Our Organization:
Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) is the largest provider of free civil legal services in the country. Our mission is to advance society’s promise to its most vulnerable members: that they are entitled to equal access to our legal system. For over 50 years, we have provided civil legal services that help our clients meet their essential needs and have challenged the systemic injustices that keep them poor.
LSNYC prides itself on its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) efforts. As a social justice organization, we are committed to fighting for a workplace that is as diverse, equitable, and inclusive as possible for everyone. Our DEIB committee and numerous affinity groups work to foster collegial relationships among staff and allow staff to explore and advocate for racial justice and antioppression growth within our organization and through our legal work. All employees are expected to learn about, seek to understand, and work to realize our DEIB goals.
Our Housing and Public Benefits Practices
The Right to Counsel law was passed in 2017 after a successful tenant-led campaign by tenant organizers, advocacy groups, and legal services organizations. The law provides income-eligible tenants who are sued for eviction in housing court with the right to an attorney to defend their case.
LSNYC’s Right to Counsel staff focuses on implementing the right to counsel, providing zealous tenant representation to low-income New Yorkers in housing court. Through our community lawyering approach, LSNYC works with clients to defend eviction proceedings, stabilize their housing, and remain in their neighborhoods.
Many of our housing clients facing eviction require public benefits assistance to fully resolve their cases and stabilize their housing long-term. To provide this assistance, LSNYC has public benefits experts that fight to retain, obtain, or increase critical public benefits, including emergency rental arrears assistance, cash public assistance, SNAP/Food Stamps, WIC, HASA benefits, and rent subsidies (such as FHEPS and CityFHEPS).
Our housing and public benefits staff work hand in hand to achieve the greatest results for our clients and provide the highest quality holistic services.
The Opportunity
The Citywide Deputy Director, Housing-Public Benefits Initiative will lead and manage a new citywide initiative to provide additional public benefits advocacy to our clients facing eviction. Our public benefits staff citywide will be working with housing attorneys and community partners to prevent evictions, maximize benefits in the household, and eliminate barriers to promote longer-term stability for families and individuals.
The Citywide Deputy Director, Housing-Public Benefits Initiative responsibilities include:
- Working with the staff citywide to promote a cohesive, strategic, and innovative citywide practice;
- Fostering and communicating a vision for public benefits advocacy on behalf of clients facing eviction;
- Providing expertise to LSNYC advocates on public benefits related to housing preservation;
- Taking high-level responsibility for the staffing and budgeting for the initiative;
- Coordinating and participating in working groups and advocacy efforts focused on making systemic changes that better serve clients seeking public benefits related to their housing;
- Facilitating regular meetings of the citywide public benefits initiative staff;
- Managing the contracts that fund this initiative; and
- Advancing LSNYC’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Work The Citywide Deputy Director is part of the Legal Support Unit and reports to LSNYC’s Citywide Housing Director.
Experience & Qualifications:
We seek a candidate with the following:
- A compelling vision of how the Housing-Public Benefits Initiative can advance housing justice and the rights of low-income people and communities;
- A demonstrated passion for social justice and a commitment to working with low-income communities, including communities of color and LGBTQIA+ communities to advance equity;
- Experience in coordinating systems development and implementation, hiring, training, stakeholder relationships, and other core practice management functions;
- A minimum of 5 years of experience providing civil legal services to low-income people or comparable relevant experience;
- At least 3 years of experience in public benefits;
- Excellent analytical, writing, and communication skills;
- Strong organizational skills and ability to supervise a diverse, fast-paced, and high-volume caseload;
- Demonstrated skills in collaboration and consensus-building;
- Excellent leadership skills; and
- An ability to communicate effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
How to Apply:
Please apply for this position with a cover letter, resume, three references, and a recent writing sample at https://boards.greenhouse.io/legalservicesnyc/jobs/4315758006
Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. No telephone calls.
Salary Range (Based on years’ experience): $112,000 – $178,000