Role: Student Homes Organizing Manager

Location: Sacramento, CA

Schedule: Flexible hybrid, minimum 3 days in-office per week (fully remote option)

Job Status: Full-Time, Non-Exempt.

Term: This is a term-limited position expected to run through December 31, 2026, and is expected to convert to a permanent role with continued funding.  

Salary: $28.85/hour plus a generous benefits package

Reports to: Student Homes Coalition Chair

About the Organization: Student Homes is a project of California YIMBY dedicated to addressing the student homelessness crisis. Since our founding in 2022, we have passed six sponsored bills into law and organized thousands of students for pro-housing action. Our advocacy work focuses on three core priorities: increasing housing production on and off-campus, protecting student tenant rights, and expanding student homelessness services. By collaborating with students, youth activists, nonprofit leaders, and policymakers, we advance reforms in Sacramento and bring them to campus communities across the state.

The core of the Student Homes Coalition is our campus-based affiliate network. By conducting outreach directly to student clubs and organizations, we have built a network of over twenty affiliate groups across the UC, CSU, and CCC systems who work with thousands of students across the state. Through our monthly meetings, we provide a space for our affiliate groups to share their experiences with student housing issues and inform our statewide advocacy efforts. Our new Student Homes chapters provide an avenue for students to directly engage with housing issues at several campuses, including UCSD, UCSB, UCLA, and SJSU. We also convene a Student Housing Legislative Advisory Committee on a monthly basis to provide insight on the housing needs of students, staff, and faculty. This working group consists of higher education advocates, statewide student organizations, faculty and staff labor unions, and pro-housing groups.

Position Summary: The Organizing Manager is responsible for our statewide student organizing efforts. Key responsibilities include managing and expanding our affiliates network of campus clubs and student organizations, launching new chapters, and building relationships with state and local partner organizations. The Organizing Manager will be expected to manage monthly calls with the affiliates network and student housing legislative advisory committee, as well as bi-weekly check-ins with Student Homes chapter leads. They will also work closely with the Policy Director to leverage the Coalition’s student network in support of policy priorities, including coordinating student travel to Sacramento for bill testimony, mobilizing students to call and meet with their elected officials, and conducting outreach to partner organizations for letters of support. In addition to working on student-specific housing issues, the Organizing Manager will endeavor to bring students in support of the broader pro-housing movement. This will include signing up students to attend a pro-housing lobby day in May, connecting students with YIMBY groups for local housing advocacy, and providing educational resources to strengthen students’ understanding of housing policy. The ideal candidate is an experienced organizer with a passion for housing policy and an appreciation for the unique role that student housing serves in solving California’s housing crisis.

Responsibilities

  • Conduct outreach to student organizations to recruit new affiliate members and grow the Coalition’s base in California.
  • Build and maintain relationships with student governments, campus clubs, and youth political organizations across the state.
  • Support existing Student Homes chapters and recruit students to launch new chapters.
  • Develop local housing advocacy plans for chapter leads and other student advocates.
  • Manage monthly calls with affiliates network and Student Housing Legislative Advisory Committee, as well as bi-weekly check-ins with Student Homes chapter leads.
  • Design workshops on housing policy and advocacy and present them to students in-person and online.
  • Coordinate student participation in legislative advocacy, including testimony, lobby visits, and phone/email campaigns.
  • Manage the organization’s participation in an annual pro-housing lobby day in Sacramento, including signing up student participants, arranging travel, and organizing a press conference.
  • Support the organization’s research on student housing issues and policies.
  • Create new educational materials on student housing issues, including reports, fact sheets, and advocacy toolkits.
  • Build partnerships with statewide organizations, coalitions, and higher education stakeholders to advance the organization’s goals.

Qualifications

  • Experience with community organizing, student leadership, or policy advocacy.
  • An in-depth understanding of California’s higher education landscape and housing policy issues.
  • Experience researching state and local policies, specifically on housing, homelessness, and education topics
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking.
  • Willingness to travel throughout the state for conferences, summits, and other events.

To apply, please email your resume and cover letter to kate@studenthomescoalition.org with the subject line “Student Homes Organizing Manager Application.” You may be asked to submit a writing sample if you are selected for an interview. We look forward to hearing from you!