Latino Economic Development Center

The Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) is a non-profit, tax-exempt community development organization founded in 1991. LEDC’s mission is to drive the economic and social advancement of low- to moderate-income Latinos and other D.C. area residents by equipping them with the skills and tools to achieve financial independence and become leaders in their communities. We achieve our mission through small business development and lending, homeownership counseling and affordable housing preservation.

Housing Counseling Program

LEDC is a HUD-certified housing counseling agency that helps families in the Metropolitan area, and Baltimore to buy their first home and save their homes from foreclosure. LEDC accomplishes these goals by providing financial capability education and counseling, first-time homebuyers group education and individual counseling, providing foreclosure counseling and loss mitigation support.

The Bilingual Housing Counselor will provide direct housing counseling and group education to LEDC clients around the home purchase process, financial capability, rental counseling, foreclosure prevention, and first-time homebuyer programs in the Metropolitan area, and Baltimore. The Bilingual Housing Counselor will work closely with the entire Housing Counseling Team and report to the Housing Counseling Program Manager- DC. The position requires the incumbent to work one day a week from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and at least one Saturday per month. The Bilingual Housing Counselor will be responsible for the following:

• Provide individual counseling to residents in the markets that LEDC operates to support them meeting their housing goals, including:
  • learning about their rights and obligations as tenants - Rental Counseling
  • taking care of their financial health, budgeting, establishing, and improving credit - Financial Capability
  • becoming homeowners - Pre-purchase
  • protecting and maintaining their investment - Foreclosure prevention and post-purchase in the markets that LEDC provides services

• Effective communication skills when interacting with clients through phone, email, text, in-person, and virtually.
• Analyze and discuss clients’ financial capacity to buy a home and create financial action plans with clients.
• Provide in-person or virtual counseling to residents ready to apply to the District of Columbia down payment assistance programs for first-time homebuyers, financial assistance for homeowners, and for renters, affordable units.
• Maintain constant communications with the professionals involved in the home buying process, such as underwriters, loan officers, realtors, and settlement agents, to support homebuyers.
• Provide technical assistance related to housing counseling, such as submitting and tracking paperwork for first-time homebuyer programs or foreclosure prevention.
• Document and track data related to housing counseling services utilizing Counselor Max and other applicable tools.
• Communicate effectively with underwriters for the down payment assistance programs for the collection of documents to ensure first-time homebuyer programs are granted through proper guidelines and procedures.
• Assist homeowners with applying to other post-purchase programs to prevent mortgage delinquencies and utility assistance programs.
• Conduct group workshops and presentations on home purchase, foreclosure prevention, and financial capability.
• Conduct community outreach for housing counseling services.
• Assist in the completion of reports for assigned programs in a timely and efficient manner.
• Participate in the housing counseling and foreclosure prevention efforts in the markets that LEDC operates.
• Documentation and case management procedures skills are required as well as best practices in the field of housing counseling.
• Obtain and keep NCHEC certifications in the housing counseling disciplines by attending training as needed for professional development, including occasional travel outside the DC area.

Location & Schedule

This position reports to our DC office, located at: 1401 Columbia Rd. NW, Unit C1, Washinton, DC 20009.

This is a full-time, exempt role which typically requires 40 hours per week, and requires the incumbent to work one day a week from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and at least one Saturday per month. Some travel is required.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree or 2-3 years commensurate work experience.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish, with the ability to write, speak, and communicate proficiently.
• Obtain the HUD-Housing Counseling Certification within 90 days of hire.
• Strong computer skills with proficiency in Client Management Systems, and Microsoft Office Suite with capacity to learn others.
• Organizational and time-management skills to meet deadlines and program goals.
• The ability to work a flexible schedule, which includes some evenings and Saturdays.
• Documentation and case management experience, preferably as related to housing counseling.
• Obtain and maintain applicable NCHEC certifications.

Nice-to-haves:

If you…

• are already an experienced certified housing counselor, preferably HUD-certified.
• are energetic and detail-oriented team player with a deep commitment to high-quality housing counseling and service delivery.
• have at least two years of previous housing counseling experience.
• work well with others, are a good listener, think creatively and work independently.
• have a strong desire to help others from a diverse group of individuals, including limited English-speaking communities.

…we strongly encourage you to apply!

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $52,564 - $61,008 annually, dependent on experience and team budget. LEDC is proud to offer a generous benefit package including healthcare, vision, dental, disability and life insurance plans available to employees at no cost, sick, vacation and personal days and more!

How to Apply

Send your cover letter and resume to housingjobs@ledcmetro.org, with a subject line of: Bilingual Housing Counselor- DC. No phone calls please!

Notices

Equal Opportunity

Equal access to programs, services, and employment is available to all qualified persons. Those applicants requiring accommodation to complete the application and/or interview process should contact HR@LEDCMetro.org. LEDC is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, with a drug-free workplace, and complies with ADA regulations as applicable.

All applicants are considered for all positions without regard to race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, personal appearance, national origin, ancestry, physical/mental disability, medical condition, military/veteran status, genetic information, marital status, ethnicity, alienage, or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

E-Verify

LEDC participates in the federal government’s E-Verify program, which confirms employment authorization of all newly hired employees and most existing employees through an electronic database maintained by the Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security. For new hires, the E-Verify process is completed in conjunction with the Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification on or before the first day of work. E-Verify is not used as a tool to pre-screen candidates. For up-to-date information on E-Verify, visit e-verify.gov.