Unpaid, Spring-Summer 2012
Enlace Chicago is a community-based organization dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of the residents of the Little Village Community by fostering a physically safe and healthy environment in which to live, and by championing opportunities for educational advancement and economic development.
As one component of that mission, Enlace’s Economic Development Department maintains a Housing Resource Center (HRC). The HRC provides counseling, assistance and technical support to tenants, landlords and homeowners. Typically, this has manifested itself in the form of rights awareness workshops, assistance to homeowners via loan modification applications with their lenders, support for renters living in recently foreclosed homes, and policy advocacy.
This internship provides a rewarding opportunity to assist with the direct service aspects of our work, as well as strengthen the systemic organization of the Housing Resource Center. The intern would also have the opportunity to become exposed to housing policy work, specifically through representing. Enlace at various meetings seeking to advance an advocacy and policy agenda that serves the housing needs of Little Village residents.
A work plan will be developed with the intern and Enlace staff, however, activities will include:
• Developing communication materials that detail the services provided by Enlace Chicago’s Housing Resource Center.
• Expanding educational programs and workshops for various audiences.
• Creating a standardized intake assessment consistent with intake forms used by other departments at Enlace Chicago.
• Integrating financial literacy and awareness components to our housing work, including the development of realistic household budgets to meet reasonable financial goals.
• Maintaining relationships with partner organizations to advance goals of quality housing for Little Village residents.
• Providing direct service with renters, homeowners and landlords facing a series of housing challenges.
• Growing a data management system to track successes and work of program.
• Integrating financial literacy and awareness components to our housing work, including the development of realistic household budgets to meet reasonable financial goals.
• Maintaining relationships with partner organizations to advance goals of quality housing for Little Village residents.
• Providing direct service with renters, homeowners and landlords facing a series of housing challenges.
• Growing a data management system to track successes and work of program.
Skills and knowledge preferred:
• A commitment to social justice.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to perform duties in a confidential manner.
• Creative thinker.
• A commitment to social justice.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to perform duties in a confidential manner.
• Creative thinker.
• Experience with, or the willingness to learn about, a series of housing issues including, but not limited to: the mortgage loan process; rights under foreclosure; financial literacy and public and private programs to assist homeowners facing housing challenges.
• Detail-oriented with ability to organize complex material in clear and concise manner.
• Ability to perform multiple tasks with established timelines.
• Ability and desire to service multi-cultural customer base.
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) required.
• Possess excellent communication, organizational, computer and presentation skills.
• Be a highly motivated, independent and task-oriented individual who can learn new material quickly.
• Must be dependable, dedicated and flexible.
• Ability to perform multiple tasks with established timelines.
• Ability and desire to service multi-cultural customer base.
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) required.
• Possess excellent communication, organizational, computer and presentation skills.
• Be a highly motivated, independent and task-oriented individual who can learn new material quickly.
• Must be dependable, dedicated and flexible.
The internship will aim for 15-20 hours a week, with flexible and adjustable hours. For more information, please contact Adrian Esquivel at 773-893-0112, or aesquivel@enlacechicago.org.