Intern, Preservation

Enterprise is a national nonprofit that exists to make a good home possible for the millions of families without one. We support community development organizations on the ground, aggregate and invest capital for impact, advance housing policy at every level of government, and build and manage communities ourselves. Since 1982, we have invested $92.0 billion and created 1.1 million homes across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands – all to make home and community places of pride, power and belonging.

Join us at enterprisecommunity.org  

Working at Enterprise  

At Enterprise, you’ll be part of a diverse, committed team making a difference every day. You will collaborate with some of the smartest minds and biggest hearts in our field. You’ll be empowered to drive systems change and take bold steps to advance racial equity. And you will find a career home where you’re valued and supported in your growth journey. 

Enterprise offers career opportunities in our offices across the country with an exceptional benefits package.

Job Description Summary

Enterprise is a national nonprofit that develops programs, advocates for policies, and delivers the capital to produce and preserve affordable housing for low-income families with the goal of advancing racial and economic equity. Our Northern California office seeks solutions to a range of the most relevant and pressing affordable housing issues facing California, especially the Bay Area. As an intermediary, Enterprise provides technical assistance, convenes practitioners and advocacy coalitions, and collaborates with cross-sector partners including public agencies, community-based organizations, affordable housing developers, researchers, and funders.

Job Description

Our policy and program priorities include: 

• Expand resources and eliminate barriers for the production and preservation of housing that low- and moderate-income Californians can afford; 

• Promote racial equity, economic opportunity, and resident power for people historically excluded from shaping the decisions that affect their lives and those of their communities; 

• Prevent low-income Californians from experiencing homelessness, displacement, housing instability, and poor-quality housing conditions, particularly renters; and 

• Advance inclusive and equitable development that promotes housing affordability, environmental sustainability, and climate and community resilience. 

Enterprise is committed to maintaining a diverse staff and a healthy and welcoming work environment. We believe successful teams include people from different backgrounds and experiences with fresh perspectives. We seek a diverse pool of applicants, including those from underrepresented groups and people with lived experience of housing insecurity.  

Job Summary   

The Preservation Intern will play an integral role in supporting the preservation program. This program focuses on acquiring and rehabilitating the existing stock of affordable housing in Northern California and the Central Valley, especially housing that currently lacks permanent affordability restrictions, with the goals of preventing displacement and homelessness, increasing neighborhood stability, and responding to community needs.  

Supporting several projects, the Intern will carry out a range of tasks which include conducting research and data analysis, providing meeting support, and producing communication materials. We are seeking a candidate with exceptional writing and analytical skills willing to do a range of tasks to ensure high-quality work products. This internship provides a great opportunity to deepen one’s knowledge of affordable housing preservation and learn first-hand how the work of a community development intermediary impacts policy and program implementation. It also provides a unique opportunity to participate in comprehensively improving the ecosystem for affordable housing preservation by working with the public sector; technical assistance providers; policy experts; advocates; and the affordable housing development community, including community land trusts, community development corporations, and tax credit affordable housing developers. 

This is a 5-month position with a desired start date of September and with the possibility for extension through spring of 2027 pending work scope. The Intern will report to the Associate Director and work closely with the Preservation team, and may also be asked to support other Northern California teams on an ad hoc basis. 

Responsibilities 

• Collaborative Support. Support staff in managing collaborative relationships for which Enterprise serves as a backbone organization or convener. This includes logistics, agenda and workplan development, notetaking, and creating meeting materials. As needed, the intern may also prepare communication materials including presentations, briefs, and blogs. 

• Research, Writing and Data Analysis. Research, write, and summarize best practices, programs, and policies pertaining to affordable housing preservation and building decarbonization. This may include synthesis of information regarding the impact of proposed air quality regulations on affordable housing preservation practitioners; support on research and administrative proposals related to the welfare tax exemption; and other research as needed.  

• Technical Assistance. Support the delivery of technical assistance to public agencies and community-based organizations pursuing preservation strategies. This includes supporting with meeting logistics and possibly developing workshop materials.  

Qualifications 

Education: 

• Graduate degree in progress in city planning, public policy, public administration or other related field preferred 

• Bachelor’s degree in city planning, public policy, public administration or other related field required  

• Demonstrated interest in the areas of affordable housing and community development, particularly acquisition-rehab of unsubsidized affordable properties. Familiarity with affordable housing finance and building electrification strategies, policies and/or programs is highly desired 

• Knowledge about the Bay Area’s current racial, economic, and political landscape as it relates to housing and community development. 

Skills: 

• Strong oral and written communication and interpersonal skills, 

• Excellent research, writing, editing and proofreading skills, 

• Excellent data and analytical skills, including experience with data management, cleaning, and analysis in Excel and/or R or other programming platforms, 

• Ability to research and synthesize information quickly and effectively to produce high-quality and visually appealing materials and presentations that are data- and research-driven, 

• Strong ability to take initiative and assess next steps on projects; project management experience is highly desired  

• Excellent computer skills, including Word, PowerPoint and Excel.  

Work Environment: 

• Candidate must be able to work in a highly collaborative and fast-paced environment and be able to manage simultaneous projects,  

• Ability to operate independently and dependably in delivering work on deadlines, 

• Ability to reflect upon successes and failures constructively and openly. 

The salary for this intern position is $25-$28/hour depending on experience.