Section I: Organization Information

Name/Title of Contact: Terry Guerra, Director of Human Resources & Community
Development

Address:  21 South 61st Street
      
Phone Number: 215-748-8805

Email Address:  Terry.Guerra@achieve-ability.org
      
Web Address:  www.achieve-ability.org

Total Number of Staff Members: 29
      
Total Agency Budget: $2,400,000

Agency Mission:  AchieveAbility is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to permanently break the cycle of poverty for low income, single parent, formerly homeless families through education, supportive services, housing, community and economic development, and accountability.

Fellow’s Job Title: Housing and Finance Associate


Section II: The Nitty Gritty

1. Will fellow be working at the same address listed above? If not, please list the address for the fellow’s worksite.
Yes

2.  Will the fellow have:   

A. ___Own Office?              __X__Shared Office?            ____No Office?  

B. _X__Own Desk?               ____Shared Desk?              ____No Desk?

C. _X__Own Computer?       ____Shared Computer?      ____No Computer?

3. Please state name and title of fellow’s immediate supervisor.
Matt McCarter, Director of Housing, Finance and Administration

4. Please approximate the percentage of time fellow will work:

__85__Independently      __10__As a team member in a group setting   

___5_As a team leader in a group setting

5. Will fellow be expected to travel as part of his/her position?

If so, will travel be: __X__Within Philadelphia?  ____Outside Philadelphia?

How often will they need to travel?

Will fellow need: ____a car?   __ __a transpass?  __X__occasional tokens?

Will the agency provide or reimburse for these expenses? Yes


Section III:  Community Need
Please submit a one paragraph response for each question.

1. Please state in measurable and quantifiable terms the specific community need that the Philly Fellow will address, including the number of people in the community directly affected by the problem.

Haddington-Cobbs Creek is a low-income neighborhood, with a population over
55,000.  Seventy percent of the households are headed by single parents.  1999 median household income was thirty-five percent below that of the City of Philadelphia.  Crime rates and unemployment are high; educational attainment is low; civic engagement is poor.  Housing vacancy rates exceed fourteen percent

2. Describe how your agency addresses this need, and how the new capacity created by this fellow will help alleviate the problem.

Since 1981, AchieveAbility has developed 185 housing units from abandoned homes and vacant lots located near services and resources needed by families in the Family Self- Sufficiency Program.  This program helps our client families develop new skills to improve the quality of their lives and reach true, lasting self-sufficiency.  Families receive housing for a stable starting point.  While in the program all families receive comprehensive social services from AchieveAbility’s social work staff.  A plan with goals for education, parenting, and finances is developed.  As each family accomplishes short- and long-term goals on the plan, they get close to self-sufficiency.  AchieveAbility also operates a real estate office that works with client families and the community at large so these families can own homes.

The fellow will aid in helping make smoother AchieveAbility’s operations.

3. Describe the level of community involvement in the fellow’s project. Moderate to High


Section IV:  Job Description

1. Please outline in list form the fellow’s duties and responsibilities.

•        Ensuring the timely qualified occupancy of each unit in each project.
•        Submitting to various funding sources any and all documents necessary to complete the requirements thereof.
•        Compliance with all terms and conditions applicable to each project.
•        Arranging for market study, appraisals and environmental assessments.
•        Posting rent and other tenant charges (late fees, court costs, repair costs).
•        Entering receipts; depositing receipts.
•        Reviewing, posting and paying all invoices.
•        Making all necessary deposits into various project reserve accounts.
•        Arranging for necessary withdrawals from project reserve accounts.
•        Maintaining all financial records.
•        Ensuring timely and quality completion of work orders, turnovers and inspections, so that AchieveAbility-managed housing units meet HQS in a cost effective manner that is consistent with AchieveAbility’s financial management policies and procedures.
•        Responsible for assisting with AchieveAbility’s housing development and property management activities

2. Please outline in list form the skills/qualifications a fellow should have to succeed in this position.
•        Commitment to the mission of AchieveAbility.
•        Integrity, honesty, forthrightness.
•        Background or demonstrated interest in community development, business and marketing, urban studies, city planning, and real estate
•        Demonstrated success and/or ability to develop knowledge and skills, at levels commensurate with AchieveAbility’s goals, in the areas of housing development and property management.
•        Excellent verbal and written communication, presentation and public speaking skills; ability to represent AchieveAbility in all public forums.
•        Ability to multi-task.
•        Flexibility to meet changing needs and priorities as they occur.
•        Clear understanding of African-American culture
•        Attention to detail; outstanding organizational skills.
•        Great work ethic, positive attitude.
•        High level of motivation and initiative; achievement orientation.
•        Ability to think strategically and creatively.
•        Ability to cope with setbacks and slow progress, as well as success—perseverance and patience.
•        Proficiency in word processing, spreadsheets, databases and desktop publishing software.
      
3. Please outline your agency’s plan to orient and train the fellow.

•        Two days dedicated solely to orientation to be faciliatated by Director of Community of Development.
•        Tour of the Haddington-Cobbs Creek neighborhood.


Section V:  Supervision/Resources

1. Please briefly describe plans for supervision of fellow.

The fellow will often work independently with tasks specifically assigned by immediate supervisor and required progress updates due weekly, if not daily.


2. What methods, information, or data will you use to evaluate the fellow’s success in their position?

Success will be evaluated through completion of assigned projects and increase in level of responsibilities.


Section VI: Project Plan

Please outline goals and results you expect the fellow to achieve and the measures you will use to evaluate performance. These goals must address the community need stated above.

1. Please describe the proposed project goal you expect the fellow to achieve.

Assisting in various stages of development for a 200-unit, multistage housing project as well as in the property management for 150 housing units.  


2. Please list significant milestones for this project and dates by which they will be accomplished:

1st Quarter: training and familiarization, closely supervised projects, submission of reports to funding agencies

2nd Quarter: completion of monthly and quarterly financial and property management reports independently

3rd & 4th Quarters: continued submission of reports to funding agencies