Lilly - Housing Solutions intern 2026

Throughout my first two years studying sociology with criminology at the University of York, I developed an interest in how organisations such as local government can support a wide range of individuals with different needs. This internship has been the perfect opportunity to explore this interest and gain a clearer understanding of the services that local government can provide.

The main project I worked on over the 12 weeks was creating parish profiles. I produced a spreadsheet detailing the demographics of each parish within West Suffolk. These included the age of residents, household composition, household size, tenure type, income and benefit claimants as a few examples. This will be used by the strategic housing team to inform future affordable housing development. This project challenged me and has increased my confidence in interpreting and displaying data.

I also had the opportunity to shadow each of the different teams within housing solutions. For example, I joined the rough sleeper team on outreach attending the Bury drop-in for those who are homeless or vulnerably housed. I also got to visit different types of temporary and supported accommodation, learn about the triage process and learn from the resettlement and domestic abuse team. This was a valuable experience that has highlighted to me the importance of multi-agency and team working.

Alongside this, the other interns and I had the opportunity to work collaboratively on a group project – promoting a new service for landlords and domestic energy efficiency grants and funding. We created promotional resources and held market stalls to engage with the public. This was an amazing opportunity for all of us to develop a range of skills such a time management, teamwork and communication.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at the council and would recommend the internship programme to anyone with an interest in a career in local government.