The Pest Control and Hoarding Specialist reports to the Housing Support Manager and works proactively and responsively with tenants and staff to prepare tenant units for pest management intervention. Educates staff and tenants on how to maintain a pest-free environment, by demonstrating the proper techniques for unit preparation for treatment, decluttering of units, and other related hands-on life skills.
Work Experience/Education/Certifications
- Completion of a Structural Pesticide Exterminator License from the Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks (MECP).
- Completion of a College or University Degree in Community Development or Social Service/Social Work or equivalent.
- Minimum 3 years’ experience in hoarding and pest management and the ability to assess and effectively manage pest control issues.
- Have a minimum 3 years of experience working with marginalized and ethno-cultural population and people who have homelessness experience and are living with mental health challenges.
Competencies/Skills/Attributes
- Must be comfortable with working in environments with bugs and hygiene challenges.
- Understand and respect confidentiality in a tenant-centred mental health environment.
- Ability to interact effectively with tenants and staff, and work as a team.
- Proficient in MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and familiarity or proficiency in Google Productivity Suite (Docs, Sheets and Drive) is an asset.
- Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to negotiate solutions.
- Training in trauma-informed practice.
- Familiar with life safety systems, fire codes, building codes and other relevant legislation.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Individual Support
- Responsible for assisting Neighbours tenants to become more self-sufficient in cleaning and maintaining a pest-free unit. This includes working with staff and tenants in doing laundry, sorting, storage, and removal or unwanted items, shifting furniture (as manageable), packing/unpacking clothing, dishes, books, and other household goods, and clearing the floors, closet drawers and cupboards.
- Assist Tenants in developing new skills, new habits and a new outlook to maintain their unit in a safe state; reduce the amount of clutter and organize the unit in a manner that is both safe and satisfactory to the resident.
- Be able to act as an educator and resource to tenants and colleagues.
Tenancy Support
- Work one-on-one with tenants as required to identify issues of hoarding and/or bedbugs and/or pests and/or excessive clutter in residents’ units that are negatively affecting them and related factors that interfere with day-to-day functioning and quality of life.
- Provide regular guidance and encouragement to tenants and staff to assist them in maintain the unit in a safe and healthy state.
- Demonstrate to staff and tenants ways to reduce the amount of clutter and organize the unit in a manner that is both safe and satisfactory to the resident.
- Work with staff to support tenants incapable of or struggling with keeping their units in a safe and healthy state to learn skills to maintain and improve their daily living.
- Develop educational materials for staff and tenants on decluttering.
Team responsibilities
- Working with the team to identify units.
- Assist staff and tenants in the identification of pests, particularly bedbugs.
- Assist staff and tenants with the preparation for pest management and extermination.
ORGANIZATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Knowledgeable and able to act within relevant legislations, such as the Ontario Human Rights Code, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), Residential Tenancies Act (RTA), Mental Health Act, Child and Family Services Act, Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA), Housing Services Act, and Ontario Fire and Building Codes.
- Model the organizational values, policies and professional ethics, and demonstrate commitment to the strategic direction.
- Demonstrate active support for organizational direction and priorities in own actions.
- Proactively engage in program and organizational change activities.
- Model and promote a culture where everyone is accountable for making sure decisions and goals are met and projects/tasks are completed.
- Identify and remove barriers to service excellence.
- Demonstrate personal commitment and culture to wellness.
- Embrace and demonstrate Neighbours values in your actions.
- Participate in a work culture of positive thinking, initiative and creativity.
- Commitment to improve professional knowledge to recognize trends and issues and deal with them effectively.
- Develop and maintain collaborative working relationships with allied community agencies and professionals and participate in community committees and internal Neighbours committees as required.
- Ensure that conduct is in accordance with the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the governing body of their profession, and that all applicable legislation is adhered to.
- Comply with the policies of Neighbours including those pertaining to the confidentiality of client information.
- Represent the agency in a positive manner with clients, colleagues and the community at large.
- Attend regular supervision meetings with the Manager, Support Services for the purpose of reviewing work expectations and performance evaluation.
WORKING CONDITIONS
- Exposure to household pests, bodily fluids, individuals experiencing crisis, individuals who may be under the influence of substances, cleaning chemicals, some smoking environments, and environments with bugs and hygiene challenges.
- Working hours are 35 hours per week. Operate independently and work flexible hours including weekends and evenings as required by programming needs.
- Requirement to travel to and work from other Neighbours locations as required.
As a condition of employment, a successful police record check for Vulnerable Sector is required. Candidates must be legally entitled to work in the country where this role is located.
This position is being posted in response to an existing vacancy at Neighbours Community Homes
Neighours’ may use AI-based tools to assist in screening and assessing applicants for this position. These tools may help us identify candidates whose skills and experience align with Neighbours’ objectives by analyzing information provided in resumes and applications. Our use of AI does not replace human decision-making.
Accommodations are available upon request for candidates with disabilities who are participating in the recruitment process and for those hired.
Please apply with a cover letter and resume at our website Careers - Neighbours on or by June 15, 2026.
Hiring Rate: $31.11 per hour