CAMBRIDGE, MA — With funding from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, 23 students from the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD), the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), Harvard Business School (HBS), and Harvard College will spend the summer advancing a wide range of housing-related efforts across the US—from community planning, policy analysis, and program evaluation to design, data analysis, climate resilience, and tenant protection—at public agencies, nonprofits, and innovative for-profit organizations.
Edward M. Gramlich Fellows in Community and Economic Development
Miles Chandler, a Master in Urban Planning (MUP) student at GSD, will examine how localities and actors, including some in the NeighborWorks America network, are mobilizing to build housing in Opportunity Zones.
Nisha Singh, a joint degree candidate pursuing a MUP and a Master in Public Policy at HKS, will help NeighborWorks America develop strategies to foster more meaningful community engagement in its member organizations.
GSD Community Service Fellows
Lynn Fyffe, a Master in Architecture (MArch) student, will help the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s Division of Building and Land Development Services evaluate drawings and plans, scopes of work, and specifications.
Maya Kiernan, a Master in Design Engineering student, will work on four initiatives at the New York Climate Exchange: the NYC Housing Authority’s Resident Climate Action Program, Climate Week NYC 2026, a climate data stewardship initiative, and programming for a new climate solution center on Governors Island.
Master of Architecture in Urban Design (MAUD) students
Ishita Singh will assist the NYC Housing Authority’s Architecture and Engineering Services Division with site-level planning and analyses of public housing open spaces.
Valeria Takano will work in the office of New York City Councilor Julie Won researching land use and housing needs in immigrant and low-income neighborhoods.
Master of Design Studies (MDes) students
Malvika Dwivedi will assist New Haven’s City Plan Department with communication strategies to help residents better understand zoning and other planning processes.
Emi Kim will conduct research and analyses for the Pratt Center for Community Development on projects related to house flipping, community land trusts, and community engagement in New York City.
MUP Students
Yvette Bailey-Emberson will help the City of Boston’s Planning Department develop materials and organize community events related to the department's Allston-Brighton Plan.
Emma Fairchild will work in the office of New York City Councilor Julie Won analyzing proposed development projects, conducting research on land use and housing-related topics, creating public-facing materials, and supporting planning and coordination for land-use related events.
HKS Fellows in Housing and Community Development
Leena Aurora, a joint MPP/MBA student at HKS and HBS, will help Economic Security Project Illinois’ efforts to increase uptake of safety-net programs, particularly those related to housing.
Master in Public Policy (MPP) students
Ian Curtis will help the Boston Mayor's Office of Housing assess the impacts of supply-side housing strategies that aim to help lower-income homeowners redevelop their properties without spurring displacement.
Louise Engohang will work at the Detroit Justice Center on initiatives focused on tenant rights and defenses against eviction.
Artemis Huang will support the Newton (MA) Economic Development Department’s efforts to aid small businesses and promote vibrant commercial districts.
Ivory Fellows in Housing Affordability and Sustainability
Dimitri Henry, an MPP/MBA student at HKS and HBS, will help develop a business plan for Rebel One, a global investing network for social entrepreneurs, and will also develop plans for a proposed affordable housing development in Newark, NJ.
James Li, a MAUD at GSD, will assist The Neighborhood Developers, a Boston-area community development corporation, by developing visualizations to help residents better understand affordable housing and reviewing scopes and drawings for naturally occurring affordable housing properties.
Pranav Subramanian, an MDes and Master in Real Estate student at GSD, will help the Jonathan Rose Companies investigate how shared equity housing models can be structured as scalable investment strategies in the US.
Tessa Vaccaro, an MPP at HKS, will assist the City of Boston Planning Department’s efforts to spur office-to-residential conversions.
Lilly Xu, a Harvard College undergraduate majoring in environmental science and public policy, will help Kelvin Systems scale its efforts to develop cost-effective ways to reduce heating and cooling costs and emissions in older buildings.
Master of Architecture Students at GSD
Eunice Chung will work with the California Institute for Energy and Environment and the Sustainability & Resilience Division in the office of Oakland’s City Administrator to identify lessons from EcoBlock, an urban decarbonization pilot project, and to develop neighborhood-wide decarbonization plans.
Claudia Ramirez Martell will help the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s Division of Building and Land Development Services with construction monitoring and data collection.
Master of Urban Planning Students at GSD
Sierra Foster will help the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s Division of Building and Land Development Services improve its operations by conducting research and helping the division implement new processes.
Elias Henderson will conduct research and analyses on housing trends and policy interventions for the Boston Mayor's Office of Housing
Image credit: Kris Snibbe
