Now Hiring: NYCHA Resident Fellow at Kingsborough houses
Job Title: NYCHA Resident Fellowship
Organization: Public Housing Community Fund
Location: Remote/hybrid, 200 Broadway, New York, NY 10038 and Kingsborough Houses
Salary: $60,000 annual
Benefits: Competitive benefits including flexible schedule, health, dental, vision, retirement savings plan, transit, professional development and more.
Application Deadline: March 20, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. EST
Duration: Two years or 24 months. This is a grant-funded position.
Organizational Overview:
The Fund for Public Housing, Inc., d/b/a Public Housing Community Fund, was founded as a nonprofit (501c3) organization in 2016, to support the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and its residents. The Fund creates and leverages resources and relationships to enhance the opportunities and quality of life for NYCHA residents, while uplifting the importance of public housing to our city. The Fund aims to engage people and partners to build a stronger, more equitable New York City by investing in public housing communities. We invest in programs focused on leadership development, financial empowerment, community health, and workforce training for residents of the NYCHA community.
The New York City Housing Authority, the largest public housing authority in North America, was created in 1935 to provide decent, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers. NYCHA is home to roughly 1 in 16 New Yorkers across over 177,000 apartments within 335 housing developments. NYCHA serves over 339,000 residents through the conventional public housing program (Section 9), over 29,000 residents at developments that have been converted to PACT/RAD, and over 92,000 families through federal rent subsidies (the Section 8 Leased Housing Program). In addition, NYCHA connects residents to opportunities in financial empowerment, business development, career advancement, and educational programs. With a housing stock that spans all five boroughs, NYCHA is a city within a city.
Program Overview:
The Public Housing Community Fund is seeking a skilled and dedicated NYCHA Resident Fellow at Kingsborough Houses to join a growing team to support and manage a groundbreaking public-private partnership program. In this position, a Fellow will conduct discussions and document personal experiences about art heritage, history, and community experiences–past and current. The Fund envisions a two-year community engagement fellowship about the relevance and significance of Exodus and Dance frieze and the artist Richmond Barthé, including the community’s shared histories of community activation and placemaking. This insight will inspire and guide a place-based installation during the grant period.
The Fellow will then synthesize and present the information in articles, videos, posters, or other mediums. Through workshops and focus groups, the Fellow will work with the Public Housing Community Fund, NYCHA, Stakeholder Advisory Group, and other partners. The Fellow will play a critical role in capturing residents' oral stories during the restoration of Exodus and Dance.
Responsibilities:
Coordinate activities and workshops with Kingsborough Houses residents and the Stakeholder Advisory Group, ensuring inclusive, vibrant storytelling with a resident-centered approach.
Develop and document resident and community engagement plans with benchmarks and schedules involving community dialogues, interviews, recordings, and surveys.
Coordinate with the Community Programs and Placemaking Lead and Stakeholder Advisory Group to moderate programs that foster opportunities to discuss and garner research about the restoration process and its impact on residents, local history and culture, community knowledge, and art at Kingsborough Houses.
Additional duties to support the Fund's mission, including community engagement activities beyond this project and future programs of similar scope and size.
Background and Project Components:
The project involves the Capital Restoration of Exodus and Dance, a historic frieze at Kingsborough Houses. Extensive research and collaboration have been conducted to understand its historical significance and potential for fostering social cohesion. The restoration process includes removing the frieze, conserving it, and placing it on a newly constructed wall and public plaza in 2024. The program also includes additional capital work, such as upgrading the surrounding area, adding lighting, and affixing historical and interpretive signage.
The Participatory Place-Based Strategy aims to complement the restoration project by promoting community interaction and exchange of stories. The Public Housing Community Fund will engage partners and consultants with expertise in place-based strategies to guide the design of Story Walk features and other interventions. Resident and stakeholder engagement will be crucial in shaping these strategies through workshops and focus-group meetings. The Fellow will create a collection of community history and stories that develop a living record of Kingsborough Houses.
Minimum Qualifications:
- High School Diploma or G.E.D.
- One year of experience working in programs and community engagement, oral history, or archival management, preferably in the fields of public art, arts programming, or public housing communities; or coursework in digital tools, public speaking, participatory engagement and practices, housing, etc.
- Community engagement and/or facilitation experience with diverse populations.
- 18 years of age or older.
- An interest in art, culture, history, and placemaking.
The ideal candidate will have:
- Associate or Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field.
- Basic knowledge of general oral history theory and methodology; in-person and remote interviewing techniques; legal and ethical issues; transcription practices; archiving; data management; and other relevant topics.
- Prior experience working with NYCHA or another housing authority.
- Experience working with digital and recording equipment tools such as Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft, Google Workspace, and other software or tools.
- Excellent organizational, time management, data management, and communication skills.
- Flexibility to accommodate a dynamic work schedule.
- An entrepreneurial spirit, creative, and self-starter passionate about talking with residents about art in NYCHA communities.
- Multi-lingual, no specific language required.
- NYCHA Kingsborough Houses residency preferred.
If you are passionate about community engagement, public art, and making a positive impact in public housing communities, we encourage you to apply for this rewarding opportunity. The Fund works closely with NYCHA, community-based organizations, and public housing residents. As a Fellow, you will be part of a small but impactful team working closely with senior leadership at the Fund and NYCHA in a fun, exciting, and ever-changing work environment.
How to Apply:
Please submit a resume, cover letter, and any relevant materials showcasing your experience in oral history storytelling, interdisciplinary or mixed-media community-based documentation to kingsborough@communityfund.nyc with the subject line: Kingsborough Resident Fellow. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. EST. Interviews will be held virtually on a rolling basis. For the final interview, select candidates will be invited to discuss their background and approach to the project with the Stakeholder Advisory Group. The final interview is scheduled for the next Stakeholder Advisory Group meeting on Thursday, March 21, 2024. The expected start date for this position is April 1, 2024. Visit the project website: https://www.communityfund.nyc/kingsborough.
The Fund for Public Housing, Inc., d/b/a Public Housing Community Fund, provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences.
