Shelter Support Worker jobs in Surrey, BC

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 Support Worker provides emergency shelter and support to homeless members of the community. Many may have mental health issues and/or substance use issues and may or may not be accessing social supports Shelter services include: a bed, food, assistance with basic First Aid and generally supporting residents who are dealing with complex bio-psycho-social issues. The Support Worker is also responsible for the daily operations of the shelter including cleaning of the shelter space, showers, washrooms, and offices; laundry, food service, preparing bedding space and maintaining a safe and secure environment for staff and residents. The Support Worker will coordinate shelter intakes and will maintain communication between shifts regarding people’s housing plans. The minimal barrier nature of the shelter requires flexibility and excellent engagement skills. The Support Worker actively participates in building a skilled, cohesive, collaborative staff team, including demonstrating commitment to program principles; resolving conflict and negativity as they arise; assisting in orienting, training, and mentoring of all staff, including casuals and peer supports. The Support Worker must be available for work during their meal period.

Job Competition # job2026.339
Closing Date: Midnight, October 15, 2026
Job: Support Worker, Sechelt Shelter, Permanent Part-Time, 0.6 FTE
Hourly Range: $33.49 - $35.31 (BCGEU, Grid 34)
Hours: 45 bi-weekly
Schedule: Friday - Sunday: 11:30PM – 7:30AM. At present, includes a 30-minute paid meal break.
Work Site: 5653 Wharf Avenue, Sechelt, BC
Start Date: As soon as possible

• In addition, you will be paid a shift premium of $2.50 per hour for the entirety of each night shift worked. “Night shift” means any shift in which the major portion occurs between 12:00am and 8:00am.
• 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
Sechelt Shelter provides emergency shelter and supports to 20 individuals, 19 and over, who are experiencing homelessness on the Sunshine Coast. The shelter is staffed 24/7 with 2 community support workers. The shelter also provides drop-in services to folks who may be without a home and need supports, these supports include the Sunshine Coast’s only Overdose Prevention Site (OPS). We view the shelter as an opportunity to promote dignity, social justice, and increased citizenship for members of our community who come from a wide variety of backgrounds but who currently do not have a place to call home.

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.
• Two (2) years of recent, related work 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

• 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
• Implement client-centred service plans.
• Respond to problematic behaviour using an understanding of the behaviour's context and function.
• Knowledge of the integrated concurrent disorders recovery model for working with chronically homeless individuals.
• Knowledge of mental health diagnoses, medications, treatment, and support resources
• Knowledge of the bio-psychosocial addictions model, including stages of change and harm reduction.
• Knowledge of diagnoses, treatment, and support resources in the areas of substance use, physical health, HIV and Hepatitis C.
• Knowledge of the housing continuum, including supported housing systems and program models for special needs populations.
• Demonstrates understanding of oppression and marginalization as related to chronically homeless individuals.
• 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.

#indcamp

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 hr.inbox@raincityhousing.org.

If you're having any difficulty creating an account or submitting your resume: Please email dfrecruitingsupport@raincityhousing.org 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.