Municipal Engagement Program Associate

Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) is the non-profit umbrella organization for affordable housing and community development activities in Massachusetts. Established in 1967, CHAPA has a diverse and active membership of more than 1,500 people and organizations, including volunteers and professionals in the private, public, and non-profit sectors.  CHAPA pursues its goals through advocacy with local, state and federal officials; research; education and training; and programs to expand rental and homeownership opportunities.  For more information, please visit www.chapa.org.

Key Job Responsibilities

This is a new position for the new Municipal Engagement Initiative that was launched by CHAPA in Fall 2017. The primary responsibility of the Municipal Engagement Program Associate is to work to build support for affordable housing production and bolster efforts to expand housing opportunities at the local level in communities across the Commonwealth. The Municipal Engagement Program Associate will report to the Municipal Engagement Director.

Specific Responsibilities

• Develop strategies with residents, based on local context, to build support for affordable housing.
• Increase the number of people supporting housing production in each community with an emphasis on smart growth.
• Coordinate and staff local meetings with residents and coalitions.
• Develop fact sheets and alerts for local initiatives.
• Represent CHAPA at local Housing Forums and other events to build support for affordable housing.
• Assist Municipal Engagement Director in identifying communities in which to conduct public education efforts in support of affordable housing production.
• Develop content for the Municipal Engagement Initiative webpage.
• Assist in tracking and reporting success.
• Maintain a database of local support networks.
• Provide support to Municipal Engagement Director on Statewide Technical Assistance Providers group.
• Assist in the development of additional resources for the Municipal Engagement Initiative such as housing need fact sheet templates, photo and inventory databases, working group coordination, messaging polling, and others.
• Coordinate with other CHAPA Policy and Program staff on organization-wide priorities and initiatives.

Qualifications

• Experience building coalitions and developing a shared vision amongst a range of interests.
• Two or more years’ experience working in communities to increase affordable housing opportunities.
• Knowledge of housing and community development issues and practices, with an emphasis on the local level.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking.
• Experience working with people of diverse social and economic backgrounds.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects and deadlines.
• Ability to work both independently and within a team.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including weekends and evenings as needed.

Salary:

The salary is commensurate with experience.  CHAPA also provides a generous package of benefits including vacation and sick time, health insurance, short-term disability insurance, life insurance, and retirement benefits.