Are you looking for meaningful full-time work in a grassroots environment? Are you passionate about affordable housing and fighting climate change? Would you rather work in the community instead of an office all day?
If YES then we invite you to join the ACORN organizing team to help lead a special climate justice project called Renters for Retrofits!
Work with tenants to fight climate change!
The Issue
Apartment buildings and rented homes are a very large source of greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing those emissions is an essential part of all levels of governments’ climate action plans. But tenants don’t control what heating system is used in their apartments, what types of insulation their buildings have, or how energy efficient the appliances are in their units. That is the landlord’s responsibility
In ACORN’s experience, tenants have been asking for improvements to their units for years but these requests are often ignored. This is bad for tenants and the environment. While some government programs exist to encourage landlords to retrofit their buildings, they rarely require landlords to maintain their units’ current rents and tenancies as a condition of funding. As a result, predatory landlords can pass the costs of retrofits onto tenants through above guideline increases in rent (AGIs) and renovictions.
The Solution
This is why Ottawa ACORN is looking for an energetic and motivated individual to lead our Renters for Retrofits project. Our mission is to support tenants to directly apply to free retrofit programs such as the IESO’s Energy Affordability Program, while organizing large groups of tenants to get involved in climate action at the municipal level! That means working with new and existing tenant leaders to advocate for strong climate policy AND tenant protections.
Climate action shouldn’t exacerbate the housing crisis. With strength in numbers, we can reduce emissions and protect affordable housing.
Job Description:
- Direct community outreach in apartment buildings and low-to-moderate income renter communities. Identifying community concerns and connecting issues like expensive energy bills, old/broken appliances, problems with heat in the winter etc to the need for retrofits.
- Application assistance to support eligible tenants applying for the Energy Affordability Program and similar programs.
- Build and maintain ACORN’s eco-tenant network that meets regularly to discuss housing & climate policy, progress on municipal campaigns, and plan next steps.
- Develop tenants’ leadership skills to facilitate meetings, speak to the media, participate in/lead discussions around environmental campaigning and policy.
- Work with professional organizers on a day to day basis to learn how to create building and neighbourhood-wide campaigns through base-building activities, corporate and governmental research, mass communications, project management skills and more.
Salary, Hours & Benefits
- Full-time at 42 hours per week
- ACORN organizers work in the afternoons and evenings between 12-9PM when tenants are home.
- Partial phone and transit reimbursement.
- Temporary 6 month contract. Grant-funded position.
- Opportunity for advancement to a full-time Community Organizer is expected and encouraged. Full time organizing positions are salaried and include annual pay increases, benefits, sick days, paid vacation, out of city staff trainings and meetings (sometimes outside of Canada) 3 times a year, and opportunities for advancement within the organization.
Qualifications and Skills
- No paid experience required; professional organizer training is provided
- Strong desire to work with people
- Ability to work independently and in a team
- Multilingual candidates are encouraged to apply
- Ability to listen in order to identify issues that are affecting our people
- An interest in climate & housing justice
Pay: $43,000.00-$45,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Commuter benefits
- Company events
- Dental care
- Extended health care
- Life insurance
- Mileage reimbursement
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
- RRSP match
- Vision care
Application question(s):
- Are you using ChatGPT or AI to answer these questions?
- Are you returning to school? If yes, when?
- Please outline (using examples when possible) how you have an enthusiasm for knocking on doors and talking to strangers year-round.
- What part of Ottawa do you live in?
- Do you have access to a vehicle?
- What languages do you speak?
- Why do you want to work in climate justice?
Work Location: In person
