Position: Policy Intern
Status: Internship
Reports To: Director of Real Estate Services
OVERVIEW:
Neighborhood Allies is a Pittsburgh-based social impact organization that collaboratively works to empower community partners. Over the next 10 years, we will expand our resources to Accelerate, Scale, and Sustain the work of our community partners to create healthy neighborhoods of opportunities and move 100,000 low-income Pittsburghers up the socio-economic ladder. We are achieving this by centering our work and investments to foster a more just, fair, and inclusive society in which all can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential. We emphasize the importance of racial equity—the condition achieved when one’s identity no longer statistically predicts how one fares.
Recognizing that public resources play a major role in how communities develop, Neighborhood Allies is seeking a Policy Intern to monitor and advocate for more funding for low-income neighborhoods. Neighborhood Allies and its partners are experiencing an increasing need to track emerging federal investments—including the American Rescue Plan and infrastructure spending—and the decisions at the state and local level on how to allocate those investments.
Under the general direction of the Director of Real Estate Services, the Policy Intern will be responsible for monitoring, analyzing, and development of advocacy material that call for more spending for affordable housing, Black and Brown small business development, financial empowerment, and other related priorities. The intern will work with the Neighborhood Allies team and its partner organizations to develop a comprehensive agenda for a post-COVID, equitable economic recovery for the Pittsburgh region. The internship is an ideal opportunity for an individual motivated to learn the mechanics of community development investment and to influence public spending in low-income communities.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Monitoring federal fiscal stimulus, infrastructure spending, and related legislation as well as their implementing regulations and analyzing them for impact on local community development issues.
- Keeping partners informed of significant legislative development and programming decisions at the state and local level.
- Monitoring the state, county, and city budget process and working with the Neighborhood Allies team and its partners to identify opportunities to influence decision-making.
- Developing advocacy material that calls for greater investment in affordable housing, Black- and Brown-owned small business development, financial empowerment, and other issues critical to equitable economic development.
- Organizing and coordinating advocacy campaigns targeting state and local officials.
- Monitoring statements from policymakers and advising on issue and vote dynamics within the state legislature.
- Advising staff at public offices such as the Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority and Allegheny County on funding program structures, guidelines, and application material.
- Identifying and collecting information on feasible community development projects with funding gaps that could be filled by emerging funding programs.
- Identifying and coordinating with other progressive organizations at the state and local level who are active in fiscal policy advocacy.
- Working with Neighborhood Allies’ Communications Department to develop press releases, social media posts, and other media.
- Coordinating and staffing partner and coalition meetings.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:
- Degree in political science, urban planning, finance, or related fields, or direct, relevant professional experience in policy analysis and advocacy.
- Passion for and commitment to racial justice and equitable outcomes for underserved communities.
- Desire to learn about and make connections within Pittsburgh’s community development system.
- Strong research, writing, and communication skills; prior experience composing advocacy material or press releases a plus.
- Strong problem solver and collaborative thinker.
WAGES:
The internship is paid on a per-semester stipend; amount subject to workload and availability.
TO APPLY:
Please send cover letter, resume, and writing sample to:
Neighborhood Allies
429 Fourth Avenue, Suite 1900
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
info@neighborhoodallies.org
No phone calls please.
NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIES IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER COMMITTED TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION.
