Stephanie Watkins-Cruz , serves as the Director of Housing Policy at the North Carolina Housing Coalition, where she leads strategic policy development and advocacy to expand affordable housing and strengthen community development across North Carolina. Her work sits at the intersection of local, state, and federal policy, advancing equitable housing solutions that both rural and urban communities. Stephanie services as a trusted policy resource for legislators, local governments, advocates, and community-based organizations. She represents the Coalition and the state in local and natrional forums and brings a passion for housing that bridges her lived experience with data, research, coalition-building, and best practices grounded in community impact and respect. Prior to joining the Coalition in 2022, Stephanie worked in and alongside local government staff and leaders as a Policy Analyst in the Chatham County Manager's Office, as a collabortive home-repair database manager for the Chatham County Council on Aging, and as a Fellow with the Development Finance Intitiative (DFI) at the UNC School of Government. Stephanie holds dual master's degrees in City & Regional Planning and Public Administration from UNC Chapel Hill, and a B.A. in Political Science from UNC Asheville.