During Summer 2025, CECREH doctoral researchers Amin Sobhani and Nadar Shah participated in a community-based internship designed and supported by CECREH and led by Texas Housers, a leading housing advocacy organization in Texas. The program emphasized community-driven strategies to improve housing outcomes in disaster-affected areas and advocate for more equitable CDBG-DR investments.
Students contributed to ongoing efforts that resulted in the allocation of $100 million in disaster recovery housing funds. Their work involved analyzing the performance of city and state homeowner assistance programs, with attention to construction quality, program oversight, and resident access to resolution mechanisms when issues arise.
The internship connected research, advocacy, and community engagement to support more transparent and accountable disaster recovery systems.
The internship also included collaboration with the HUD Center of Excellence for Hispanic Housing Studies (CoHHS) at Texas A&M University. This partnership enabled students to engage with community organizations, support funding proposals, and contribute to long-term housing advocacy and research-driven action.
Internship activities helped build local capacity by educating homeowners about construction standards and program guidelines, assisting with documentation, and helping residents identify and report construction deficiencies. These efforts reflect CECREH’s broader commitment to equitable housing recovery, community capacity, and evidence-informed disaster recovery practice.