Housing Advisor

For three decades,
Kingston Churches Action on Homelessness (KCAH)has been supporting people experiencing homelessness or the threat of homelessness in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. Our vision is that everyone in Kingston is in a safe, stable home and has the agency to build a happy life. But as the housing crisis intensifies; with an estimated 4793 people recorded rough sleeping on one night in 2025, a 10% increase in people sleeping rough over the year 24/25 and only 2.4% of private rented properties in England affordable for those receiving housing benefits, the gap between having a front door and facing the street is narrowing for too many people.

We are looking for a
Housing Advisor
who doesn’t just know the law, but knows why it matters. If you are a technical expert with a “frontline” heart, we want you in our Housing Crisis Intervention Service (HCIS) team.

As the first point of contact for those in crisis, you are the front line of KCAH’s mission. This role is a unique blend of high-level housing and welfare benefit advice using specific technical knowledge combined with an applied holistic, trauma-informed care, recognising that our visitors often need to improve their health, wellbeing and resilience during a time of crisis.

Working alongside, up to, two other Housing Advisors, the mornings are taken up with our drop-in service, meeting the immediate, urgent needs of the community, and the afternoons recording casework and managing the more complex cases to create lasting change.

• Expert Advocacy:Provide high-quality advice on housing and welfare benefits that meets the Advice Quality Standard (AQS) of The Advice Service Alliance Standard, as well as representing clients at meetings and advocating for reconsiderations.
• Crisis Intervention:Respond effectively to emergency situations, rapidly referring rough sleepers to outreach or accommodation solutions.
• Caseload Management:Manage your own cases, work collaboratively on shared cases.
• Collaborative Solutions:Work closely with landlords, solicitors, and other services including Kingston Probation to resolve complex housing barriers.
• Trauma‑Informed Care:Build trusting relationships with visitors, understanding that health and well‑being are as vital to success as a housing solution.
• Impact Reporting:Ensuring the records of each case are maintained to a high standard allowing for monthly statistics and data extraction and assist in collecting qualitative data to aid fundraising.
• Maintain Continuous Learning:Keep your knowledge of law, policy and procedures up to date through individual research and organised training.

• Empathetic & Resilient:You have the emotional intelligence to work sympathetically and effectively with clients experiencing considerable stress, including those with mental health or drug and/or alcohol use diagnoses.
• Trauma‑Informed:You understand that finding a housing solution starts with building a trusting relationship from the very first ‘welcome,’ ensuring wraparound support goes hand‑in‑hand with legal advice.
• People‑First:You possess the ability to interact with everyone in a polite, professional manner, remaining calm and empathetic even during challenging or difficult situations.
• Mission‑Driven:You have a demonstrable commitment to the aims and principles of KCAH, believing that every person deserves to be treated with dignity regardless of their circumstances.
• Expertise:You balance this empathy with a sound, up‑to‑date knowledge of housing law and the welfare benefits system.