Senior Citizen Advocate
ABOUT THE SHEFFIELD ADMINISTRATION
Detroit is entering a historic new chapter under Mayor-Elect Mary Sheffield, the city’s first woman to serve as Mayor. Elected with a decisive mandate, Mayor-Elect Sheffield brings a steady, community-rooted approach to governing—one focused on listening to residents, healing long-standing divides, and delivering meaningful improvements in daily life across every neighborhood. She will take office on January 1, 2026, with a commitment to building a city that lifts every family and expands opportunity for all.
As she forms her administration, Mayor-Elect Sheffield is assembling a talented, diverse team of leaders who bring deep expertise, lived experience, and the courage to put forward bold, innovative ideas that move Detroit forward. Her team will drive a City government grounded in collaboration, equity, transparency, and results. The Sheffield Administration seeks mission-driven individuals who are ready to serve, ready to build, and ready to help shape Detroit’s future.
ABOUT THE OFFICE
The Department of Neighborhoods (DON) is the City of Detroit’s frontline connection to residents, delivering responsive service, helping residents navigate city systems, and ensuring neighborhood needs inform city decision-making. Within this mission, supporting Detroit’s seniors has become a key priority. Many older residents live in large senior buildings, rely on fixed incomes, and face challenges related to safety, building conditions, city services, health access, and social isolation. The office works across all neighborhoods and collaborates with community partners, service providers, and city departments to ensure seniors receive the support, respect, and care they deserve. The Senior Citizen Advocate plays a central role in advancing this mission.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The Senior Citizen Advocate is responsible for supporting older Detroiters living in senior buildings, multifamily housing, and neighborhood communities throughout the city. The Advocate serves as the primary liaison between seniors, building managers, service providers, and city departments. The role focuses on identifying and resolving issues related to building conditions, safety, health and wellness access, transportation, social-service navigation, and quality-of-life concerns. The Advocate builds trusted relationships with residents, conducts regular site visits, organizes resource coordination, and ensures seniors have a clear pathway to city services, housing support, emergency assistance, and community-based programs. This position requires strong advocacy skills, deep knowledge of Detroit’s senior populations, and a passion for protecting the dignity and independence of older adults.
This role will drive the administration’s priorities, including:
Strengthening the city’s support systems for older adults by serving as their direct point of contact and ensuring their concerns are elevated and addressed.
Ensuring senior buildings meet safety, maintenance, accessibility, and quality-of-life standards by coordinating across departments including Housing, Public Health, Police, Fire, Public Works, and the Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department.
Helping seniors to form Tenant Councils within Senior Buildings.
Connecting seniors to essential services including home-repair support, housing navigation, food access, health and wellness programs, mobility services, digital access, and emergency response.
Collaborating with community organizations, health providers, tenant associations, and senior-service nonprofits to build comprehensive support networks.
Helping seniors navigate city services and advocating for systemic improvements that improve safety, access, and well-being across Detroit’s senior housing.
This description outlines the general nature and key responsibilities of the role and is not intended to be exhaustive; duties, responsibilities, and activities may be modified at the discretion of the Mayor.
Core responsibilities include:
Respond to and track concerns from seniors living in both senior-designated buildings and general neighborhoods.
Coordinate with building managers, property owners, resident councils, and service providers to address quality-of-life issues.
Work across City departments — including Housing, Health, Transportation, Public Safety, and Neighborhoods — to ensure timely follow-up on senior-related service needs.
Conduct site visits to senior buildings to meet with residents, document issues, and monitor ongoing concerns.
Organize and facilitate listening sessions, resource fairs, and outreach events specifically tailored to seniors.
Assist seniors in navigating city programs such as home repair, utility support, eviction prevention, benefits access, and transportation services.
Maintain detailed records, case notes, logs, and follow-up systems to ensure accountability and transparency in addressing senior concerns.
Represent the Mayor’s Office at senior community events, advisory meetings, and engagements with nonprofit and philanthropic partners.
Support emergency response needs for vulnerable seniors during weather events, outages, and building crises.
Help strengthen partnerships with agencies that support aging populations, including AAAs, nonprofit senior providers, and health systems.
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in social work, public administration, human services, gerontology, or a related field (or relevant equivalent experience).
At least three years of experience working with seniors, supportive housing, property management, case management, or community-based human services.
Strong understanding of senior housing challenges, aging-in-place issues, supportive services, and Detroit’s senior-building landscape.
Ability to work effectively with seniors, caregivers, service providers, landlords, and City departments.
Strong communication, problem-solving, and conflict-resolution skills with demonstrated compassion and cultural humility.
Experience coordinating multi-agency interventions or navigating complex service systems.Knowledge of Detroit’s neighborhoods, senior communities, and public-service landscape.
Commitment to equity, resident-centered advocacy, and improving conditions for vulnerable seniors.
Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends for outreach and resident meetings.
Rate of Pay: $80,000 - $100,000 annually, commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Benefits: Our goal is to attract and retain a highly skilled workforce by providing generous healthcare and other benefits to eligible employees. Learn more about benefits for City of Detroit employees.
Equal Opportunity in Employment: The Sheffield Administration is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. Even if you do not meet all of the requirements listed above, we encourage you to apply if you believe you have the skills, experience, and expertise necessary to thrive in this role. The City of Detroit is an equal opportunity employer, and we encourage candidates of all backgrounds—including those historically underrepresented in municipal government—to apply.