Setting up Homes for Service for AmeriCorps*VISTA members
Abstract
AmeriCorps*VISTA members donate a year of their lives to improve communities throughout the United States, serving full-time in exchange for a small living allowance. Setting up a Homes for Service Program can help members find affordable housing and offers hosts an opportunity to give to their communities.Issue
High rents and low vacancy rates in many parts of the country leave few options for AmeriCorps* VISTA members who receive very modest living allowances. Finding adequate housing on a service member's limited budget can be a challenge without a concerted effort by community members to help out.Action
According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, effective practices for setting up a Homes for Service Program include the following five steps:
1. Research, Survey and Collect Data
Factors to consider include:
- Current status of housing in your area
- Numbers of members that have relocated to your area
Survey members on the issue of affordable housing and distribute results with the launch of Homes for Service.
2. Develop materials based on feedback from the survey
- Brochure, flyer and news story for outreach are available from the Corporation or from the National Service Resource Center, as are letters, business cards and other materials that can be adapted to your needs.
- Include either a toll free phone number or a voice mailbox for Homes for Service messages.
- Set up a Homes for Service email address, and if possible, a website.
- Assemble email lists and mailing labels of all organizations to be contacted.
- Send a mailing to announce Homes for Service to all national service programs, including your State Commission and the Corporation State Office. Include publicity materials for distribution.
- Send letters to all AmeriCorps*VISTA alumni in the area, asking for their participation either in providing host homes, or in assisting with publicity.
- Publicize the program as much as possible - at meetings and with other service agencies and organizations.
- Link Homes for Service with AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps*VISTA recruitment efforts.
- Display and distribute Homes for Service materials whenever possible.
- Utilize national service listservs when appropriate.
- Identify Homes for Service advocates in your community.
- Set up and maintain a database to keep track of host homes. This should include host name, address, email, phone, fax, how they learned of the program, and information about the type of housing, when it is available and how much it costs.
- Distribute by email or fax updated lists of available host homes at regular intervals (2-4 weeks) to AmeriCorps programs and AmeriCorps*VISTA projects. Include contact information for hosts and request follow-up information to track when a match is made.
- Prepare reports at regular intervals on findings, strategies to address challenges, and planned activities for coming weeks. Distribute reports to appropriate stakeholders.
- Keep programs, projects, members and other stakeholders informed of the results of Home for Service and publicize success.
- Develop recognition for host homes.
- Invite host homes to service events.
Context
Homes for Service, a pilot initiative of the Corporation for National and Community Service, began in 2002 to identify affordable housing opportunities in the northeast for AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps*VISTA members. Homes for Service range in price from free to approximately $400.00 a month.Outcome
Homes for Service Programs- Help members find affordable housing
- Offer hosts an opportunity to give to their communities
Posted On
September 5, 2003Resources
Homes for Service materials can be downloaded from the Resource Center.These include:
- Fact Sheet
- Flyer and Brochure
- Sample News Release or Newsletter Announcement
- Press Release
- Article promoting Homes for Service to seniors
- Host home checklist
- Graphic
- Banner
- Sample letters
- Sample surveys