Housing Counselor

St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners is seeking a Housing Counselor for our well-established Housing and Community Development Department, which is a division of St. Johns County Health and Human Services, located in beautiful St. Augustine, Florida.

St. Johns County residents enjoy a healthy quality of life with many perks including one of the top rated public school systems in the State of Florida, miles of beach shoreline, peaceful estuary scenery of the St. Johns River, long established agriculture and equestrian scene, and the nation's oldest city, historic St. Augustine. In 2019 St. Johns County was ranked the 10th fastest growing county in the United States showcasing that there is truly something for everyone in St. Johns County!

The Housing & Community Development Division is responsible for the promotion, development, preservation and administration of affordable housing programs, initiatives and policies in St. Johns County. These programs are designed for both single family, multifamily households and developers. Housing & Community Development also assists with related community development issues such as infrastructure and roads.

The ideal Housing Counselor candidate must possess St. Johns County's core values of compassion, innovation, and trustworthiness and must work well in a collaborative team environment. Some of the specific tasks include but are not limited to:

• Confers with clients to assess level of financial baseline knowledge; available monthly income after living expenses to meet credit obligations; responsibilities of home ownership; etc. Determines and calculates the feasibility of a debt management plan based on clients' and creditors' ability to participate. Interviews may be in person or by telephone.

• Screens and enrolls potential clients in the St. Johns County Homeownership Program.

• Provides on-going counseling and case management to assist clients with setting financial goals, customizing personal budgets, developing a written action plan to meet credit obligations, and other problem-solving assistance.

• Provides information and referrals to consumers to internal resources, community resources, and other organizations.

• Provides information to clients including, but not limited to, credit education, credit reports, housing issues, consumer protection laws, student loans. Answers incoming calls from consumers; discusses agency services, and schedules appointments for appropriate services, as necessary.

• Develops and facilitates ongoing schedule of six-week courses in financial literacy and budgeting, and classes in Homebuyer Education, which involve public speaking. These classes are generally held outside normal business hours to include weekends and evenings.

• Completes case assessments, generates and distributes related correspondence and reports, and inputs data as required by funding agency contract.

• Maintains a full-time presence on the job.

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Candidates for the Housing Counselor are encouraged to apply if they meet the following minimum qualifications:

• Knowledge and level of competency commonly associated with completion of specialized training in the field of work, in addition to basic skills typically associated with a high school education. National Credit Counseling Certification as a Credit Counselor or a baccalaureate degree in a related field of study is preferred.

• Experience sufficient to thoroughly understand the work of case management positions to be able to answer questions and resolve problems, usually interpreted to require at least two years of related experience.

• Must obtain and maintain certification as a Notary Public within six months of date of hire.

• Must possess and maintain a valid Florida driver's license and any other endorsements necessary to legally operate vehicles used while assigned to this position.

• Must possess good interpersonal and communication skills in order to serve others.

• Must be able to comprehend, speak and write the English language.

• Must be able to operate a computer.

NOTE TO APPLICANTS:

Candidates may apply through St. Johns County's Online Application System: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/sjcfl 

Applications must be submitted through St. Johns County's Online Application System in order to be considered. Paper documents, emailed resumes or otherwise are not accepted in lieu of an application. All applications must be submitted before the advertised closing date.

St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners is a drug free workplace and equal opportunity employer.

All employment actions are taken without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, handicap, disability, marital status, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information.