Volunteer Research Development Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Description

Department: Real Estate Development

Reports To: Vice President of Real Estate Development

Location: Wesley Housing's corporate office: 2311 Huntington Avenue, Alexandria, VA (potential hybrid schedule)

Service Term: September 8, 2026, through September 7, 2027

Compensation: The VISTA volunteer receives a bi-weekly living allowance of $1,072.54. At the end of service, the one-year VISTA volunteer may choose between a Segal Education Award of $7,395, as of 2025 and subject to change, or a cash stipend of $1,800. The end-of-service award is in addition to the bi-weekly living allowance. See below job description for additional details.

Wesley Housing seeks a Real Estate Development Systems Research VISTA Volunteer to serve through AmeriCorps VISTA and the Coalition's VISTA Strong Communities program. This one-year capacity-building role will strengthen Wesley Housing's Real Estate Development systems by creating a comprehensive development playbook, standardized templates, funding strategy tools, and partner engagement frameworks. The VISTA volunteer will conduct research, analyze past development data, map funding opportunities, pilot tools on active and prospective development projects, and develop training materials to support long-term adoption. The volunteer will help Wesley Housing expand its capacity to identify, evaluate, finance, and advance affordable housing development projects that serve individuals and families with low-income, particularly in underserved Southern and Central Virginia communities.

Hybrid schedule and required in-office days to be confirmed. VISTA volunteers in this program must reside within the DMV area, defined as within 50 miles of the District of Columbia.

About AmeriCorps VISTA and the Coalition Partnership

AmeriCorps VISTA, Volunteers in Service to America, is a national service program in which volunteers age 18 and older perform capacity-building activities at nonprofit organizations and public agencies over the course of one year. VISTA volunteers focus on indirect service that strengthens organizations and helps create long-term, sustainable benefits for communities experiencing poverty.

Wesley Housing will host this VISTA volunteer through the Coalition's VISTA Strong Communities program, a capacity-building partnership between the Coalition and AmeriCorps VISTA. Through this partnership, VISTA volunteers serve full-time with Coalition member organizations to build organizational capacity in housing and economic development. This position will strengthen Wesley Housing's Real Estate Development systems, tools, and funding strategies to expand access to affordable housing for individuals and families with low-income.

Application and Eligibility

Eligible applicants who are interested in a one-year national service opportunity focused on affordable housing, community development, research, and organizational capacity building are encouraged to apply. Applicants should be able to commit to a full year of service, reside within the DMV area as required by the program, and perform the role as a full-time temporary VISTA volunteer. The program allows school attendance and outside employment during off hours, provided those activities do not interfere with full-time VISTA responsibilities and are approved as required by the site supervisor and program rules. 

Company Overview

Wesley Housing, a leading nonprofit developer throughout Virginia and the District of Columbia, has worked to provide affordable rental housing for individuals and families for more than 50 years. Since its founding, Wesley Housing has emerged as a premier developer of affordable housing with current ownership of 43 communities. Wesley Housing supplements housing with supportive services to build up the lives of its ~5,300 residents living across its owned and operated communities, including low- and moderate-income families, older adults, and individuals with disabilities and/or chronic disease.  Wesley Housing's headquarters are located in Alexandria, VA (Fairfax County).  For more information, please visit www.wesleyhousing.org and follow @WesleyHousing on social media.

Job Summary

The Real Estate Development Systems Research VISTA Volunteer will design and help institutionalize a comprehensive Real Estate Development Playbook and related tools that strengthen Wesley Housing's capacity to identify, evaluate, finance, and advance affordable housing development projects. The VISTA volunteer will conduct research, analyze existing internal tools and past development project data, develop standardized templates and funding strategy frameworks, and facilitate internal adoption of the Playbook through documentation and training materials.

This capacity-building role supports Wesley Housing's mission by improving the Real Estate Development Department's systems for pipeline planning, site evaluation, underwriting, LIHTC strategy, funding identification, and partnership engagement. The position is intended to produce sustainable tools and processes that build on a summer intern's work and continue beyond the VISTA service term and improve Wesley Housing's ability to expand access to stable, affordable housing for individuals and families with low-income.

Essential Functions

• 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.
• Construct and refine reusable templates, development project evaluation scorecards, funding matrices, competition tracking tools, and pipeline tracking resources that can be applied across multiple development opportunities.
• Review Virginia Housing Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP) materials and 4% and 9% LIHTC applications from prior submission rounds to identify scoring strategies, competitive positioning considerations, and recommendations for specific pools.
• 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.
• Perform other VISTA Assignment Description activities aligned with the approved VAD and AmeriCorps VISTA requirements.

Requirements

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• 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.

Required Education, Certifications/Licenses, and Related Experience

• 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.

Physical Job Requirements

• Able to remain in a stationary standing and/or seated position more than half the time while viewing computer monitors.
• Able to regularly maneuver, lift, move, carry, or slide up to approximately 15 pounds.
• Able to operate equipment that requires frequent use of hands, fingers, and wrists, including typing, filing, and related office tasks.

Expected Work Hours

• 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 pm   
• Occasional evening or weekend hours may be required for events or meetings, consistent with VISTA program requirements.

Travel Requirements

• This position may require periodic local or regional travel for meetings, community engagement, site visits, partner discussions, or required program activities.
• Travel will generally be by personal vehicle, rideshare, transit, or other practical means depending on the activity. Work-related travel reimbursement will be provided consistent with Wesley Housing policies and applicable program requirements.
• The Coalition will provide a MetroCard to cover transportation expenses to and from required orientations hosted by the Coalition.

Compensation, Allowances, and Program Benefits

• The VISTA volunteer receives a bi-weekly living allowance of $1,072.54, accruing at a rate of $76.61 per day, including weekends.
• At the end of service, the one-year VISTA volunteer may choose between a Segal Education Award of $7,395, as of 2025 and subject to change, or a cash stipend of $1,800. The end-of-service award is in addition to the bi-weekly living allowance.
• 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.
• Wesley Housing will provide 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, subject to AmeriCorps rules (https://www.americorps.gov/sites/default/files/document/2025-01/AmeriCorps-VISTA-Member-Handbook-2025.pdf). 

Important Program Parameters

• The role is focused on indirect service, including research, tool development, systems building, funding strategy, community assessment, partnership engagement, and internal training materials.
• VISTA volunteers may attend classes if their studies do not interfere with full-time VISTA responsibilities.
• VISTA volunteers may hold outside employment during service if it is less than 20 hours per week and has prior approval from the site supervisor.