NLIHC is excited to welcome Denisse Rodriguez as our Fall 2024 Research Intern! Denisse is a first-generation, third-year undergraduate student at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she is pursuing dual bachelor of arts degrees in public affairs and global studies. This fall, she is participating in the University of California District of Columbia (UCDC) Program. Over the summer, Denisse served as a Departmental Intern at UCLA’s Community Programs Office (CPO), where she conducted in-depth research and presented findings on critical social issues, such as basic needs, food and racial injustice, and educational inequality. She also promoted support services aimed at combating student hunger through CPO’s food closet and basic needs collective. Additionally, she concluded her roles as a Legal Assistant and Spanish Interpreter at the Immigration Family Legal Clinic at the UCLA School of Law, as well as a File Clerk at Lurie, Zepeda, Schmalz, Hogan, & Martin. In these roles, she assisted Spanish-speaking clients during consultations and helped families apply for legal status, while also maintaining legal materials and performing administrative tasks. Denisse’s interest in joining the Coalition stems from her first-hand experience witnessing the Latine community face significant challenges related to housing safety, affordability, and the criminalization of homelessness. During her time with the Coalition, she hopes to help address the systemic barriers in equitable housing that affect low-income and marginalized communities.