Role: Queens Tenant Organizer

Location: Queens (particularly Flushing, Long Island City, and Corona)

Hours: 25 hours / week (.6 FTE)

Compensation: $24/hour up to a maximum of $31,200 per year assuming 25 hours / week, plus an unlimited monthly metro card and full health insurance

About Faith in New York

Faith in New York is a growing interfaith, multicultural federation of over 50 congregations representing 70,000 families in Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx. Our congregations began organizing in Queens in 2004 and expanded citywide in 2013 in response to Hurricane Sandy’s devastation. We develop and support grassroots teams of congregants and clergy to move significant public policy change that supports a more just New York – focusing on affordable housing for all, excellent public schools, neighborhoods free from violence by police and residents, access to good jobs, the right to vote for all New Yorkers, and the opportunity to fully participate in economic and civic life. We organize particularly with congregations in low-income immigrant communities and communities of color. We work both on local campaigns and community-building, citywide policy-making and legislation, citywide electoral and voter education work, and in coalition with faith-based and secular allies.

About the Role

The Queens Tenant Organizer will identify and build relationships with tenants in Queens, particularly in rent-stabilized buildings, to identify common problems, develop tenant associations, litigate against bad landlords, and run campaigns leveraging people power, media, public opinion, and the support of elected officials to ensure safe and affordable housing for Queens tenants.

The primary responsibilities include:

 Conducting weekly outreach to buildings requiring greater landlord accountability in Queens, including door knocking, flyering, and local meetings  Collecting data on housing and rental problems from the majority of tenants in targeted buildings, and regularly tracking and managing this data in designated databases  Identifying and training tenant leaders to build tenant associations, multi-building tenant unions, and run regular tenant meetings to develop campaign strategy  Supporting existing tenant associations, including the Flushing Tenants Union and the Justice for All coalition in Long Island City, to develop campaign goals and timeline  Representing FINY in local and citywide tenant rights coalitions, including the Certificate of No Harassment and Stand for Tenant Safety

 Working with faith leaders and faith communities, local elected officials, cultural and art workers, and others in community rallies, media campaigns, and other collective actions  Working with attorneys and staff from Legal Services and Legal Aid to follow legal courses of action against problematic landlords  Conducting social media campaigns, communications, research, and analysis on tenant organizing as based on skills and campaign needs  Participate in staff-wide activities, including weekly staff meetings, membership meetings, staff development and evaluation activities, and office management and reporting duties

This position will receive training from the Economic Dignity organizer and the Director of Organizing. The Tenant Organizer will report weekly to the Economic Dignity organizer on organizing development, including progress to weekly and monthly metrics.

Qualifications: This position does not require previous organizing experience and all training will be received in onboarding. However, preference given to applicants who have…

 At least 1-2 years tenant, community, or labor organizing experience  Fluency in Mandarin and/or Spanish (verbal required, written preferred)  Exceptional skills in relationship-building, leadership-development, and project management  A history of being self-directed and a self-starter who asks for help when needed  Passion for working with and building power and leadership in their community, particularly with historically disenfranchised communities  Interest in and/or experience with working with faith communities for social justice  Strong communications, research and analysis, and data management abilities and/or willingness to learn quickly  A scrappy and positive attitude and an ability to roll with the punches and learn on the fly  Strong Microsoft office, research, and social media skills  Dedication to a lifetime of social justice and community organizing within the larger movement for safe, dignified lives

How to Apply:

Send resume and a cover letter of no more than 1 page answering the following questions to [email protected]

1. What does faith-rooted social justice mean to you? 2. Why are you passionate about building a moral economy? How has the need for housing justice affected you / your family / your community? 3. What is a challenge you have overcome in a past role?