Health Equity Intern

MACDC Health Equity Intern 

The Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC) is an association of mission‐driven community development organizations dedicated to working together and with others to create places of opportunity where people of diverse incomes and backgrounds access housing that is affordable, benefit from economic opportunities, and fully participate in the civic life of their community. We operate as a membership organization with 63 CDC members and 34 associate members. CDCs are nonprofit, community‐based organizations working to revitalize lower‐income communities and support lower‐income people in middle‐ and upper‐income neighborhoods and towns across the state. MACDC, founded in 1982, operates with an annual $1.9 million budget. Ten people work at MACDC, as well as part‐time staff and interns. For more information, please visit www.macdc.org. 

MACDC Health Equity Intern Description

The Health Equity Internship is an exciting opportunity for a student or recent graduate to learn about community development, a key social determinant of health, and to serve as an important contributor to MACDC’s health equity work. Community Development Corporations (CDCs) in Massachusetts are increasingly engaging in work in the health space and framing their work in the economic development space from a health equity lens. MACDC’s Health Equity work supports Massachusetts CDCs work in this space. In 2022 MACDC was awarded a six-year grant, from the Massachusetts Community Health and Healthy Aging Funds, to support our Housing Quality and Health Equity Initiative (“The Equity Initiative”). The Equity Initiative tackles poor housing quality and associated housing instability, and addresses the corresponding racial health inequities, in selected Massachusetts’ Gateway Cities, and statewide. The intern will report to and provide program support to MACDC’s Director of Health Equity and will work closely with MACDC’s Director of Housing. In addition to assisting in the fifth year of the Equity Initiative, the intern will support day-to-day operations of MACDC’s health equity work. The intern will also have the opportunity to participate in wider staff activities, including weekly staff meetings and our annual Lobby Day.

Responsibilities

The Equity Initiative 

Community Engagement

Support MACDC’s local community engagement work in three Gateway Cities which may include: 

• Assist in planning and participating in quarterly meetings with stakeholders in each city.
• Identify and engage with additional stakeholders, including institutional partners. 
• Support engagement with stakeholders to identify housing quality problems, their health manifestations on households of color, and their impact on housing stability. 
• Work with local stakeholders to support local housing quality improvement programs 
• Identify additional opportunities for stakeholders to learn about the health impacts of addressing housing quality issues. 
• Coordinate the provision of interpretation and translation services.

Research and Advocacy

• Support the selection of a contractor to complete a report on Housing Quality and Health in Massachusetts.
• Communicate with said vendor as report is underway.
• Conduct research into topics related to the Equity Initiative, as requested. 
• Support statewide and local advocacy efforts to secure additional resources for housing quality improvements.

Other

• Support the operations of the Housing Quality and Health Task Force, a group that meets every other month, to provide guidance for the work of the Equity Initiative.
• Assist other activities of the Equity Initiative as needed. 

Additional Health Equity work 

• Support the operations of MACDC’s Health Equity Committee, a group that meets every other month to learn from one another and outside experts and to strategize about work in the health equity space. 
• Assist in tracking and supporting CDCs’ health related activities.

•     Assist in other health equity activities as needed. 

Skills and Experience 

• Graduate student, recent graduate, or individual with relevant work experience in public health, housing rehabilitation, public policy, or related field. 
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office. 
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively and professionally with diverse stakeholders. 
• Excellent writing including the ability to write articles and blogs. 
• Solid research skills, including the ability to find and analyze data sources. 
• Demonstrated ability to represent an organization in public settings. 
• Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously. 
• Ability to work collaboratively and independently. 
• Preferred: Knowledge about housing quality and/or health impacts of poor housing quality. 

Hours and Compensation

This Health Equity Intern position begins in December 2026 and goes through at least August 2027, with the option to extend. The intern will work with MACDC’s Director of Health Equity to determine a schedule approximating 20 hours per week, to be completed during business hours (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm). While the majority of the intern’s work can be done remotely, the intern will be expected to be on-site in our downtown Boston office at least one day per week, which will not be Friday. The intern will be compensated at $26/hour. 

To Apply: Email resume, cover letter, and one writing sample (either as Word or PDF attachments) to Elana Brochin, Director of Health Equity at elanab@macdc.org. Applications submitted by Friday November 20th will receive first consideration. No phone calls, please. 

MACDC is an equal opportunity employer and views diversity, inclusion, and cultural competence as vital guiding principles in its work. MACDC welcomes and encourages applications from, BIPOC individuals, members of the LGBTQ community, persons with disabilities and others who may contribute to the diversity of the organization and reflect the diversity of the communities served.