Zachi Elias
birdSEED Advisory Board
Zachi is a native Washingtonian whose commitment to housing equity began at age five while volunteering at a local shelter with his family.
He is deeply honored to have been appointed the youngest and first high school student on birdSEED's Advisory Board
Driven by his belief that history must be inclusive, Zachi founded Housing Our Stories, a public oral history initiative highlighting the experiences of often overlooked residents in housing assistance programs. His housing equity work also includes contributing to Mapping Segregation D.C. by analyzing racially restrictive covenants in property deeds, working as a Web Intern at Street Sense Media to help amplify the voices of people experiencing homelessness, and tutoring youth in an affordable housing community. He has also served as a Bank of America Student Leader, interning at United Way of the National Capital Area to support ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) populations.
His broader historical work includes research on the overlooked contributions of more than one million Black soldiers from Africa in World War II. Zachi has also attended the National History Academy and the National Institute of American History and Democracy.
He values the opportunity to contribute to birdSEED's mission of addressing disparities in housing ownership.
