Director of Supportive Housing

About Lighthouse

Lighthouse MI is a growing non-profit, established in 2019 when Lighthouse of Oakland County and South Oakland Shelter joined forces to offer a stronger collective response to poverty in our Metro Detroit community. With over 80 years of combined experience, Lighthouse serves as a beacon of hope to our neighbors who need it most by offering assistance with emergency basic needs alongside housing programs and supportive services designed to support long-term economic stability. Lighthouse owns and operates Spero Housing Group, a subsidiary non-profit dedicated specifically to developing and operating high quality affordable and supportive housing for persons of low and moderate income, as well as HandUp, a community and crowdfunding platform serving 100+ homeless service agencies and their clients across the United States.

Position Summary

Lighthouse is hiring a full-time Director of Supportive Housing to lead the overarching strategy and daily operations within Lighthouse’s supportive and transitional housing programs. The Director will serve as the primary contact for key partners including funders, direct various program operations, oversee programmatic outcomes, assist in developing our organizational budget by developing and carrying out program level budgets, partner with the Oakland County and Detroit Continuum of Care's (CoC), and be tasked with the responsibility of securing and managing new and existing program grants and foundation support.

Programs within the Supportive Housing Department are largely HUD funded Continuum of Care (CoC) programs spanning both Oakland County and the City of Detroit. The department is responsible for providing housing and supportive services that engage individuals and families long-term, and support them as they work toward regaining housing and stability after experiencing homelessness. Core programs include place-based and scattered-site Transitional Housing (TH) for women and children experiencing homelessness and/or escaping a domestic violence situation; place-based and scattered-site Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) that support households experiencing chronic homelessness; and various Eviction Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing programs. In total, these programs provide housing assistance and supportive services to over 150 households at any given time with HUD contracts totaling nearly $2M.

The Director must understand each of these programs and properly train program managers and leads to competently carryout the daily operations of each service within a housing-first, client-centered, and trauma service approach. The Director should be well organized, personable, as well as mission-driven and community oriented. The ideal individual will have the ability to exercise good judgment in a variety of situations, be familiar with HUD CoC rules and regulations, and have strong leadership and organizational skills.

Responsibilities: Staff Leadership

• Supervise program management and team leads across multiple locations,

• Coach and mentor team members to assist them with professional development plans,

• Lead and rally team around operational and strategic goals and visions,

• Facilitate ongoing team meetings, as needed

• Facilitate trainings across programs and locations to ensure staff have the tools to complete their jobs and to maintain an effective cohesive team that efficiently delivers and improves services,

• Respond to client feedback and grievances as they relate to relevant programming,

• Hold team accountable to department goals, agency values and policies, and established roles and responsibilities, and

• Conduct annual performance reviews.

Responsibilities: Program Leadership and Development

• Inform, develop, lead, and monitor the overall Supportive Housing programing and department strategies and ensure alignment with Lighthouse’s greater mission and strategy,

• Work to ensure the financial sustainability of your programs and program growth. This includes building and maintaining funding relationships and seeking and applying for relevant grants and funds,

• Support LIHTC applications by informing Supportive Housing service models, scope of work, and partnerships,

• Ensure programs under your supervision are complaint with funding contracts, HUD regulations, and Lighthouse polices and procedures,

• Work to establish outcomes, benchmarks, and evaluation plan for department,

• Work with departmental managers to monitor, collect, and provide time-sensitive program output and outcome data.

• Assist with creating and managing program budgets including approving and tracking program related expenses,

• Work independently, with your supervisor, and with the development department to seek and secure funding and in-kind support,

• Gain an understanding of the greater homeless service systems and work to coordinate services across sectors for a stronger, positive impact on clients,

• Work with facilities team and department manager to ensure proper maintenance of Supportive Housing program locations,

• Lead and prepare for program audits,

• Create and update program manuals as needed and train staff accordingly,

• Lead the development of departmental work plans and ensure they are carried out accordingly.

Responsibilities: General

• Participate in internal and external task-forces and committees,

• Develop strong working relationships with local CoC partners,

• Foster and coordinate inter-agency collaborative solutions to help improve systems of care,

• Implement and enforce agency and office policies and values to maintain a safe, client-centered, and inclusive environment for clients, volunteers, and staff.

Minimum Qualifications

• Lived or professional experience working with people experiencing homelessness or levels of poverty in the US,

• Bachelor’s degree from a 4-year accredited college or university, or 9 years of relevant professional experience working in a non-profit setting,

• 5 years of relevant professional experience working in a non-profit setting,

• Ability to listen and accept feedback constructively,

• Ability to lead in a fast paced, demanding, constantly changing environment,

• Proficient in G Suite, HMIS, and Microsoft Office,

• Strong organizational skills that reflect ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks with attention to detail,

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with stakeholders, including staff and volunteers,

• Exceptional communication ability, both written and oral,

• Ability to build consensus and resolve conflict; exhibits willingness to have difficult conversations, and

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree from a 4-year accredited college or university

• 7+ years’ experience in a role directly or indirectly related to a human/social services and/or case management

• Experience working with CoC's and Coordinated Entry Systems

• HUD Certified Housing Counselor

• Knowledge of the social services landscape in Oakland County and surrounding areas,

• HMIS experience,

• Harm Reduction, Trauma Informed Care, Housing First, and SPDAT training

• Proven ability to work effectively with racially and ethnically diverse clients and teams

• Experience in managing and leading teams

• Ability to build consensus and resolve conflict; exhibits willingness to have difficult conversations

• Exceptional communication ability, both written and oral

• Ability to listen and accept feedback constructively

• Possess high emotional intelligence skills

• Unwavering personal integrity

• Ability to lead in a fast paced, demanding, constantly changing environment

Excellent benefit package including medical, dental, vision, life, matching 401(k), and more

This job description describes the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this position. It should not be construed as an exhaustive list of all required duties, responsibilities, and skills. Lighthouse is an equal opportunity employer, and does not discriminate against any qualified individual based on race, creed, religion, national origin, color, status as a veteran, gender or gender identity, sex, age, sexual preference or orientation, marital status, disability, income, weight, or any other basis prohibited by law.

Applicants should submit a cover letter and resume online via JobScore.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, until the position is filled.

No phone or e-mail inquiries, please.