Senior Policy Advocate – Housing

Job Announcement

Senior Policy Advocate – Housing

Sacramento Office

End systemic racism. End poverty. Ensure justice for all. Everyone thrives.

Western Center on Law & Poverty

Western Center on Law & Poverty seeks to eliminate poverty and advance racial and economic justice by dismantling and transforming systems so all communities in California can thrive. Western Center applies a racial equity lens to analyzing poverty issues and brings about system-wide change through impact litigation, legislative, policy and administrative advocacy at the state and federal level, and support for legal services and community-based organizations. With offices in Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Oakland, we are California’s largest legal services support center. For more information, please visit our website: www.wclp.org.

Position Summary

Western Center offers a unique opportunity for an experienced and enthusiastic policy advocate to join our successful and dedicated housing team. WCLP seeks an advocate who will work in the state legislature to sponsor, and pass legislation that benefits our client communities, oppose legislation that does not, and work more broadly to influence housing and land use policy and regulations. As the state continues to experience a crisis-level shortage of affordable housing, this position provides a unique opportunity for an individual who is passionate about the rights of low-income households to push for statewide tenant protections and equitable land use policies.

We seek a team member who has at least 8 years or more of lobbying experience, thrives in a collegial and dynamic team environment, and is committed to addressing race-based inequities. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of multiple areas of housing law and policy or commitment to developing such understanding. These include landlord-tenant, fair housing, redevelopment, and anti-displacement policies, land use, housing finance, federal and state housing programs, tax policy, foreclosures and low-income homeowner issues, homelessness, health and safety, building codes and enforcement, and mobile homes, and the intersection of these issue areas with racial justice.

This position is located in our Sacramento office and the person hired must be available to be in Sacramento a substantial amount of the year during the legislative session. This position reports to the Director of Policy Advocacy.

Responsibilities

• In partnership with the Director of Policy Advocacy, Western Center’s housing team, legal services and community partners, and teams across the organization, to coordinate, develop, and execute legislative and advocacy strategies and campaigns aligned with organizational and housing team priorities.
• Analyze, monitor, and advocate for and against pending legislation, budget proposals, and administrative policies and regulations at the federal, state, and local levels.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with legislators, legislative staff, administrative agencies, coalition partners, and community-based organizations.
• Testify for or against relevant legislation and represent the organization in legislative, administrative, coalition, and public forums.
• Respond to requests for information from public officials, agencies, coalition partners, and the media.
• Create and disseminate legislative reports, analyses of bills and statutes, implementation guidance, and administrative materials to our partners, and internal teams.
• Work with the housing team to implement legislation after passage, including collaboration with administrative agencies on guidance, technical assistance, and training as appropriate.
• Plan, manage, and participate in regional and statewide housing policy meetings with local advocates.
• Answer technical assistance inquiries from local legal services attorneys and staff members in areas of expertise.
• Provide training for legal services advocates and community organizations related to advocacy work and housing policy developments.
• Work collaboratively within a team while independently managing and advancing projects and organizational priorities.
• Represent WCLP in various coalitions and help build effective partnerships among stakeholders with diverse interests and perspectives.
• Champion economic, social, and racial justice and equity in external advocacy and internally within WCLP.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Some overnight travel is required.

Qualifications

• Strong policy analysis and research skills, including experience interpreting and analyzing California housing law, regulations, and policy initiatives and the ability to evaluate legislative and regulatory impacts.
• A minimum of 8 years of experience in legislative or policy advocacy, preferably in California.
• Ability to think creatively, be strategic, and exercise good judgment.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational and project management capabilities, including experience with policy research databases, legislative tracking software, and progress reporting.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to establish and maintain collaborative working relationships across teams, coalitions, government agencies, and community partners.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, including the ability to build and collaborate within diverse coalitions with partners representing multiple perspectives and competing interests.
• Ability to work in a team setting but independent enough to be able to implement team objectives effectively outside the team setting.
• Ability to work under time pressure.
• Exemplary ethical standards.
• Ability to travel, as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in successfully managing legislative campaigns and/or complex advocacy initiatives.
• Experience working with or coming from historically marginalized communities.
• Experience with community-based organizations or nonprofit legal services agencies.
• Experience working collaboratively across departments, coalitions, or multidisciplinary teams.

To Apply

To promote racial and social justice and achieve our mission, Western Center is committed to maintaining a diverse staff and creating an inclusive and respectful workplace. In your cover letter, please explain how you think your experience or background has prepared you to contribute to a work environment with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. Western Center strongly encourages applications from persons of color, women, LGBTQ individuals, persons with disabilities, and persons from other underrepresented groups whose background may contribute to effectively representing low-income people and underserved communities.

Applications accepted until the position is filled. Applications preferred by July 15, 2026. Please email a cover letter, resumé, and a list of references to jobs@wclp.org.

Compensation

Salary is very competitive and commensurate with experience. We provide a generous benefits package, including leave policies, vacation, and December holiday office closure at full pay. We provide numerous opportunities and support to ensure our staff are able to grow and develop their professional skills. The salary range is $105,000 - $125,000, commensurate with experience.