Part-Time Boston Summer Fellowship: Neighborhood Development and Housing Innovation Lab

The Initiative on Cities (IOC) Fellowship awards one Boston University graduate student the opportunity to spend the summer working part-time with the City of Boston Mayor’s Office of Housing and the Housing Innovation Lab. This fellow will have the opportunity to explore an interest in affordable housing by analyzing other cities’ efforts to utilize accessory dwelling units (ADU) as a means of increasing affordable housing. Through the course of this fellowship, the fellow will have an opportunity to collaborate with various city departments that focus on planning, affordable housing development, and homeownership programs. The fellow will have a particular focus on identifying and implementing a plan for how ADUs, particularly exterior additional dwelling units, can promote community stabilization and housing affordability in pilot neighborhoods of Mattapan, Roslindale, Jamaica Plain, and Dorchester. Through this work the fellow will help inform efforts to pair ADUs and affordable housing in Boston.

The Housing Innovation Lab, part of the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, works to increase housing affordability by testing innovative housing models and accelerating the pace of innovation in the housing sector.

Meet our 2022 Fellow. 

Applications for summer 2022 are closed. Check back in early spring 2023. 

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Summer 2022 Fellowship Information

The fellow will be paid $4,500 and work 180 total hours between June and August. The fellow will be expected to work between 15 to 18 hours a week.

Qualifications & Eligibility

  • Applicants must be in good standing with Boston University and must be enrolled as a full or part-time graduate student at Boston University during the spring 2022 semester.
  • There is no specific skill set required but a passion for public service, affordable housing, and local government is a must.
  • Familiarity with housing policy and/or zoning reform is a plus.

How to Apply

Applications for summer 2022 are closed. Check back in early spring 2023. 

To apply, please email a single PDF including the application materials listed below to David Gross at davgross@bu.edu using the subject line “[First and Last Name] Housing Fellowship Application.” Please use the same naming format for your PDF.

  • Current resume or CV
  • Unofficial copy of your academic transcript
  • A cover letter that details your interest in affordable housing and any relevant experience and skills, including past research or public policy experience. The cover letter should also include a discussion of your aspirations for the fellowship and your interest in the specific area of additional dwelling units.
  • A list of references, including at least one academic reference. Please provide name, title, organization, phone number and email address.

Responsibilities/Terms of Award

  • Fellow will work a total of 180 hours between June and August, as agreed upon with the Housing Innovation Lab. Pay is $25/hour.
  • Fellow will attend a meeting at the Initiative on Cities in Fall 2022 to share their experience working in city government.
  • Fellow must complete a reflection piece by August 31, 2022, highlighting the project(s) they worked on over the course of the summer. This reflection should emphasize the Fellow’s core focus for the summer, their project’s impact, as well as lessons learned. They are encouraged to incorporate interactive elements, including video and photography. This piece will be shared on the IOC website.

Questions

If you have any questions, please contact IOC Program Manager & Administrator David Gross at davgross@bu.edu.