Diversity, Equity and Inclusion/EEO Intern - HPD College Aide

Job Description

About the Agency:

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation Development (HPD) promotes quality and affordability in the city's housing, and diversity and strength in the city’s neighborhoods because every New Yorker deserves a safe, affordable place to live in a neighborhood they love.

- We maintain building and resident safety and health
- We create opportunities for New Yorkers through housing affordability
- We engage New Yorkers to build and sustain neighborhood strength and diversity.

HPD is entrusted with fulfilling these objectives through the goals and strategies of “Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness,” Mayor Adams’ comprehensive housing framework. To support this important work, the administration has committed $5 billion in new capital funding, bringing the 10-year planned investment in housing to $22 billion the largest in the city’s history. This investment, coupled with a commitment to reduce administrative and regulatory barriers, is a multi-pronged strategy to tackle New York City’s complex housing crisis, by addressing homelessness and housing instability, promoting economic stability and mobility, increasing homeownership opportunities, improving health and safety, and increasing opportunities for equitable growth.


Your Team

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion/Equal Employment Opportunity (“ODEI/EEO”) forwards the mission of HPD to construct and preserve affordable housing by ensuring that all internally- and externally-facing policies, programs and procedures are created and executed with an intersectional equity lens that focuses on wellness both for employees and the public we serve. The Office also serves an important compliance role, ensuring that anti-discrimination laws are enforced. The Office is transitioning to focus even more on equity and inclusion, paying close attention to race, gender, and disability as intersectional lenses to help uncover barriers to accessing resources and opportunities.

The Office works both internally and externally to ensure that the agency is as responsive as possible to the diverse public we serve through building partnerships with neighborhoods, communities and organizations. The Office also acts as a one-stop resource with regard to equity and as a liaison for HPD to equity initiatives throughout the city. Finally, the Office is committed to educating HPD’s workforce about equity and inclusion strategies and equal employment opportunity policies, as well as state and local anti-discrimination laws, in order to better equip our staff to work together and with the public in an unbiased and professional manner.

Your Impact

As a College Aide in the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion/Equal Employment Opportunity (ODEI/EEO), you will support both internal initiatives and community partnerships. Your work will help dismantle systemic barriers to opportunity and provide a more inclusive and culturally responsive work environment for HPD staff by assisting with education, training, and agency-wide equity initiatives.

Your Role

Internships at HPD provide students with a robust, dynamic, and engaging professional experience and the experience is often the foundation of a career in housing, economic, and urban development or a variety of government opportunities. This is an opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of others while gaining hands-on experience in public service, civil rights compliance, and social impact work.

Key Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Executive Director of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion/Equal Employment Opportunity (ODEI/EEO), the College Aide will support the Office in advancing its mission to foster an inclusive, equitable, and accessible agency culture. Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:
- Assisting in the planning, coordination, and implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives for HPD staff, including events, campaigns, and educational activities.
- Supporting the delivery and tracking of staff trainings on topics such as equity, inclusion, and anti-discrimination.
- Aiding in the agency’s language access efforts to ensure that all members of the public can effectively engage with HPD’s resources and referrals.
- Managing and tracking public requests for support or assistance related to ODEI/EEO concerns in a timely and professional manner.
- Performing administrative tasks such as scheduling meetings, preparing materials, updating databases, and supporting internal communications.
- Conducting research or data entry as needed to support compliance and equity-related projects.
- Supporting inter-agency coordination and helping maintain partnerships with community and citywide equity initiatives.
- Perfo