RainCity Housing operates on the stolen, unceded, ancestral, traditional homelands of the Xʷməθkwəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ Nations in so-called Vancouver, the q̓íc̓əy̓, qʼʷa: n̓ƛʼən̓, kʷikʷəƛ̓əm, qiqéyt, SEMYOME, Stó꞉lō, and sc̓əwaθən məsteyəxʷ Nations in so-called Lower Mainland, and the shíshálh in so-called Sunshine Coast.
About Us – A home for every person
RainCity Housing is an organization that makes a difference in people’s lives. Our mission is to advance social equity by building upon the strengths of our community and of each individual. With a goal of providing a home for everyone, RainCity’s programs sustain relationships, strengthen communities, and make change for people experiencing homelessness, mental health, trauma, and substance use issues.
RainCity Housing has been developing emerging and promising practices for over 40 years in social services and healthcare, providing Housing First, harm reduction and supports for community members who access our services. To learn more, check out our innovations page. You can visit our Indeed page and click on the “Follow” button to be notified of new job openings: ca.indeed.com/cmp/Raincity-Housing-and-Support-Society/about.
You can also follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Benefits:
- 5 days of paid leave for Indigenous Employees for Ceremonial, Cultural, and Spiritual events per year
- 8 weeks of paid leave for gender affirming care for medical procedures for transgender and gender diverse employees, cumulative total
- Employee and Family Assistance Program available to ALL employees, including 24-hour helpline, Personal counselling, Life Coaching, Financial Coaching, Legal Referral and Advisory Services, and Health Coaching: https://www.fseap.ca/
- Municipal Pension Plan with guaranteed lifetime monthly pension when you retire: https://mpp.pensionsbc.ca/
- Employer-paid benefits for employees:
- Unlimited Physiotherapy and $1,000/year coverage for Massage
- Vision Care, Dental Care, Prescription Drugs, Naturopath, Acupuncture, Chiropract, Group Life Benefit $50,000, Long Term Disability, and Unlimited Out-of-Province and Out-of-Country Emergencies
Position Summary
The Shelter Support worker provides a range of support services to mental health consumers and/or substance users faced with homelessness and in need of temporary emergency housing. Working closely with members of the shelter team, the Shelter Support Worker assesses incoming referrals to the shelter and provides case management services. These services include appropriate referrals to ongoing community supports, advocating on the client’s behalf to gain access to appropriate assistance, and generally educating and supporting residents who are dealing with complex bio-psycho-social issues. The Shelter Support Worker’s role includes medication administration to 3030 Gordon clients and assistance with basic First Aid as necessary. The Shelter Worker is also responsible for the general daily operations of the shelter, including responding to shelter telephones, doorbells, and visitors; cleaning of office area, common areas and washrooms; preparing shelter rooms, distribution of health/hygiene products, and maintaining a safe and secure environment for staff and residents.
Job Competition # cas2026.343
Closing Date: Midnight September 16, 2026
Job: Shelter Support Worker, 3030 Gordon Shelter & Transitional Housing, Casual
Hourly Range: $33.49 – $35.31 (BCGEU, Grid 34)
Hours: Casual
Work Site: 3030 Gordon St, Coquitlam, BC
Start Date: As soon as possible
- A clear British Columbia Vulnerable Sector Criminal Record Check for working with vulnerable adults and/or children is a condition of employment with RainCity Housing. Applicants must be willing and able to receive a clearance under the Criminal Record Review Act.
Program Summary
The 3030 Shelter and Transitional Housing Team provides a range of supports, advocacy, cultural knowledge, and community involvement to tenants of 3030 – low-income people who may be coping with the realities of homelessness, substance use, and physical and mental health concerns. This new purpose-built building will provide 30 units of transitional housing, 30 emergency shelter rooms, and during extreme weather conditions, an additional 30 shelter beds in dormitory rooms.
This is our first major building located outside of the Vancouver area; applicant familiarity with the services in the Tri-Cities area will be an asset. The Shelter Support Worker will have demonstrated skills in developing a team and launching new projects. Please refer to our website for updates and a history of the project.
QUALIFICATIONS
Many forms of education and experience are valued, including volunteering, and lived experience of mental illness/addiction/homelessness. Minimum education and experience include:
- A Diploma in community social services or other relevant training
- Two (2) years of related experience with an emphasis on mental health, addictions, homelessness and/or social services.
- Or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
- Current First Aid and CPR certification.
Key Skills and Abilities – for supporting people receiving our services
- Establish and maintain collaborative relationships.
- Identify and work to increase people’s strengths.
- Work with people using hope-inducing strategies.
- Informally teach harm reduction, life skills.
- Ability to work positively, patiently, and proactively with all clients, including those who may demonstrate a range of difficult behaviours including hostility, indifference, anger, extreme dependence.
- Ability to intervene in crisis situations, including de-escalate verbal aggression, hostility, suicidality, mental and physical health crises.
- Ability to perform light housekeeping duties including preparing rooms for new residents and general upkeep of the office space.
- Knowledge of Downtown East Side health and community services.
- Working knowledge of the principles of harm reduction.
- Knowledge of the diagnosis and resources in the areas of mental health, substance use, physical health, including HIV and Hepatitis C.
- Knowledge of the dynamics of oppression, specifically as related to the experience of mental health consumers and substance users.
- Assists participants in maintaining a clean apartment, including encouraging independence and increasing skills, washing belongings and cleaning apartment, assisting with pest control, and liaising with home support, if applicable.
- Completes shift duty list, as per program requirements.
Please submit both a cover letter and resume to apply, describing your suitability for this position. We thank all applicants in advance for their interest. As part of the application process, you may be asked a short set of questions to provide further information about your experience and availability. Please note, only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.
Diversity
RainCity Housing serves a diverse group of people, and we need a staff group that reflects this diversity. People of diverse backgrounds and cultures are encouraged to apply.
As we work towards building a diverse staff team, we are particularly seeking applicants who identify as being Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, applicants with personal lived experience, and 2SLGBTQ+ identified people.
Inclusion and creating a safer space
We are committed to making our organization a safer place for our staff, with steps taken to create space for learning and unlearning. RainCity’s department of Indigenous Cultural Services was created with the purpose to acknowledge the unique history and service needs of our Indigenous staff and tenants in respect to accessing culturally relevant and culturally sensitive care and support. RainCity’s Black Affinity Group was formed to provide support for Black staff by creating a safe space to support each other, network, debrief, and to heal from the impact of harm endured. Candidates are welcome to self-identifying in their cover letters as Black, First nations, Métis, or Inuit.
All of our employees are expected to develop and exhibit skills to contribute to safety in the workplace, including demonstrating anti-racism knowledge and skills to support racialized communities, including knowledge of Canada’s historical and on-going colonialism and its impact on Indigenous peoples, and commitment to learn and uphold the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action and BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. Employees are also expected to demonstrate anti-discrimination knowledge and skills to support equity seeking groups, including the 2SLGBTQA+ community, people who use drugs and alcohol, people living with mental health issues and sex workers.
Inclusivity and support for people with differing abilities
In our efforts to provide a barrier-free workplace, we invite you to let us know of any adjustments or accommodations that might be needed for you to participate in the interview or selection process by sending an email to
[email protected].
If you're having any difficulty creating an account or submitting your resume: Please email
[email protected] for assistance.
Do you want to improve your chances of joining RainCity? Be sure to include a cover letter letting us know why the work that we do is important to you, and how your experiences make you a good fit for this role.
Do you need additional support with your application? Connect with our partners for assistance:
- ACCESS Futures provides free employment support for Indigenous people and can assist with career advising, resume and cover letter writing, and funding for training: https://www.accessfutures.com/employment-services
- PRISM Employment Support Service (ESS) provides free strengths-based, trauma-informed employment support program for 2SLGBTQIA+ people, including coaching sessions, workshops, personal counselling sessions, and financial assistance for transit, occupational training, clothing, and childcare: https://qmunity.ca/employment/
- WorkBC provides free employment services to all job seekers, providing with support in resume and cover letter writing, training, and financial support for childcare and transportation costs: https://www.workbc.ca/discover-employment-services/workbc-centres/employment-services
- MOSAIC provides free employment support for refugees, immigrants, and racialized women, with services in career readiness training, mentoring, and peer groups: https://mosaicbc.org/our-services/employment-services/
We are a Union
RainCity Housing is a unionized workplace. Along with the union, we support the principles of the Human Rights Code of BC. We promote a workplace that treats both staff and the people accessing services with dignity and respect.
