weekly for team reflection, with an openness to expression of spirituality
• Some travel may be required

Compensation

• $52,500.00 annual salary
• 3% RRSP contribution
• $2,000 Health Spending Account
• Employee Assistant Program including 24/7 crisis counselling
• Personal cell phone plan reimbursement up to $50/month

Equity:

We provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees and do not discriminate on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, record of offences (pardoned), marital status, family status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by local law.

We particularly encourage applications from minoritized groups, including people with experiences of migration, people of colour, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ2+ community, and those with varied areas of expertise and lived experiences.

Accessibility:

We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.