JANELL ROYAL

Housing Specialist

Abode Services

12.2023 - Current

Providing housing placement, renter’s insurance, and assistance for participants, while networking with landlords, renter’s associations, property management businesses and county wide permanent housing providers. Provide notices of contract renewals and rental adjustments.
Assist with the approval of all leases and help execute Housing Assistance Payment contracts with landlords, and ensure the accurate distribution of subsidy payments to landlords as needed.
Provide move-in support for program teams, including perform or arrange for Housing Quality Inspections (HQS’s) prior to move-in, negotiate lease start date, review /approval of lease terms, coordinate housewarming furniture move, get documentation from landlord for check request, prepare move in documentation, upload housing documentation to Welcome Mat housing database.
Participate as a member of the service team by attending case conference meetings, assisting service staff in evaluation of participant’s housing readiness, reducing housing barriers and status of unit availability.
Maintain contact with participants, monitor progress, report, and refer to team members as necessary after housing is secured.
Provide aid and expertise to landlords or service staff for conflict resolution and problem solving.
Ensure that all regulatory agreements, contracts, and fair housing laws are met as they relate to housing, and attend staff meetings and other agency functions as needed.
Fostering vigorous relationships with owners, property managers, investors, and developers to ensure families secure housing and remain stably housed.
Coordinate with external contract partners, such as San Francisco’s Homeless and Supportive Housing or SF CalWORKS, La Casa shelter.
Facilitate meetings, team participation, and outreach events.
Liaison for the Hamilton Families Family shelter program and Transitional Housing Program.
Executes & currently certified HQS inspector. Conducting according to HUD Housing Quality Standards (HQS). This includes initial, annual, move-out, and Quality Control special inspections. Inspections are used to determine the safety and habitability of external and internal conditions of dwellings.
Educating Families on lead paint acknowledgment, home inspections, leases, work orders, tenant rights, and fair housing laws, and ensuring a smooth and comprehensive unit turnover process.
Unit acquisition – Marketing, landlord engagement, Cultivating and maintaining accurate documentation of all landlords, and vendors, and managing all available housing units within the Salesforce database, manage tickets on a Zendesk platform.
Ensure families are successfully paired with housing opportunities that meet their specific needs. Record, track, and disseminate information on identified available housing units. Make regular data entries and maintain the housing resources database.
Processing Letter of intent, unit viewings, application review, screening, and finalization of move-in. Act as a facilitator, ensuring an efficient housing process from unit acquisition to lease-up.
Property Owner Verification – Research property profiles, deeds, and local and state public records on ownership information including local fictitious business names, state corporate entities, and other public sources.
Market Analysis - Create and maintain resource guides on the Bay Area housing market, local landlords, tenant rights, eviction prevention, financial advice, and other topics to assist families in securing and maintaining housing.
Unit management - Repairs and mediation, provide updates of Federal, State, and Local fair housing laws & eviction prevention, promoting a healthy landlord-tenant relationship.
Collaborate with Hamilton Families Housing Services staff to support client housing placement and retention, including assisting participants and landlords with mediating and resolving conflicts in coordination with Housing Services staff.