A couple days ago I spent most of the day with a realtor driving around downtown Chicago looking at apartments. I’ll be moving out here in a couple months, so I thought it was important to get familiar with the process, even though it’s too early to actually find a place that will let me move in on my desired date. The whole process is bewildering, and I’m glad that I have a girlfriend from Chicago to inform me about the ins and outs of each of the neighborhoods. I’m also lucky enough to have a budget that should put me in a pretty decent place. The decision of where to live is an important one, and it can be extremely difficult for anyone. It can be especially hard for people of low-income who often lack the information they need to pick the right location to look in. MoveSmart is “a start-up non-profit organization that fosters vibrant and diverse neighborhoods by empowering housing seekers to move to opportunity.”
In MoveSmart’s words, they will be launching a site that:
will layer information on neighborhood amenities, quality of life indicators, affordable housing opportunities, and the services and programs of community based organizations over an interactive map. These maps will be complimented by guides, tools, calculators, worksheets, and an innovative social network that will connect new residents with community-based organizations and new neighbors, making MoveSmart.org a one-stop resource for housing seekers looking for a better neighborhood.
And here are a couple videos of Just Massa, MoveSmart’s founder, describing what the organization is all about.
MoveSmart is currently in the hiring process for 2 Summer interns, and they’re also looking for applications for 2 Fall interns. These internships will focus on creating guides on housing related topics. You can read an extremely detailed description of the Guide Production Internships here. The internships are located in Chicago and are unpaid, although interns will be provided with a digital camera and will be reimbursed for travel expenses.
If you’re interested in interning with MoveSmart, you should send a resume, writing sample (or link to online writing sample), two references, and cover letter to Justin Massa, executive director, via e-mail at (Justin [at] MoveSmart.org). Attachments must be in .doc, .pages, or .pdf formats. They’re conducting interviews right now for their Summer positions (but maybe you can sneak in), and they’re accepting applications for Fall positions through the end of August.
Links to Help You Begin Your Research
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Tags: Illinois, Internships, non-profit, real estate, research, unpaid
Thanks for the story! There’s still a summer opportunity available and both opportunities are open this fall. (as of 7/12)
Thanks for dropping by Justin. I hope you don’t mind having your face plastered all over this post.