EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Housing Team Lead

Full-time position

Contract to March 31, 2026 with the possibility of extension

Context

Over 1/3 of homeless people in Ottawa are Indigenous. Both homeless and “houseless” have negative connotations… at Wabano, we see our role more as “path finders”. Whether clients need help finding or keeping their home, our team is here to help clients create a safe, cozy place that they can feel pride in calling home.

Wabano has been providing these kinds of “path-finding” services to the Indigenous community in Ottawa for over 20 years. The “Home Team” has grown large enough to now have a second Team Lead. This second Team Lead will oversee a team of six housing workers. These housing workers provide a diverse range of services to Indigenous clients in need of housing including case management, outreach, mental health support and rent supplements. Wabano’s Housing team works collaboratively within the Indigenous-specific coordinated access system in Ottawa. (See Appendix for more information on this system.)

Are you inspired by the work of grassroots initiatives? Does the thought of creating a new team excite you? Are you looking for work where you see you impact every day? Then this could be the role for you.

The Role

As the Housing Team Lead, you will support and empower your team to provide stellar care to Indigenous people living on the streets, in shelters, or couch-surfing. The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of client care and creating an inspiring team environment with an open communication culture.

To meet these responsibilities, the Housing Team Lead will:

• Teach and support team members in case management processes, guiding them through complex client situations and ensuring that care is always high quality and culturally based.
• Manage team caseloads, balancing total number of clients with high- and low-acuity needs.
• Case manage a small caseload of clients yourself.
• Generate reports to monitor staff performance and team targets, sharing results with the team.
• Use technology to hold meetings and communicate effectively with partners.
• Provide day-to-day supervision including approving vacation leave, sick leave etc.
• Assist management with hiring and orienting new team members.
• Support the Housing Director, acting as manager when Director is out of the office.
• Act as back up for rent supplements program when the other Team Lead is out of the office.

Qualifications:

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Housing Team Lead

Full-time position

Contract to March 31, 2026 with the possibility of extension

Context

Over 1/3 of homeless people in Ottawa are Indigenous. Both homeless and “houseless” have negative connotations… at Wabano, we see our role more as “path finders”. Whether clients need help finding or keeping their home, our team is here to help clients create a safe, cozy place that they can feel pride in calling home.

Wabano has been providing these kinds of “path-finding” services to the Indigenous community in Ottawa for over 20 years. The “Home Team” has grown large enough to now have a second Team Lead. This second Team Lead will oversee a team of six housing workers. These housing workers provide a diverse range of services to Indigenous clients in need of housing including case management, outreach, mental health support and rent supplements. Wabano’s Housing team works collaboratively within the Indigenous-specific coordinated access system in Ottawa. (See Appendix for more information on this system.)

Are you inspired by the work of grassroots initiatives? Does the thought of creating a new team excite you? Are you looking for work where you see you impact every day? Then this could be the role for you.

The Role

As the Housing Team Lead, you will support and empower your team to provide stellar care to Indigenous people living on the streets, in shelters, or couch-surfing. The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of client care and creating an inspiring team environment with an open communication culture.

To meet these responsibilities, the Housing Team Lead will:

• Teach and support team members in case management processes, guiding them through complex client situations and ensuring that care is always high quality and culturally based.
• Manage team caseloads, balancing total number of clients with high- and low-acuity needs.
• Case manage a small caseload of clients yourself.
• Generate reports to monitor staff performance and team targets, sharing results with the team.
• Use technology to hold meetings and communicate effectively with partners.
• Provide day-to-day supervision including approving vacation leave, sick leave etc.
• Assist management with hiring and orienting new team members.
• Support the Housing Director, acting as manager when Director is out of the office.
• Act as back up for rent supplements program when the other Team Lead is out of the office.

Qualifications:

Required:

Proven ability to manage a team:

• Post-secondary completion in relevant field OR equivalent work/lived experience
• Lead staff through case management processes and provide ongoing support and training.
• Strong Leadership and effective people management skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with exceptional attention to details.
• Excellent time management skills, ability to multi-task and prioritize

Proven ability to case manage clients:

• 2+ years of experience with client case management.
• Proficiency with technology and client database systems.
• Ability to function in an environment where you are hearing/witnessing client traumas, dealing with disruptive client behaviour and crises; ability to de-escalate these situations.
• Demonstrated success developing and implementing client services and supports
• Ability to work occasional flexible hours including evenings and weekends
• Clear criminal reference check to work with vulnerable population

Asset:

• Indigenous ancestry
• Experience in with Indigenous communities and/or organizations.
• Experience working with homeless communities
• Experience in HR processes: interviewing and performance management.
• Knowledge of housing sector in Ottawa (i.e. drop-in centres, shelters for referral process)
• Knowledge of Indigenous organizations in Ottawa
• A valid Ontario class “G” or equivalent license with a clean driver’s abstract.

Salary:

Range $60,000 – $65,000 per year + Benefits

Why Work for Us:

You would be a part of a collaborative and supportive work environment. Additionally, you would have access to:

• Collaborative and Supportive Work Environment;
• Comprehensive Group Health and Dental Insurance Coverage
• A Defined Benefit Pension Plan/ Employee Pension Plan with an equal contribution by Wabano (HOOPP)
• A Wellness Spending Account (Renewed Annually)
• Critical Illness Coverage
• An Employee Assistance Program
• Four (4) weeks paid vacation time

Application Details

Please submit your application to jobs@wabano.com. Application materials include a cover letter and resume. This opportunity will remain open until filled, so tell us your story early!

Wabano is an inclusive and equitable organization, encouraging applications from qualified women and men, including persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities. The position is open to all qualified applicants, although preference will be given to candidates of Indigenous ancestry (please self-identify in your application).

Successful applicants will be required to provide a criminal reference check to work with a vulnerable population.

Wabano is committed to providing employment accommodation in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. If contacted for an employment opportunity or interviewing, please advise if you require accommodation.

We thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

Appendix

What is a coordinated access system?

From Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy Directives

A coordinated access system is the process by which individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness are directed to community-level access points where trained workers use a common assessment tool to evaluate the individual or family’s depth of need, prioritize them for housing support services and then help to match them to available housing focused interventions.

Quality coordinated access systems share several features, including a centralized database that collects and displays real-time data on clients and available housing and supports; clear access points of entry; common assessment; standardized protocols; and resources (for example, staff) focused on ensuring that people can connect with appropriate housing and housing supports in an efficient manner.

Definitions:

• Access: the engagement point for the individual or family experiencing a housing crisis. This may include emergency shelters, mobile outreach teams, day centres, other community-based organizations and hotlines.
• Assessment: the process of gathering information about an individual or family accessing the crisis system.
• Prioritization: the process of determining the individual’s or family’s priority for housing based on information gathered through the assessment.
• Matching and referral: the process whereby the individual or family is matched to and offered housing based on project-specific eligibility, needs and preferences

Indigenous Coordinated Access System in Ottawa

There are three Indigenous organizations in Ottawa who are funded to implement coordinated access in Ottawa: Wabano, Minwaashin and TI (Tungasuvvingat Inuit).

Currently, everyone who is homeless initially goes through City. The City then refers any Indigenous clients to Wabano. Wabano is responsible to match the client to the appropriate services/agencies. This includes Indigenous agencies who have been funded for coordinated access (Minwaashin and TI) as well as other housing partners who are part of ACAB.