Malcolm Harris

Malcolm Harris joined Housing California in January 2024 as the Power Building Director. In this role, he is responsible for connecting and leading cross-sector coalitions and grassroots networks that center people with lived experience of housing instability to advance shared priorities and change the balance of power in state policy making. He will provide leadership and strategic direction to Housing California’s signature power building initiative, Residents United Network (RUN), to grow the network and increase RUN leaders’ impact on state-level homelessness and affordable housing policies.

Prior to joining Housing California, he was Director of State Campaigns with Caring Across Generations. He worked closely with state organizational partners and staff to support the creation of Care coalitions in five states. This work culminated in “Care When the Rent or Mortgage is Due”, linking the long term issues of care at home to housing security for all Californians.

Malcolm also worked with TRUST South LA, a South Los Angeles community land trust, as their Organizing Director, organizing around issues of transit oriented development in South Central Los Angeles. With the Black Workers United’s #Local Enforcement Now! campaign, he led a statewide coalition of Labor (including SEIU and AFSCME UDW 3930) and statewide organizations, like IDEPSCA, leading to the Los Angeles City Council passing creation of the Los Angeles Office of Civil + Human Rights in 2019. Prior to that Malcolm spent over 10 years as an external organizer with the Service Employees International Union bringing new workers into the union.

Malcolm started out as an organizer at the Community Coalition (CoCo) in the mid-90s and has spent more than 25 years organizing workers and coalitions across California, the United States, and Canada. He attended UCLA.

Email: mharris@housingca.org
Direct dial: 323.594.4978
Preferred Pronouns: he/him