Real Estate Development Systems Research VISTA Volunteer

About the role

The Real Estate Development Systems Research VISTA Volunteer will strengthen Wesley Housing’s Real Estate Development systems by creating a comprehensive development playbook, standardized templates, funding strategy tools, and partner engagement frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Analyze existing internal tools, past project data, and lessons learned from prior development projects to identify gaps, best practices, and opportunities for standardization.
• Develop a structured Real Estate Development Playbook that furthers the Wesley Housing 2026 Summer Intern work and documents standardized processes for identifying available financing, evaluating sites, conducting underwriting, assessing LIHTC strategy, and prioritizing the development pipeline.
• Create reusable templates, development project evaluation scorecards, funding matrices, competition tracking tools, and pipeline tracking resources that can be applied across multiple development opportunities.
• Research and compile a comprehensive inventory of funding sources, including LIHTC equity, rental subsidies, local financing, philanthropic capital, and alternative funding streams.
• Design a funding toolkit that furthers the Wesley Housing 2026 Summer Intern work within the Development Playbook that outlines strategies to improve LIHTC competitiveness and support long-term affordability.
• Conduct regional housing needs and gaps analysis for target Southern and Central Virginia communities, including information on cost burden, income levels, housing supply, pipeline activity, and funding availability.
• Create jurisdiction-specific needs and funding availability briefs with actionable recommendations for development project strategy, LIHTC positioning, subsidy layering, and partnership opportunities.
• Facilitate structured engagement with public agencies, funding partners, local governments, housing agencies, and community organizations to gather input on housing needs, funding opportunities, and partner priorities.
• Pilot Playbook tools on active and prospective development projects to test usability, refine effectiveness, and integrate findings into final templates and procedures.
• Prepare training materials and facilitate internal training sessions to promote consistent adoption of the Development Playbook and related tools within Real Estate Development and, as appropriate, Asset Management.
• Establish a process for maintaining and updating Playbook materials to reflect changes in funding programs, market conditions, organizational priorities, and lessons learned.

Requirements

• Strong research, writing, editing, and analytical skills.
• Interest in affordable housing, community development, urban planning, real estate development, public policy, or a related field.
• Ability to organize complex information into clear tools, templates, summaries, and recommendations.
• Comfort working with data, spreadsheets, funding information, market research, and policy materials.
• Ability to communicate professionally with internal colleagues and external partners, including public agencies, funding partners, community organizations, and local jurisdictions.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Familiarity with collaborative project management such as Asana or knowledge management tools is helpful.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to work independently in a collaborative, mission-driven environment.
• Commitment to Wesley Housing’s mission of developing and preserving affordable housing for individuals and families with low-income.

Qualifications

• Coursework, work experience, internship experience, national service experience, or volunteer experience in affordable housing, real estate, urban planning, public administration, finance, community development, research, or public policy is preferred.
• Experience conducting research, summarizing findings, creating templates or toolkits, developing presentations, or supporting process improvement initiatives is preferred.

Skills

• Strong research, writing, editing, and analytical skills.
• Ability to organize complex information into clear tools, templates, summaries, and recommendations.
• Comfort working with data, spreadsheets, funding information, market research, and policy materials.
• Ability to communicate professionally with internal colleagues and external partners, including public agencies, funding partners, community organizations, and local jurisdictions.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Familiarity with collaborative project management such as Asana or knowledge management tools is helpful.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to work independently in a collaborative, mission-driven environment.

Benefits

• One-year VISTA volunteers in the DMV also receive a housing allowance of $1,000 at the beginning of each month, typically paid directly to the landlord unless otherwise arranged consistent with program guidance.
• Professional development opportunities during the one-year service term, with specific activities determined based on the VISTA volunteer’s needs and what is feasible.
• Additional host-site benefits identified for this role include access to amenities, a monthly cell phone stipend, and work travel reimbursement.
• Relocation allowance may be available through the AmeriCorps portal for VISTA volunteers relocating more than 50 miles from their home address.

Pay

The VISTA volunteer receives a bi-weekly living allowance of $1,072.54.

Schedule

This is a full-time, temporary, one-year AmeriCorps VISTA service position. Typical workdays are Monday through Friday, with a total of 40 hours worked a week between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Occasional evening or weekend hours may be required for events or meetings, consistent with VISTA program requirements.