Date: Fall 2023 (September to December 2023)
Reporting to: Adaora Onuora—Housing Policy Analyst
*This is a non-compensated internship unless your college/university is offering fellowship assistance.
How to Respond: Please send a resume or background information including the school you are enrolled in and a cover letter explaining why you would like to join the NCH team as well as if you will be receiving course credit for this internship. Please send your information to aonuora at nationalhomeless dot org.
Internship Summary: The NCH Policy Intern will be able to work on hybrid schedule of some in person and some remote work. We have the ability for this to be an all remote workspace. This individual will participate in the every other week policy workgroup to implement the goals of crafting legislation that will have an impact in ending homelessness. The intern will assist with an advocacy effort to interview staff, board or members with an interest in putting together strong policy legislation in the areas of racial equity, civil rights, income, housing, education or healthcare. NCH will focus on preparing legislative briefings to support high priority pieces of legislation. The policy intern will attempt to merge the policy objectives of the organization with those of the Bring America Home Now campaign to develop a comprehensive list of policy priorities.
The policy intern will track updates on various pieces of legislation and will assist to inform the field on legislative successes or setbacks. This intern will work to build partners in our field sites, and work to get that message out to elected officials, community leaders and the general public about our policy goals. They will assist in developing support among grassroots leaders and their organizations. Finally, the intern will work to track and report on contacts with legislators on these high priority policy areas and will assist with scheduling petitions, calls, or visits.
Specific Position Activities:
- Attend weekly meetings with staff and monthly committee meetings around policy improvements.
- Keep legislative contacts updated and available to the policy team.
- Contribute articles to the weekly newsletter, social media and website on our NCH policy objectives.
- Gather information for a yearly reports on policy successes.
- Track local/state/federal legislation related to homelessness and poverty.
- Gather statistics and first person accounts that can be used to reinforce the need for certain policy objectives
- Update internal documents that track the process of creating and publishing a policy update for use in our advocacy.
Required Skills and Experience:
- Ability to juggle multiple projects
- Superior research and written communication skills
- Working in a diverse setting with all kinds of people
- Ability to work remotely and without daily supervision
- Ability to research news and interview individuals
Preferred Experience or Skills that will be developed as part of the internship:
- Direct service with homeless/low income populations
- Experience in writing promotional materials
- Experience in event planning
- Experience in digital and social media writing.
Mission Statement: The National Coalition for the Homeless, founded in 1982, is a national network of people who are currently experiencing homelessness or who were once homeless, activists and advocates, community and faith-based homeless service providers, and others committed to a single mission. That mission, our common bond, is to end homelessness. We are committed to creating the systemic and attitudinal changes necessary to prevent and end homelessness. At the same time, we work to meet the immediate needs of people who are either currently homeless or at risk of homelessness. We take as our first principle of practice that people who are currently experiencing homelessness or have formerly experienced homelessness must be actively involved in all of our work.
Organizational Goals: The National Coalition for the Homeless remains a substantive voice in the federal legislative process for people who are experiencing homelessness. In our policy advocacy, we work diligently to ensure that mainstream resources and opportunities are available to families and individuals who are either homeless or at risk of homelessness. To end homelessness in the U.S., we use the following strategies to accomplish our mission: lobbying, policy analysis, litigation, public education, community organizing, research and technical assistance.
