Project Manager – Engagement & Organizing

Reports to: Aimee Monroy Smith, Director, Center for Housing Opportunity – Fairfield County

Location: Hybrid – Bridgeport, Connecticut

Date Available: Immediate

Status/Compensation: Part-Time – Grant Funded

This is a part-time, non-exempt hourly position paid at $40/hour, with benefits eligibility. The hourly rate may be negotiable if the candidate declines available benefits, subject to applicable requirements.

The Housing Collective (HC) is seeking a part-time Project Manager to support the work of the Center for Housing Opportunity (CHO-FC) in Fairfield County. The Center for Housing Opportunity Fairfield County is a collaboration between the Housing Collective, LISC Connecticut, community foundations, and academic and regional partners working together to collectively identify and build upon community driven and data informed solutions to preserve, protect and produce safe and affordable housing for all.

The Project Manager will collaborate with interdisciplinary internal staff and external affordable housing and homelessness experts, public policy practitioners, and housing advocates to advance the Housing for All network in Fairfield County. This is a part-time grant-funded position and will report directly to the CHO-FC Director. This is a one year grant-funded position, with the expectation of additional grant funds to support the position for a second year.

Applicants will ideally have familiarity with Fairfield County and with community engagement and organizing, housing, policy, and neighborhood planning.

About The Housing Collective

The Housing Collective (HC) is a statewide backbone organization working to end homelessness and ensure equitable access to safe, stable, and affordable housing across Connecticut. HC brings together cross-sector partners, data, and strategy to drive systems change and advance housing solutions through collaboration, research, policy, and community engagement.

HC operates several core initiatives, including the Opening Doors Initiative (ODI), the Centers for Housing Opportunity (CHO), and the Housing Innovation Lab (HIL). Together these initiatives support regional collaboration, strengthen housing systems, and build the capacity of communities and partners working toward housing stability and opportunity.

The Housing Collective serves as the backbone for Housing for All, ensuring that residents and resident groups in rural and suburban communities can access tools, training, coaching, education, communications and other resources necessary to support their efforts to organize around and engage on housing issues in their communities.

About Housing For All

The Housing for All Network is a statewide network of local resident leaders and grassroots groups in rural and suburban towns across Connecticut working in their own communities to build support for housing. The network:

1. Supports local groups working on housing issues on the ground with tools and resources responsive to locally expressed needs; and
2. Works with local groups across communities to communicate a shared message that builds public will for housing across the state.

Position Overview

The Project Manager will serve as a key staff member with the Housing for All Network, responsible for engaging and organizing residents in rural and suburban communities in Fairfield County. The role will focus on building and strengthening a network of local resident leaders, grassroots groups, and community partners working to advance housing solutions in local communities.

Responsibilities

This role will be responsible for supporting the CHO Fairfield County Director to achieve programmatic short and long-term goals, including:

• Building widespread support for the preservation of safe, affordable housing and increased housing options.
• Building and managing a coalition of community groups by assisting with the facilitation of local group meetings and local and regional events.
• Engaging with partner organizations, community, business, civic, and other constituencies, including resident leaders with lived experience of housing instability
• Organizing, facilitating and speaking at community events, workshops, and forums.
• Drafting materials such as meeting agendas, meeting presentation decks, follow up emails, talking points, partner briefs, letters of support, public comments, white papers, etc.
• Effectively communicating the Housing Collective’s mission and objectives to elected government officials and staff, cross-sector partners, housing practitioners, community leaders, and residents

Qualifications

Candidates should have at least two years of program/campaign, grassroots advocacy, community engagement and organizing experience. Knowledge of key issues including affordable housing, public policy and urban planning are a plus. Other specific requirements include:

• Knowledge and understanding of community organizing and engagement strategies.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills
• Strong project management skills
• Ability to build and manage coalitions
• Attention to detail and the ability to work individually, within a multidisciplinary team, as well as with a diverse set of external partners
• Ability to multitask and work well under deadlines
• Experience with Google Suite

This is a part-time, grant-funded position with funding currently committed through March 2027. An additional year of grant funding is expected through March 2028, dependent upon first year outcomes. It is the intention of the Housing Collective to secure additional resources to extend the position beyond that date; continued employment is contingent upon available funding.

This role requires regular travel throughout Fairfield County. Evening and weekend work will periodically be required to support community meetings.

As part of our commitment to fostering an equitable work environment, we believe in offering all employees, including part-time staff, access to benefits as a component of their overall compensation package. Benefits include:

• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Long Term Disability Coverage
• Life Insurance
• Retirement Plans
• Other elective benefits available through our employee marketplace