Laurie Tran

Laurie was born in San Francisco, California, raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and planted roots in Seattle, Washington. She has a double degree in biology and medical anthropology/global health with a minor in diversity from the University of Washington. Laurie’s passion for social justice and anti-oppression work for systematic change has led her to leadership positions in the Tenants Union of Washington, Tent City Collective, and Health Equity Circle in Seattle, where she focused on affordable housing (including homelessness) and social determinants of health. She has also conducted research on the influence of community ties on identity and social networks within the Vietnamese community in Seattle.

Field placement: Mississippi Center for Justice

Jackson, Mississippi

Laurie worked to revitalize the statewide affordable housing coalition, Housing Mississippi, by creating a foundation to sustain their energy and capacity. She conducted a survey of models and best practices for coalitions and steered the Board towards a vision for recruitment and action. She also worked to build relationships among coalition members and with other affordable housing coalitions throughout the state and country.

Policy placement: Center for Community Change

Washington, D.C.

Laurie worked with the Policy Team at the Center for Community Change to lead and support efforts to engage communities across the country through our partners in organizing the Putting Families First campaign, the Immigration campaign, and pushing for reinvestment in our nation’s most vulnerable communities.

Hunger Free Community Report

Housing Mississippi Communications Manual is a manual for the Housing Mississippi Board to gain control of digital tools like the NationBuilder database, website, Google Apps, and social media to engage membership and spark interest in the advocacy work and inspire potential funding.