Lead Housing Organizer

Reports to: Housing Justice Program Director

FLSA Status: Salaried- Exempt

Employment Type: Full-time

Hours: Monday-Friday, hybrid position requires a mix of remote work, work on-site, and community-based outreach.

About Us: African Communities Together (ACT) is an organization of African immigrants fighting for civil rights, opportunity, and a better life for our families here in the U.S. and worldwide. ACT empowers African immigrants to integrate socially, get ahead economically, and engage civically. We develop our members as grassroots leaders who take action to make social change. Since its founding, ACT has supported thousands of African immigrants with direct services, trained hundreds of new leaders, and led successful policy campaigns at the federal, state, and local levels that have impacted hundreds of thousands of immigrants. ACT’s African immigrant membership comes from a diverse range of nationalities, cultures, and languages, is religiously diverse, and is predominantly working-class and low-income. We have offices in New York City, Philadelphia, and the Washington, D.C. metro area.

Overview: ACT’s Housing Justice Program organizes and mobilizes African immigrants and allies to advocate for dignified, affordable housing in New York City, Philadelphia, and the Washington, D.C. metro area.

The program uses a multi-pronged approach to address key housing challenges, including unaffordable rents, poor living conditions, limited access to affordable housing programs, and displacement.

Through grassroots organizing, local tenant campaigns, and leadership development, ACT empowers African immigrant tenants to challenge predatory practices by corporate landlords and advocate for their housing rights.

Position Description: We are seeking a passionate and strategic Lead Housing Organizer to spearhead the organizing component of our housing justice work across ACT chapters.

This role is ideal for someone with a strong background in grassroots organizing, demonstrated leadership skills, and a deep commitment to building power within immigrant and BIPOC communities.

This role will report to the Housing Justice Program Director and will work closely with community members, allies, and coalitions to advance housing rights, combat displacement, and drive equitable, community-led solutions to housing injustice.

Key Responsibilities include:

Organizing & Leadership Development

• Facilitate and manage regular housing committee meetings that empower tenants to lead discussions, make collective decisions, and develop campaign strategies.
• Identify, recruit, and train community leaders to become effective advocates and organizers within their own communities.
• Support the formation and growth of tenant associations, including overseeing member recruitment, agenda-setting, facilitation, and collaborative work planning.
• Plan and execute actions alongside community members to bring increased attention to housing injustices and put pressure on relevant stakeholders to bring about change (ex: rallies, protests, sit-ins, etc).

Education & Capacity Building

• Design and facilitate "Know Your Rights" workshops and other housing education sessions tailored to community needs.
• Develop multilingual, accessible materials including tenant rights toolkits, campaign guides, and advocacy resources.

Campaigns & Policy

• Work with the Housing Justice Program Director to design and implement housing justice campaigns that center, and uplift impacted communities.
• Lead project management for campaign strategies and tactics, including planning, implementation, and evaluation.
• Support housing policy strategy and advocacy efforts at the local, state, and federal levels in alignment with ACT’s organizational goals.
• Support broader organizational campaigns during rapid response moments, including providing strategic input and participating in joint mobilizations.

Relationship Building & Coalition Work

• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with partner organizations, coalitions, elected officials, and other stakeholders to expand ACT’s presence and influence in the housing justice movement.
• Represent ACT at various public events and in the media to bring attention to housing campaigns and needed housing policy changes.

Data

• Assist with collecting and maintaining data on member engagement and campaign activities to monitor participation and support progress toward organizing goals.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of three (3) years prior experience in grassroots organizing, preferably around housing justice, immigrant rights, tenants’ rights, or economic justice.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships with diverse communities, especially low-income and immigrant tenants.
• Demonstrated leadership skills, with a history of developing, mentoring, and supporting individual leaders.
• Cultural competence and significant experience working with immigrant and/or BIPOC communities.
• Experience leading campaigns, facilitating workshops, and developing organizing materials.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, facilitation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders effectively.
• Ability to develop and communicate plans, goals, strategy, and outcomes clearly and persuasively.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and adapt to changing priorities.
• Willingness and ability to work evenings and weekends as needed.
• Fluency in English is required. Proficiency in either an African language or French is a plus.
• Proficiency with common business software (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Gmail) and a willingness to learn new tools, including our CRM database.
• Alignment with ACT’s mission and values.