Jobs

Energy & Sustainability Intern (Temporary)

POSITION OPENING: Energy & Sustainability Intern (Temporary)

LOCATION: Washington, DC or Atlanta, GA

TO APPLY: E-mail resume and cover letter to [email protected]. No calls, please. 

SUMMARY 

Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future (SAHF) is seeking a talented intern to help direct and further our work in reducing energy-related carbon emissions, also known as decarbonization, in the affordable housing sector. SAHF and its members are longstanding leaders in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation. Building off the successes of our ambitious Big Reach initiative, SAHF is beginning to explore pathways towards a low-carbon future, including pathways for affordable housing owners to access new Inflation Reduction Act programs that will provide critical funding to continue energy and carbon-related work.

SAHF takes pride in tailoring meaningful experiences that help our interns learn about affordable housing development and operations, meet affordable housing leaders, and contribute to our programmatic and policy work. We prefer a team member who can join us full-time (40 hours per week) and on location for approximately two days per week. Depending on the intern’s location, the on-location work will either be in SAHF’s offices, located near Metro Center Metro Station in Washington, D.C., or SAHF’s shared coworking space in Old Fourth Ward in Atlanta, GA. Position begins in May 2023 and runs through July or August 2023.  

ABOUT SAHF 

SAHF is a collaborative of twelve exemplary multi-state nonprofit affordable housing providers who own more than 149,000 affordable rental homes. SAHF members are committed to long-term affordability, sustainability and expansion of rental housing that makes a difference in people’s lives. SAHF’s mission is to lead policy innovation and advance excellence in the delivery of affordable rental homes that expand opportunity and promote dignity for residents. SAHF and its members apply on-the-ground experience to advance change in policy and practice. They leverage one another’s best practices and collaborate with one another and the National Affordable Housing Trust, a joint venture of SAHF and the Low Income Investment Fund, on business and mission opportunities. SAHF and its members are committed to scaling their successes through business innovations and policy change. Examples include SAHF’s work to improve health outcomes for low-income individuals and families through thought leadership and best practices, financing innovations and healthy building practices.  

JOB DESCRIPTION 

SAHF’s interns make meaningful contributions to our work by conducting research and analysis that relates directly to SAHF initiatives and members’ on-the-ground experiences. Decarbonization is a rapidly evolving topic area within the larger field of environmental sustainability that directly impacts affordable housing properties and historically disadvantaged communities. SAHF has identified the following as distinct projects that would further our work on decarbonization and is prepared to work with the right candidate on alternative projects addressing energy-related carbon emissions in a manner relevant to multifamily affordable housing.

  • SAHF Member Solar Energy Projects Assessment and Analysis. During the Big Reach initiative and beyond, SAHF has been tracking SAHF member sustainability projects, including solar energy projects. As incentives have grown and solar installation costs have decreased, SAHF has seen an increase in installations across the portfolio. To better understand the impact of these solar energy systems on SAHF members and residents, the intern will:
    • Review, consolidate and analyze solar energy project data in SAHF’s current tracking document.
    • Work with SAHF members’ sustainability staff to gather information to fill in gaps in solar energy project data.
    • Develop a short internal report and presentation to share results of data analysis, including trends, successes, and challenges.
    • Develop a front-facing resource to share with the broader affordable housing sector.
  • Affordable Housing Utility Allowance and Energy Upgrade Impacts Research. With passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, there is significant opportunity for affordable housing owners to utilize new funding to install upgrades that will reduce energy usage and costs. However, it is critical to understand the impact on rents and utility allowances in subsidized affordable housing. SAHF has an internal overview and training document that will be used as a resource in order to:
    • Review and document utility allowance methodologies, policies and regulations associated with various federal rental housing programs, with a particular focus on programs applicable to SAHF member properties.
    • Draft an analysis that communicates the various utility allowance methodologies impact the ability for property owners to pursue energy upgrades or participate in energy efficiency or other sustainability-related programs.
    • Identify utility allowance policy, regulatory or methodology solutions that allow for property owners to pursue energy upgrades and ensure equitable outcomes for residents.

QUALIFICATIONS 

  • Bachelor’s degree preferred; 
  • Background in policy, law, architecture, engineering, environmental science or urban planning with an emphasis on sustainability or real estate; 
  • Interest in affordable housing, low-income communities, and equity; 
  • Excellent written communicator; 
  • Analytical thinker with the ability to research and synthesize topical information, draw connections between topic areas, and assess policy implications for a specific sector;  
  • Familiarity with utility benchmarking and/or utility allowances a plus. 
  • Experience with SharePoint, Tableau, website population, social media, or design software a plus. 
  • Experience working with a remote supervisor a plus. 

This is a temporary, non-exempt, paid position. No vacation or other benefits are offered with this position. The intern will be paid hourly at a rate of $20 to $25 per hour commensurate with education and experience. 

SAHF is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and encourages all candidates, especially those who have been historically underrepresented based on race/ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, socioeconomic status, citizenship status, or religion, to apply. On a daily basis, we are committed to our core values of Respect, Diversity and Inclusion, Collaboration, Stewardship and Integrity. You can learn more about us on our website.

Please submit a resume and cover letter which addresses the required qualifications to [email protected] . Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Due to the volume of applications usually received, we regret that we cannot individually respond to all candidates. 

SAHF is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.