Regional Organizer

Abundant Housing Massachusetts, Inc. (AHMA) is a 501(c)(4) non-profit housing advocacy organization formed in 2020. AHMA believes that Massachusetts is for everyone. Our mission is to stand up for abundant housing for all in communities across Massachusetts. We drive policy at the state and local level by identifying pro-housing changemakers, building the power of local organizers, and connecting a statewide network.

AHMA’s vision for Massachusetts is to create, sustain, and enhance:

• Abundant housing for all;
• A housing market that lets people move when they want, where they want, not when they have to;
• Communities with racially and economically diverse residents;
• Development patterns that facilitate low/no-carbon lifestyles; and,
• Education on effective organizing tools to overcome our history of racial segregation.

The AHMA network encompasses hundreds of members statewide and over twenty affiliate organizations/coalition partners across the state who are advocates for housing in their own communities. To make AHMA’s vision a reality, AHMA builds the capacity of our network to enact pro-housing changes at the local level. AHMA’s work is empowered by a team of six, three active volunteer committees and a committed working board of directors. To learn more about our work, we encourage you to read our curated blog authored by staff and members of our network.

Overview of Role

With support from our funders, AHMA has a strong focus on building local pro-housing infrastructure, by catalyzing new municipal-level + maintain existing affiliated organizations. The Regional Organizer is needed to seed the launch of new affiliated pro-housing groups in areas such as Northeast Region/Merrimack Valley (Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill), Salem, and Western MA (Springfield). We have identified these areas as regions that are experiencing housing demand that has outpaced supply, partly due to people being priced out of the Greater Boston region and partly due to young people turning working age and beginning to look for housing of their own.

With oversight from the Director of Operations and in collaboration with the Executive Director, and consultants, the Regional Organizers will be responsible for developing and implementing AHMA’s educational, outreach, and organizing strategy in a portfolio of MBTA Communities. Key tasks include, but are not limited to:

Responsibilities

• Build power. Organize groups and members in your region around AHMA’s statewide priorities and campaigns. Create strong, trusted relationships with aligned group leaders and activists. Provide the guidance, feedback, structure, and support they need to organize effectively. Identify and develop new leaders. Work closely with group leaders and activists to build leadership skills and structures within AHMA’s groups and networks.
• Develop stronger coordination among affiliate groups and members and build strong, clear communication structures within your region. Recruit and activate volunteers and members to join AHMA’s efforts.
• Build capacity. Coach groups and members on AHMA’s theory of change and knowledge resources, and equip them with the tools they need to execute local strategic actions. Recruit and develop volunteers and regional organizers to grow our reach and ability to organize at scale. Facilitate learning opportunities via organizer training and workshops with the purpose of sharing organizing best practices, building leadership capacity and skills, and community/relationship building
• Plan and execute base-building activities in coordination with local leaders to help increase the number of grassroots advocates supporting AHMA’s policy priorities and initiatives. Plan and execute educational events, in coordination with local leaders, to increase public awareness of the importance of advocating for local and state level pro-housing initiatives, as well as the current and historical conditions that led to housing segregation in Massachusetts and the need to zone for more multifamily housing throughout the region
• Collaborate effectively with team members and leadership to coordinate work internally, surface insights, provide feedback and thought partnership to peers, and help foster a team culture of learning and mutual support.
• Contribute to a safe, welcoming, and inspiring organizational culture for staff to excel in, and provide ongoing opportunities for team members to lead and grow.
• Accountability is at the heart of our success. Be accountable to our movement, our organization, and our team.
• Uphold AHMA’s values of creating an inclusive and equitable working environment.

Required Qualifications

• Commitment to the AHMA mission, vision, and to the importance of organizing the gateway cities and advancing AHMA’s priorities.
• Strong understanding of what power is, how to build it, and how pressure campaigns work. At least 2-3 years/cycles of demonstrated experience in community, labor, movement, or electoral organizing.
• Ability to train activists in skill development, power-building, and strategic planning
• Experience tracking volunteer engagement in a database, particularly with NGP Van or EveryAction.
• Highly organized and comfortable tracking deadlines, details and moving multiple projects simultaneously.
• Proven ability to foster leadership development, recruit and retain volunteers.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bilingual Spanish speaker with strong written and verbal communications skills in both languages.
• Ability to tackle problems with actionable plans, generate smart, innovative approaches, not afraid to think outside of the box.
• Experience facilitating groups both in-person and online and prioritizing inclusion of all voices, experiences, and backgrounds.
• Excellent Communications skills with some experience managing website applications such as WordPress.
• Familiarity with housing policy, land use planning, zoning, real estate development, or urban policy or planning; familiarity with these areas in Massachusetts is a plus.
• Ability to interact positively with a wide breadth of people, including AHMA members and volunteers, municipal leaders, elected officials, and the general public including those who may be opposed to our work.

As no single applicant is likely to have all of the desired qualifications, applicants with relevant experience or transferable skills in some or most of these areas, and a willingness to expand their skill set should feel comfortable applying.

Salary and Benefits

This is a full time position with an annual salary of between $70,000 and $80,000 with benefits including health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement plan with employer match, unlimited Paid Time off plus 10 paid holidays per year, and opportunities for employee professional development.

AHMA is a hybrid work environment with staff splitting time between work-from-home, organizing in various communities and co-working in a downtown Boston location. On average, full-team in office co-working days happen once a week and employees are encouraged to utilize the co-working space more frequently. This position does require living in MA, with the ability to participate in in-person events on a regular basis.

Abundant Housing MA is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and an affirmative action employer. We value diversity, equity, and inclusion and are committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.