Join Our AmeriCorps Network
Apply to Host an AmeriCorps Member
Making a fundraising video for #GivingTuesday. Launching a program that empowers residents to advocate for themselves. Developing workshops to teach homeowners and renters how to save money by being environmentally friendly.
AmeriCorps VISTA Members in Housing Action’s network have tackled all of these projects and more. We place both full-year and summer AmeriCorps Members with organizations around the state to work on projects build their organizations’ capacity to fight poverty.
Apply by January 27 to start hosting an AmeriCorps Member in 2023!
National Service with Housing Action Illinois
Each year, Housing Action matches AmeriCorps members with community-based organizations across Illinois. AmeriCorps is a national service program that connects people and organizations to help end poverty and strengthen communities.
AmeriCorps members take on a variety of roles at their host organizations, all aimed at helping our communities thrive. They expand the scale of programs and services, implement new projects, and build capacity to further the long-term sustainability of anti-poverty programs at their host organizations.
Since 2010, Housing Action has managed a network of AmeriCorps members in the VISTA program, with up to 30 full-year AmeriCorps members and 30+ AmeriCorps Summer Associates serving each year. AmeriCorps members serve at their host organizations for a full year or for eight to ten weeks as a Summer Associate (June through August).
Host an AmeriCorps Member
AmeriCorps members can help your organization build the capacity to advance its mission in new ways, implement pilot projects and new programs, and grow existing services and programs.
Each year, Housing Action matches up to 30 full-year AmeriCorps members and 30+ Summer Associates with host sites across the state. We typically accept applications for host sites from December to February (we notify applicants about a month after the deadline). We begin recruiting AmeriCorps members in March. Full-year AmeriCorps members usually begin in August, while Summer Associates begin in June.
Host sites must be members of the Housing Action Illinois coalition and pay a project participation fee to begin recruiting for their position once accepted. For more information, please see our most recent Host Site Application Instruction & Resource Packet. Applications to be a host site for 2023-2024 are due on January 27, 2023.
Want to hear from others who have hosted an AmeriCorps member? Check out testimonials from our AmeriCorps members’ supervisors »
Interested in Serving?
AmeriCorps is a national service program that connects people and organizations to help end poverty and strengthen communities. Since 2010, Housing Action has managed a network of AmeriCorps members in the VISTA program, with up to 30 full-year AmeriCorps members and 30+ AmeriCorps Summer Associates serving each year. As an AmeriCorps member, you help nonprofit organizations build their capacity to meet community needs by improving and expanding their services and creating new programs.
AmeriCorps members serve full-time at their host organizations. Service terms last either 12 months or for 8 to 10 weeks (Summer Associates serve between June and August). Find an opportunity that fits you »
Apply Now
There are two ways to apply to our positions: through the AmeriCorps portal or through Housing Action’s Quick Application.
We have heard from people who find the AmeriCorps portal application confusing and complicated, so we created our Quick Application as a way to make applying and interviewing for our positions accessible and simple. When you fill out the Quick Application, you can choose to be considered for any position in our network. However, if you are offered a position, you will still need to complete an official AmeriCorps Portal application to move forward.
If you want to apply using the AmeriCorps portal, review this checklist to make sure you have gathered all the materials you need to apply. Read detailed instructions on how to apply »
Fall - Winter 2022 Application Steps & Timeline
Application Steps
- Application Period Begins – October
- Candidates Submit Applications for Full-Year Positions – October through December
- First Round Interviews with Housing Action (rolling basis) – October through December
- Second Round Interviews with Host Sites (rolling basis) – October through December
- Offers Made – October through December
- Selected Candidates Must Complete AmeriCorps Portal Application – October through December
Key Dates
October 3, 2022: Housing Action begins first-round interviews
October – December 2022: Host sites begin second-round interviews
December 22, 2022: All Member candidates with offers must have completed the AmeriCorps Portal application
November 7, December 5, & January 17: Member start dates
Full-Year Positions
See individual listings for start dates and application deadlines.
The AmeriCorps VISTA Program is a national service program that connects people and organizations to help end poverty and strengthen communities. Our full-year AmeriCorps members commit to serve communities across Illinois full-time for a year. They fill a wide variety of roles aimed at expanding and improving the availability of good, accessible, affordable housing in Illinois.
Chicago Furniture Bank – Volunteer Recruitment and Engagement VISTA
Four walls and a roof alone don’t make a home. Come redesign our volunteer program so we can recruit 300 volunteers to furnish 4,000 homes next year at the Chicago Furniture Bank.
Connections for the Homeless – Volunteer Coordinator VISTA
Join us in preventing and ending homelessness in northern Cook County! Build the infrastructure and capacity of our volunteer program so everyone has a safe, stable place to call home.
Garfield Park Community Council – Communications Associate VISTA
This position will build the capacity of our organization’s housing and communication efforts to help prevent the displacement of legacy residents on Chicago’s West Side.
Habitat for Humanity DuPage County & Chicago South Suburbs – Grants Development VISTA
Come integrate technology to organize grant data, take ownership of smaller grant opportunities, and collaborate with the Grant Manager on larger projects to help us achieve our mission.
Habitat for Humanity DuPage County & Chicago South Suburbs – Outreach & Program Enhancement VISTA
Gain valuable skills and knowledge regarding the home intake process while also working with affiliate staff to create mutually beneficial community partnerships.
Habitat for Humanity DuPage County & Chicago South Suburbs – ReStore Marketing & Communications VISTA
Come enhance our overall communication and marketing systems at our ReStore locations so we can increase retail and e-commerce efforts to fund affordable homeownership.
Habitat for Humanity Lake County – Volunteer Coordinator VISTA
Help transform our organization’s volunteer experience and bring the community together to build affordable houses.
HOPE Fair Housing Center – Fair Housing Enforcement VISTA
This position will help expand our fair housing enforcement services ability to reach a broader impact in our work that opens up more housing opportunities for our immediate service area and statewide.
HOPE Fair Housing Center – Fundraising VISTA
We advocate for people experiencing housing discrimination – and help them get justice. Work with us to build the capacity of our organization to enforce fair housing throughout Illinois.
Housing Action Illinois – Communications VISTA
We’re looking for someone passionate about housing justice to build public understanding of issues, engage and cultivate our member organizations, and help diversify our funding.
Housing Action Illinois – Housing Counseling Training VISTA
Seeking entrepreneurial individuals to assist with strengthening Housing Action’s Housing Counseling Training program through research of best practices, software evaluation, and policy development.
Housing Action Illinois – AmeriCorps VISTA Leader
Serve as a leader of Housing Action’s AmeriCorps Network: selecting organizations that host positions, recruiting and interviewing candidates, and coordinating current members.
Oak Park Regional Housing Center – Support Services Specialist VISTA
Improve Oak Park Regional Housing Center’s data collection and reporting, community outreach, and fair housing education, boost funding and recruit volunteers to support meeting our mission.
Open Communities – Fair Housing VISTA
Further fair housing through organizing, educating, and advocating. The member will acquire valuable skills for a career rooted in economic and racial justice.
One Level – Community Change Agent VISTA
Looking for someone to lead the planning and piloting of our new organization focused on housing and workforce development in Decatur, IL by conducting research and building grassroots support.
Respond Now – Housing Counseling Outreach VISTA
Be part of a growing program by enhancing our outreach and communication, providing housing stability to more families in the Chicago South Suburbs.
Share our Spare – Programs & Operations VISTA
Help us in addressing the gap in the number of Chicago area families that have unmet basic needs and the number of families we’re currently able to provide support.
Spanish Coalition for Housing – Development Associate VISTA
Be part of a growing program by enhancing our outreach and communication, providing housing stability to more families in the Chicago South Suburbs.
What does service look like?
As a full-year AmeriCorps member in the VISTA program, you would perform indirect service, which includes activities that help an organization enhance its mission, strategy, skills, and infrastructure to fulfill its mission. You would serve in an office setting, and your responsibilities might include:
- Writing grants
- Organizing a volunteer program
- Developing a curriculum for a training
- Other kinds of program design and implementation
You won’t be working directly with people in need. Instead, you’ll be helping to expand the capabilities of your host organization to better serve its community. You might not see the impact immediately, but your host site will continue to benefit from your efforts long after your term of service ends.
If you think direct service—providing immediate solutions to people in need and includes activities like building a house, teaching a course, or mentoring a student—is a better fit for you, you may want to consider applying for one of our Summer Associate positions.
Full-year AmeriCorps members may not perform direct service, but Summer Associates can take on direct or indirect service.
What type of compensation and benefits are available?
AmeriCorps members are full-time volunteers—VISTA stands for Volunteers In Service To America. However, AmeriCorps members do receive a modest living allowance to help cover basic expenses. With approval from their supervisors, AmeriCorps members can also work a job in their spare time, but they must be available to serve during regular business hours.
Full-Year AmeriCorps Members
For full-year AmeriCorps members in Illinois, the living allowance is $15,000 per year.
Summer Associates
Summer Associates can expect to receive a living allowance between $2,300 and $2,877 during service.
In addition to the living allowance, you will also receive benefits as part of your AmeriCorps service:
Full-Year AmeriCorps Members
- Choice of an Education Award ($6,345) or an End-of-Service Cash Stipend ($1,803)
- Forbearance or deferment of student loan payments during term of service
- Non-competitive eligibility status for federal jobs
- Healthcare allowance
- Leave Days: 10 personal & 10 medical
- If Eligible: Relocation payment (up to $750)
- If Eligible: Child Care Assistance
- Chicago metro area only: Free unlimited Ventra or Metra pass
Summer Associates
- Choice of an Education Award ($1,342) or an End-of-Service Cash Stipend ($345)
- 1 or 2 sick days may be granted. However, because the term of service is so short, the hours must be made up.
Professional Development
Becoming an AmeriCorps member is a great way to serve your community while gaining experience at a community-based organization. The projects you take on as an AmeriCorps member help you develop marketable skills that can make you a competitive candidate when you apply to jobs and education programs after your term of service ends.
As a full-year AmeriCorps member, you will also participate in two In-Service Trainings (IST) as a part of your service. At the ISTs, which are specialized, multi-day, in-person training events, you will join other AmeriCorps members in your cohort to learn about topics and best practices relevant to your service. The first training, in the fall, will set you up for success during your term of service. The second, in the spring, helps you get ready to secure your next professional endeavor after you complete your term.
Ready to start building a career in affordable housing or homelessness? You can get to know others in the field through professional networking opportunities at Housing Action’s annual conference, which 250 housing practitioners from across Illinois attend each year.
Ahead of the Curve
In 2021, we published the findings from our survey of 169 AmeriCorps VISTA alumni who served in our network over the course of a decade (2010–2020). The findings show that a year of service can pave the way for a nonprofit career, help make a difference in your community, and be a meaningful way to learn about housing and homelessness.
%
of survey respondents secured employment within 6 months of finishing service (national average is 67%)
%
of survey respondents believe or strongly believe their experience as a VISTA was worthwhile
%
of survey respondents were offered staff positions by their host sites (national average is 20%)
More About Our Network
Recent Accomplishments
When we started placing AmeriCorps members for the 2020-2021 year, we really didn’t know what would be possible in the coming months. We’re very proud that our network of 24 AmeriCorps VISTA members were able to achieve so much, even during pandemic. In just one year, our network collectively:
- Raised $728,000 in grants, cash, and in-kind donations for their host sites
- Connected 4,000 households with housing services
- Helped develop, make available, or repair 1,000 housing units
- Recruited or managed 500 volunteers
These numbers only tell part of the story—there are many other ways in which our AmeriCorps members build capacity for their host organizations. See below for spotlights on individual members.
Now Accepting Applications for 2022 – 2023 VISTA Positions
Each year, Housing Action matches AmeriCorps members with community-based organizations across Illinois. AmeriCorps is a national service program that connects people and organizations to help end poverty and strengthen communities. AmeriCorps members take on a...
New Initiative: Introducing the Housing Counseling Corps
Housing Action Illinois is excited to bring together two of our programs—supporting housing counseling agencies and managing a network of AmeriCorps VISTA Members—for a new initiative: the Housing Counseling Corps. We plan to launch this initiative in the fall of...
Alumni Spotlight: From AmeriCorps to Assistant Attorney General
When Dan Kallio finished law school, he knew he wanted to spend a year giving back to the community before beginning his law career. Today, his impressive resume includes his current position as Assistant Attorney General at the Office of the Illinois Attorney...
Tara Joy: More People Need to Know About Fair Housing
“I had a few friends and acquaintances who served in AmeriCorps before and recommended the experience,” explains Tara Joy when asked how she first became interested in a year of service. “I was also interested in learning more about working in affordable/fair housing,...
Russell Star-Lack: Cooperating for Co-Ops
Russell Star-Lack first became interested in housing during college, when he was researching and documenting the history of housing discrimination in the Twin Cities. He wanted to put his knowledge to good use and thought that “AmeriCorps seemed like a great way to...
Being Part of the Solution: Serving as an AmeriCorps Member with Northwest Side Community Development Corporation
When COVID-19 first arrived in the United States, Fabian Cisneros was a part of the Student Conservation Association, serving in the Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Although he was able to continue his work, the sudden changes to the nation’s day-to-day...