Be a House Coordinator

We are recruiting new House Coordinators for September 2026. We will make decisions in June 2026.

House Coordinators live and work in community with refugee claimant families at Romero House. They are part of a unique model where staff live in the same homes as the families we support. If you are someone who values community, service, and relationship-building, this role may be a fit for you.

Intentional Community of Service

At Romero House, we believe that real change happens through community — through relationships of care, trust, and mutual support.

House Coordinators live in homes alongside newly arrived refugee claimants, offering practical support and building a community of hospitality. This is a role of service and accompaniment, grounded in the belief that everyone deserves dignity, welcome, and belonging.

Time commitment

House Coordinators commit approximately 5–10 hours per week to supporting residents and the broader Romero House community.

Ten hours per month are for supporting community life. The rest of the time is more about the practical support like reporting maintenance issues, ensuring safety, and emergency preparedness.

House Coordinators often choose to spend time together socially to build relationships and support one another. Many are migrants ourselves looking for connection and belonging.

Responsibilities: Site Operations & Care

Building Maintenance & Care

Respond to basic maintenance needs.
Help care for shared spaces, including coordinating a chores system, garbage and seasonal upkeep.
Support unit turnover and facilitate access for contractors and trades.

Safety & Emergency Response

Support fire safety, building security, and emergency preparedness.
Participate in an on-call rotation and respond to urgent situations e.g. accompany someone to the hospital.
Monitor building systems and help address safety concerns as they arise.

Resident Support & House Operations

Welcome and orient new families.
Foster a respectful, cooperative living environment.
Refer residents to appropriate Romero House support for immigration or settlement needs.

Responsibilities: Community Animation

Home Life

Build relationships with residents through everyday community life, conversation, meals, games, outings, and shared activities.
Encourage connection and cooperation among residents within the home.
Help facilitate house meetings and shared household discussions.

Events

Help organize community celebrations, gatherings, and seasonal activities
Encourage residents’ participation in the wider community and neighbourhood.
Take initiative to strengthen community life and bring new ideas into practice.

Relationships

Offer and receive emotional support.
Maintain relationships with former residents and the broader Romero House community.
Build positive relationships with neighbours and community partners.

Who we are looking for

House Coordinators should have the following qualities:

Strong communication: Express thoughts and feelings clearly, listen well, and address conflict with openness.
Joyful and authentic presence: Bring energy and gratitude, seek connection, and give of yourself generously.
Flexibility and adaptability: Stay patient and helpful amid changing needs, even when tired.
Initiative and follow-through: Reach out to others, solve problems, and keep your commitments.
Problem-solving mindset: Approach challenges with creativity and persistence.
Community builder: Make spaces better through care, energy, and help.
Curious and open: Ask questions before making assumptions.
Value diversity and balance: Appreciate different identities and perspectives on the team.

Compensation

House Coordinators have two roles for which they are compensated:

As a Superintendent, House Coordinators get free housing. They will pay taxes on the value of their housing benefit, in accordance with Canada Revenue Agency rules. The value of the benefit ranges from $300-$750/month depending on the specifics of the room.
As a Community Animator, House Coordinators are paid for 10 hours per month at minimum wage.

Living accommodations

Accommodations will be in one of Romero House’s five homes. The specific unit will be determined based on a variety of factors. The unit could be for a single person, couple, or shared with other House Coordinators.

Duration

There will be an initial six month period of discernment to see whether the role is a fit for the House Coordinator and for Romero House. We ask House Coordinators to make a one-year commitment. We hope that some people will be interested in living in the community long term.

Team Culture

House Coordinators choose to spend time together outside of their regular duties. Through weekly meals, birthday rituals, tears and laughter, the team support one another professionally and personally. Many of us are migrants ourselves looking for community and belonging.

Weekly community nights (dinner + occasional shared activity).
2–3 overnight team retreats per year.
Build intentional relationships with other team members.

Training

House Coordinators participate in trainings as needed, such as first aid, mental health awareness, and nonviolent communication.

Spiritual Life

While Romero House is rooted in Catholic social teaching, our community welcomes people of all faiths and backgrounds — or none. We are a community that welcomes faith and spirituality and members need to be open to and supportive of that. We have a couple of traditions around Easter that we ask for support from the team to make possible. We are happy to support other religious celebrations as requested.

Accessibility and accommodations

We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for people taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

Ready to apply?

If you’re interested in joining our live-in team, please reach out or apply at the link above.

Living at Romero House is a unique experience of shared life and mutual care. We look forward to hearing from you!