Housing Action Corps
Strengthening communities through service.
Each year, we connect AmeriCorps members with community organizations to address local challenges with local solutions. Housing Action Corps helps organizations in our coalition launch new projects and expand their programs while providing professional development for the next generation of housing justice leaders.
National Service with Housing Action Illinois
Since 2010, Housing Action Corps (formerly known as Housing Action AmeriCorps Network) has paired hundreds of AmeriCorps members with organizations across Illinois. AmeriCorps is a national service program that provides opportunities for people to lead anti-poverty projects and build the capacity of community-based organizations. AmeriCorps members in the VISTA program take on a variety of roles at their host organizations; they expand the scale of programs and services, launch new projects, and increase available resources, such as volunteers, donations, and grants.
We typically manage a network of 30 full-year AmeriCorps VISTA members each year. AmeriCorps members serve at their host organizations for a 12-month term.
Learn more about serving in Housing Action Corps or becoming a host site on the pages below.
Serve with Housing Action Corps
Host a Housing Action Corps Member
Join Housing Action Corps
Applications for 2026-2027 Housing Action Corps host sites are closed. We will open applications in winter 2026 for organizations interested in joining our 2027-2028 cohort.
Applications to serve in our 2025-2026 Housing Action Corps cohort are closed. We will open applications in spring 2026 for members interested in serving September 2026-2027.
Apply to Host
Applications for 2026-2027 Housing Action Corps host sites are closed. We will begin recruiting for our 2027-2028 cohort in winter 2026.
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The AmeriCorps VISTA Program is a national service program that connects people and organizations to help end poverty and strengthen communities. Most Housing Action Corps positions are located in Illinois, but AmeriCorps members serving in our Housing Counseling Corps can be matched with housing counseling agencies nationwide.
Apply to Serve
Applications for 2025-2026 Housing Action Corps members are closed. We will begin recruiting for our 2026-2027 cohort in spring 2026.
Housing Action Corps members dedicate a year of full-time AmeriCorps VISTA service to projects that build organizational capacity, advance housing opportunities, and strengthen communities. Members serve with their host sites for 12 months, starting in August or September.
Learn more about serving in Housing Action Corps »
The AmeriCorps VISTA Program is a national service program that connects people and organizations to help end poverty and strengthen communities. Most Housing Action Corps positions are located in Illinois, but AmeriCorps members serving in our Housing Counseling Corps can be matched with housing counseling agencies nationwide.
Housing Action Corps Initiatives
Housing Counseling Corps is an initiative of Housing Action Corps that aims to build the capacity of housing counseling programs and establish a path for AmeriCorps members to become HUD-Certified housing counselors. Housing Counseling Corps members serve with housing counseling agencies in Illinois and throughout the United States.
About Housing Counseling Corps
Housing counseling programs are crucial in combating the affordable housing crisis, but due to a nationwide shortage of HUD-certified housing counselors, agencies are struggling to meet community needs. In 2021, we piloted a new initiative of Housing Action Corps—Housing Counseling Corps—to build the capacity of housing counseling programs and establish a pipeline of HUD-certified housing counselors to help more people secure safe and affordable homes. After launching the initiative in Illinois, we expanded Housing Counseling Corps to match AmeriCorps members with organizations nationwide in 2023.
AmeriCorps members in Housing Counseling Corps spend a full service year learning about the housing counseling profession, becoming familiar with the specific programs and client needs of a housing counseling agency, and preparing for and taking the HUD Housing Counseling Certification Exam. After their service, members are well-positioned to begin a job as a HUD-certified housing counselor at their host site or another housing counseling agency.
Housing Action facilitates housing counseling trainings nationwide and provides critical support and resources to housing counseling agencies throughout the Midwest as a HUD-Approved Housing Counseling Intermediary. Housing Counseling Corps leverages the expertise and resources of our Capacity Building team and our Housing Action Corps to fortify the housing counseling workforce in Illinois and throughout the United States. Learn more about becoming a Housing Counselor »
Interested in joining Housing Counseling Corps or hosting a Housing Counseling Corps member at your agency? Learn more about serving in Housing Action Corps or becoming a host site.
More About Our Network
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.
%
secured their next step within 6 months of finishing service (national average is 67%)
%
believe or strongly believe their experience as a VISTA was worthwhile
%
were offered staff positions by their host sites (national average is 20%)
Recent Accomplishments
In fall 2024, we placed 32 full-year AmeriCorps VISTA members with 26 host organizations around Illinois and in 4 states nationwide to strengthen communities and build the capacity of our coalition. In 2024-2025, Housing Action Corps members collectively:
- Raised $1,443,873 in grants, cash, and in-kind donations
- Recruited or managed 2,613 volunteers
- Helped develop, repair, and make available 706 housing units
- Connected 1,814 households with housing services
These numbers only tell part of the story—there are many other ways in which our AmeriCorps members build capacity for their host organizations while growing their professional development. See below for spotlights on individual members and alumni.
A Passion to End Homelessness
Back to main blog page » Republished from the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless blog. Veronica Cullinan-Burnison is an AmeriCorps VISTA Organizer for Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH). I am no stranger to the issues that many of the people we work...
On The Table: Tools to Create Affordable, Resilient, and Sustainable Neighborhoods
Back to main blog page » Each year, The Chicago Community Trust invites partners to join them in hosting On The Table, an annual forum designed to elevate civic conversation, foster new relationships and inspire collaborative action across the region. In...
VISTA Spotlight: Sonia at Hesed House
Back to main blog page » When Sonia started her Summer Associate position with Hesed House, donated clothing was jumbled all together, making it difficult to quickly accommodate the needs of children and families. This summer, she tackled the disorganized...
Catching Up with DuPage Habitat for Humanity
Back to main blog page » This summer, four Summer Associates have been working hard on a variety of projects at DuPage Habitat for Humanity. They’ve been coordinating volunteers on construction sites, updating the organization’s website, collecting...
Working to End Veteran and Chronic Homelessness
Back to main blog page » On the last day of the Zero:2016 Action Camp in Denver, I received a small plastic soldier. I was to take the soldier back with me as a reminder of the personal commitment I was making to ending veteran homelessness. The commitment...
“I Have a Lot to Say”: Stories from Heartland Housing Residents
Back to main blog page » "I have a lot to say," starts Stacey Brown in her story, "New Beginnings," published in a 2017 issue of Real Conditions magazine. Stacey describes her struggles with being bipolar and how becoming a mother has changed her. "She is...