California Coalition for Rural Housing (CCRH)

Formed in 1976 following a farmworker housing conference, California Coalition for Rural Housing (CCRH) is one of the oldest state low-income housing coalitions in the country. Members are primarily community-based nonprofit and public developers, including the largest self-help housing producers in the United States, as well as local government officials, and local activists concerned about rural quality of life.

For more than 25 years, CCRH has been offering a one-year paid internship program for university students designed to increase the racial diversity of staff in the Affordable Housing and Community Development field and assist in meeting the diverse needs of the communities served throughout the rural West.

Since the program’s inception, approximately 200 students have graduated from the program with more than 50% staying in the field of Community Development and holding highly responsible positions. The program fills a critical void in the ability of rural development organizations to recruit, educate, and retain future professionals. In late 2022, with support from the Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Foundation and Hauʻoli Mau Loa Foundation, CCRH added Hawaiʻi as a region which will be hosting interns.